I thought I’d write up a note on this while I still have vague memories of drinking the last of my Eggnog and Pralines sample a few days ago. As I said at the time, I do prefer this one.
I actually ended up with this tea because when Butiki were closing down I placed an order which included 1/2oz of their Creamy Eggnog tea, but Stacy ran out before getting to my order and so (after checking I was okay with it) substituted this new one instead. It worked out pretty well, I think, because I really like the hint of nutmeg in this which apparently wasn’t part of the old blend, and even though the base tea was changed I’m not all that clued-in on green teas, and as they’re both smooth buttery greens I doubt I would have been able to tell much of a difference. Stacy also sent me a couple of ounces of the Organic Spring Twist – which I’ve already reviewed – on its own in my mystery box, and I like being able to compare the two and pick out exactly what is from the base and what is additional flavours.
As always, Stacy created this tea masterfully, and the base blends together really well with the flavours of the creamy eggnog and spicy nutmeg, though I maintain that I’d have liked to have seen a Butiki eggnog tea that didn’t use a green base tea. I much prefer this to the Eggnog & Pralines blend, I think largely because the base is much sweeter and more buttery, and doesn’t have that strong savoury vegetal note that was present in E&P from the Glenburn Estate Green. The creamy eggnog is present even in the scent of this tea, which surprised me a lot given my scepticism over cream-flavoured teas. It’s the most noticeable note in the initial sip, followed by the buttery green tea and nutmeg together, and then again in the aftertaste it’s pure sweet eggnog. I added a little sugar, not because I thought it needed it but just because I’m trying everything as many ways as I can for my Butiki drink-a-thon, and it makes the eggnog note even more pronounced. It also gets somewhat stronger the more it cools, up until a point and then the flavour starts to disappear. I’m wondering what this might be like cold-brewed, and I think I might just be curious enough to try it.
