BrutaliTeas

Advent day 5! I’m catching up on some reviews that I’ve fallen behind on. I didn’t realize this was a white tea (my bad), and stepped it a bit hotter and a bit longer than I generally would a white tea, but it actually came out wonderfully! It has a really distinct strawberry/raspberry compote flavor. It really tastes like a warm berry jam. The hibiscus isn’t too overwhelming. I really loved this one, and I’d actually repurchase it!

Advent day 11. This seems less like lemonade and more like a berry with lemon kind of mix. The ingredients say hibiscus, but it seems to be just the slightest touch of it to round out the tart part of the flavors, no fateful red hue in my cup. It’s a little more tart and less berry like as it cools. I’m feeling like it’s just okay.

Advent day 10! I’m not a huge coffee fan, so was happy to discover that this had a pretty muted coffee profile. I definitely picked up on some chocolate and cream notes along with the coffee. Added some oat milk and it rounded everything out nicely.

Advent day 10. I love tiramisu tea, so I was super excited to try this. When I steeped it up it seemed really strong. A few sips in a I decided it needed some cream to mellow it out a bit. It has the right level of coffee flavor and some chocolate, but those mostly show up in the finish. The sip is kind of plain. It’s like my tastebuds don’t know what to make of this tea until after I swallow. I feel like I’ve had tiramisu teas that tasted really good in the sip AND the finish. :/

This looks like a green rooibos/white tea blend. I don’t mind green rooibos as much as red, so I’m glad for that. When dry this tea has an intense blueberry smell, but that fades out pretty quickly once steeped. The blueberry is super light and almost not there. Same with the tea, which I saw only a small amount of. I’m getting a little bit of dry rooibos mouth, but not much. I don’t think I’m into this one. :/

Wasn’t feeling well yesterday morning and day 7’s tea wasn’t sounding good, so I skipped to day 8. Guessing by the name, I had thought this tea would be chocolate orange. I’m getting more of a chai flavor, strong clove. I think that maybe I can taste a tiny bit of orange in the background. There is a depth that could be chocolate, but I don’t taste chocolate. It looked like this had a little bit of rooibos mixed in which I luckily don’t taste. This tea has a strange name for the flavors I’m tasting.

Advent day 8! This is another Brutaliteas blend I’ve been wanting to try. Very glad to see it in the advent! The chocolate and cinnamon are most prevalent, but the orange is becoming more distinct as it cools. The rooibos is pretty much unnoticeable, with the pu-erh being a bit more at the forefront. Really enjoyable and well-balanced.

Advent day 6. I’m really liking this tea. I had the first cup without any additions and it had a really good coconut flavor. Coconut is the main flavor, but it’s rounded out by the addition of cocoa which translates to a nutty flavor in my brain. I could distinctly taste the tea base, but I can’t identify what kind of black tea it is. For my second steeping I added some soy creamer and it took the tea to a whole new level adding a richness that I’m loving. I want more.
Also, with my first cup I thought it was only fitting to sit on my porch while drinking this tea and feed the crows that come to see me for breakfast each morning. I’ve been feeding them unsalted peanuts for a few months now and slowly winning them over. They are just starting to come grab the peanuts if I’m sitting still on the porch instead of tossing out a handful and retreating in the house to watch them stealthily through the shutters.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5v-BZGAckz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Advent day 6! This is a really odd tea. I’m not getting any chocolate, and the coconut flavor is minimal. I’m getting a really strong vegetal, almost artichoke quality to it.

Day 5 Advent. Damn you, hibiscus!!!! It’s not full of hibiscus, but it’s enough for me to think “blech!!”. The hib bite was too much when it was hot, but now that it’s cooled things are a little more tolerable. I am amused at the naming of a hibiscus tea “Jams” in honor of “Jaws”. It’s perfect because it steeps up like blood in the water. I’m trying hard to taste past the hibiscus, but it’s so dominating that I can’t. It has this weird metallic tang, like blood (now that I have blood in mind with this tea) and a sour finish. This just reaffirms my hibby hate.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5t4_eXAUEs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Day 4 of advent. Very rich butterscotch candy scent when dry. I steeped it for just over three minutes, but I think that may have been too much. In addition to a strong butterscotch flavor there was also a tanic bitterness. Adding in cream helps mellow out that bite and blends well with the butterscotch flavor.
I love the wacky names that this company comes up with, but some of them I don’t know the reference for. This is one of them. Is there a band I’m not aware of? A meme that I missed? A horror movie I never heard of?
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5rFfGrgifl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Advent day 4! I had a somewhat hectic day, and I’m a bit behind on sipping through my advent offerings. This is a Brutalities flavor I’ve been wanting to try for awhile, so I was happy to see it in the advent. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a miss for me. The butterscotch flavor is far too mild for my taste, and there’s something a bit too astringent/bordering on sour that just isn’t working for me.

Advent day 3! I’m getting cinnamon chocolate chip cookie vibes from this (which makes sense now that I’m looking at the ingredients).The clove is definitely the most prominent note for me, closely followed by the cinnamon. The hazelnut/chocolate notes give it that baked good effect. I can taste the rooibos, which I dislike and could’ve done without. But, the honey bush and toasted mate definitely overpower the rooibos.

Advent day 3! Polterspice, LOL! I love the name! It is full of spices, that’s for sure, but there is a deeper scent like the spices were baked. I can pick out some heat, maybe cinnamon or cayenne? The spices blend together well enough that I can’t pick them out individually. There is something almost, but not quite soapy in the finish. It has a slight sweetness to it, something slightly earthy. I’ve almost consumed the whole cup sipping away and enjoying it! I’d take a second steeping of this!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ofGntAyzK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Sipdown 69

The last few cups of this were really tasty. Earthy, but lots of vanilla and strawberry.

Working on sipping this down. 2-3 cups to go.

I brought this to work and have really been enjoying it during my breaks. It’s such a nice pick-me-up. Since I realized it tastes like Cap’n Crunch Berries, that’s all I can taste. But, I’m definitely not mad about that.

I had originally tried this in the Brutaliteas advent 2 years ago, fully expecting not to enjoy it. But, it ended up being one of my favorites from the advent. It tastes like Captain Crunch cereal, and I find it super easy to drink and mood lifting. I just bought a 2oz bag of it to keep at work.

Advent day 2! This isn’t a tea I would normally gravitate towards, but I’m actually obsessed with it! I’m mainly hit with a strong strawberry aroma. Flavor-wise, this tastes just like Frankenberry cereal milk! I’m really enjoying the pu’erh/assam combo, it’s rich and earthy, but works perfectly with the hazelnut, strawberry, and creme flavors (all of which I can distinctly taste). I absolutely love this tea, it was a great start to the day.

Day 2 of advent. Dry this smells like chocolate covered red fruit. It has a deep rich scent that I can’t quite put words to. This steeps up dark and reminds me of Lupicia’s Chocolate Strawberry Puer, which is one of my favorites. It smells like puer too. When sipping, I first get the puer taste that I can only describe as musty cave flavor that is toned down from other puers I’ve had. It sounds unflattering, but I don’t mean it that way. There is a red berry flavor in the finish along with something that hints of chocolate. I assume from the name that this must have assam in it. Maybe that is what is toning down the puer with a touch of malt? It was a good cup and I’d say it was like that Lupicia tea with the berry toned down and puer more center stage.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5l7XQfAIZP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I’ve been waiting anxiously to dig into these advent calendars and the day is finally here! I drank this tea while going about my day, including a visit to the Dickens Fair. The dominant flavor was a light cinnamon which muted the green tea. I tried to imagine it as carrot cake, but carrot has never been a flavor that translates well in my brain to tea. It was an enjoyable cup, but not something I’d seek out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5jUsPogHH8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Advent day 1! More of just a mild spice, rather than a carrot cake flavor. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.