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Advent from Dustin Day 4
The aroma is quite almondy. Like almond paste. Flavor is much more subdued, and tastes like a cookie with a hint of almond. There’s a bit of a chocolate quality in the aftertaste, enhancing the cookie experience.

Advent from Dustin Day 3
(backlog from yesterday)
I absolutely love aged white teas, so I was absolutely thrilled to see this! Had a bit of extra time this morning, so had a gongfu session with it. So easy to drink. Rich honey notes, and beautifully floral. A super solid aged white tea that I would drink daily.

Enjoying this before bed, and it sure did come out deliciously. I’m getting a bit more of a candied pineapple flavor than I did in previous cups. The caramel is so buttery and creamy. Not getting much salt.

Plum Deluxe Advent Day 3
I’ve never been interested in a decaffeinated black tea, so this is definitely never something I would have tried on my own.
I love vanilla black teas, especially when they’re executed well. This one is! The vanilla is leaning towards vanilla extract, and is not artificial or cloying. The black base is a bit brisk, but not bitter or astringent. Would be lovely with some milk or cream.

Kusmi Advent Day 3
The rose and raspberry are very well balanced, with the raspberry being slightly in the forefront. The rose flavoring is like eating a fresh rose petal, and does not come off as perfumey. The floral aspects of the white tea also work really well here. Overall, really enjoy this cup. There is a bit of bitterness in the aftertaste, so I’d probably reduce steep time to 2min45sec or so next time.

Plum Deluxe Advent Day 2

This smells like pure butterscotch. I didn’t add any sweetener, and I feel like it needed just a bit too bring out the flavors. It tastes a bit like butterscotch and caramel, but neither are quite strong enough for me. The rooibos is mildly apparent, and I would’ve preferred a straight black tea.

Kusmi Advent Day 2
This smells so insanely good. Like a cinnamon pear tart. Not getting much of a rooibos flavor. Tastes like raw cinnamon roll dough covered in walnuts. Getting a cooling sensation in my throat after each sip. The licorice is also very apparent in the aftertaste. Not loving this one as much as I thought I would based on the smell.

I am loving this blend. The white tea is indistinguishable, but there are so many interesting flavors going on. The peppermint and wintergreen are at the forefront, but I get a whisper of fir, as well as a melange of herbal/woody notes that I don’t quite recognize (not familiar with the flavor of birch bark or yarrow flowers). Such a unique blend, very glad I picked it up!

Advent from Dustin Day 2
Drank this with an English muffin covered in the Bonne Maman advent jam of the day.
Black tea. Lemon. Perhaps some other kind of fruit that I can’t identify.

I go through phases with mint teas, but I find myself craving them a bit more the closer we get to the holidays. Picked up a few blends from this new-to-me brand, including this one. The peppermint is nice and mellow. There’s a bit of chocolate in the aftertaste, that becomes more apparent the cooler the cup gets. The marshmallow root/leaf gives a creaminess to the cup that is really enjoyable. Overall, very pleasantly surprised.