Another sample from MeghannM. Thanks so much!
I’ve got another snow day today, though it could be classified as an “ice” day. So far, this winter is shaping up to be a record-breaker in terms of wintery precipitation. And winter weather = being cold = drinking more tea to warm myself up!
Okay, let me begin by saying that I’ve never eaten chestnuts. I’m not sure why, but it’s probably because my mother refuses to eat them and, thus, I never had access as a child and have never thought to go out and get them as an adult. Mom grew up a few houses down from a small-time chestnut farmer (he had 4 or 5 trees), and she abhores the smell the flowers emit whilst blooming. I don’t mind it so much; then again, I also didn’t spend quite as much time around that smell as a child.
So, having no prior chestnut experience to fall back on, I can’t say whether or not this tastes like one. It’s got a strong black tea base that is very nice, and an earthy, roasty flavor that’s a touch astringent. There’s a hint of something I’d define as ‘nutty’ and perhaps similar to walnuts that have been a bit too roasted. It seems like something one would drink curled up in front of a warm fire and wrapped in a crochet blanket that your grandmother made. As for me, I’m just going to tuck in with my Snuggie and throws, find something to watch on Hulu, and knit a little something to tuck into my Steepster Secret Santa’s gift (that I’ll hopefully be able to pick up at Cuppa tomorrow so I can get it mailed out)).