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Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 24

What an odd choice for Day 24. I always wonder if companies just don’t think about the ordering of the teas in their advents sometimes, for instance when they put similar teas near each other, or like this when they don’t save a festive or special tea for the end of the advent. I can’t imagine they don’t put a lot of thought into it, but I also can’t imagine why they’d choose a summer matcha for Christmas Eve otherwise. Especially when they had more festive flavors earlier in the month… :P

Anyway, this is probably a weird flavor to make as an iced latte, but I’ve done every other matcha that way and I’m not going to stop now! :P This smells strongly of crisp apple, with just a dash of the mint. As a latte, I also mostly get the apple, and mixed with the oat milk, it sort of reminds me of oatmeal with chopped raw apples mixed in. The mint is more noticeable at the end of the sip, leaving a creamy but refreshing mint finish in my case. Will have to try the remainder of the tin as a sparkling iced matcha at a later date, since it’s probably better suited for that.

As for this advent as a whole, I was really impressed with it. The last time I tried a lot of B&B’s matcha was many years ago, and I’m pleased to see they seem to have moved away from the “tea powders” they used to carry more of, with rooibos or herbal bases, and transitioned to more actual matcha. And their matcha base seems significantly better than what it was originally (I think it had white tea or something?). Definitely considering ordering a few of these flavors, though the price point is a bit high for me. But they have a lot of unique ones, so might be worth a splurge. Would definitely recommend this advent for future years!

Flavors: Apple, Cooling, Crisp, Earthy, Fresh, Grassy, Mint, Peppermint, Smooth, Sweet

Preparation
Iced 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 157

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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