68
drank Organic Chai by Simpson & Vail
4278 tasting notes

Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 5

Sigh, Simpson & Vail, why you gotta include such boring teas? Am I the only one who doesn’t like it when companies have super basic teas in their advents? Like, at least have the French vanilla chai instead. Anyway… At least it’s early in the advent I guess.

This is fine. I am personally not a fan of chai with spice flavoring. If it’s a chai with other added flavors, like vanilla or fruit or something, that’s fine. But to me, if you need to add spice flavoring in addition to the actual spices, you’re doing something wrong lol. It just makes it taste like something else other than chai, I guess. I like that this has anise seed in it, and I’m getting a nice anise flavor, but not a fan of all the added flavorings (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove).

For jam, today I have Purple Fig-Cinnamon Spread. I love fig, so naturally I adore this one ha ha. So rich with the right amount of sweetness and big chunks of fig. The cinnamon is actually fairly subtle, so the fig still gets to shine! :)

(originally posted under their normal Chai, but noticed after reading the ingredients listed on the advent that this was actually their Organic Chai.)

Flavors: Anise, Artificial, Cinnamon, Clove, Earthy, Smooth, Spices, Sweet

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Courtney

Every year, AC Perch has the same enormous amount of the most boring tea ever for Day 24 and it always drove me insane XD.

Cameron B.

Oh no, ha ha ha… I thought about getting theirs this year, but went cheaper instead.

Kelmishka

Yeah, I wasn’t too enthused when I discovered this one today! Boring!

Cameron B.

Well I’m glad it’s not just me! XD

ashmanra

Harney and Sons puts the most ridiculous choices in their advent! Stupid regular teas that are best sellers while leaving out the many wonderful seasonal options they have! White Christmas, Holiday, the Williamsburg line, so many they could have chosen!

Cameron B.

I remember thinking the same thing when I saw the Harney advent! And the T2 one as well, to a lesser degree. They both have so many more interesting teas!

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Comments

Courtney

Every year, AC Perch has the same enormous amount of the most boring tea ever for Day 24 and it always drove me insane XD.

Cameron B.

Oh no, ha ha ha… I thought about getting theirs this year, but went cheaper instead.

Kelmishka

Yeah, I wasn’t too enthused when I discovered this one today! Boring!

Cameron B.

Well I’m glad it’s not just me! XD

ashmanra

Harney and Sons puts the most ridiculous choices in their advent! Stupid regular teas that are best sellers while leaving out the many wonderful seasonal options they have! White Christmas, Holiday, the Williamsburg line, so many they could have chosen!

Cameron B.

I remember thinking the same thing when I saw the Harney advent! And the T2 one as well, to a lesser degree. They both have so many more interesting teas!

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Profile

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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