Fortnum & Mason

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 20

I had to add this one to the database, and it does not show up on the F&M website, so I am guessing this is exclusive to the advent calendar.

This smells super sweet dry! The leading aroma dry and steeped is anise. Tastewise, I get the spices which (hooray!) does not include clove, the mouthfeel of the licorice root, the thick sweetness of coconut, and a little warmth (very nice) from the pink peppercorns. This has been one of the more complex of the teas in the advent.

Ashman enjoyed it and his first comment was that he smelled a lot of anise. God bless the man at work who brought him lumpia today, because it meant I didn’t have to cook lunch (Ashman has a half day) and also went really great with this tea!

Cameron: do you or your friend who has this advent ever have trouble getting some of the tins out? I have small hands and some days I still struggle to wiggle these tins out of there! They catch on the bottom lip, and if I lift they hit the top lip. Either the tins or the box need a redesign for next year! I vote the tins, so those of us who already have the box can buy the refills!

I remember a store (Macy’s?) many years ago that used to do one incredibly extravagant gift per year for the mega millionaires who had everything. I remember they sold a tabletop mouse ranch one year with sterling silver round up tweezers. As I wrestled with this tin, I thought, “those tweezers could come in handy for wrangling these tins out their slot.”

Sipdown! (75 | 172)

This one wasn’t my favorite, so I’m glad to have finished it off.

It’s sort of an orange spice flavor profile, but with too much clove. It makes my tongue tingle and overpowers the other flavors. There are cacao nibs, but I don’t taste them at all. I do like the sharp, zesty orange note, but there’s just too much clove for me to love this one.

Sipdown! (17 | 17)

One down, 23 more to go…

This one is pleasant enough, as orange spice teas go. Has a nice strong orange flavor accented by cinnamon and clove. I do wish I could actually taste the cacao here, given it’s the second ingredient. Maybe it just gets bullied too much by the orange and spices? That rascally clove does tend to build up as I sip though, and then it overtakes the orange and I enjoy the cuppa much less. Not something I would buy, but pleasant.

I still have another mini tin of this tea to finish, but I figured I would start off with the duplicates and then come back to the second tin later, rather than doing two tins of the same tea in a row. (Although, if I’m honest, I’ll probably set the Christmas Green Tea aside to rehome, as it was the only one I really didn’t enjoy from the advent…) But I’m still counting each tin as a sipdown and there’s nothing you can do to stop me! :P

Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 23

Welp, I just had this one 3 (?) or so days ago, so not much else to say about it…

As orange spice blends go, it’s nice enough. I like that the orange is actually the strongest flavor. Still not getting any cacao at all, and the clove does tend to build up and take over as I sip through the mug.

As for jam, I had two this morning. From Day 22, it was the White Nectarine-Peach-Lemon Verbena Spread. I liked the stonefruit flavors, but the verbena made the whole thing taste slightly medicinal to me? Which wasn’t the most pleasant thing. For today’s jam, it was Raspberry-Chamomile Spread, which I actually really loved. The chamomile mostly came off as a sort of gentle honey note that was really wonderful with the tartness of the raspberry. I would consider buying this one if it was a permanent flavor! Oh well, happy to get to try it either way. :)

Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 19

Ooh, finally a festive tea! I’m pretty sure this is one of the duplicated teas, so I assume maybe I’ll see it again on Christmas Eve. But with how inconsistent this advent has been, who knows? XD

This is mostly a fairly standard orange & spice type of holiday tea, though it also has cacao nibs so that’s a bit unusual. The citrus is the first thing that hits my tongue, and it has a lovely zestiness to it from the addition of clementine. I do taste the more classic, sweeter orange as well. Next I taste the very earthy Chinese black tea, and the spices start to trickle in. There’s certainly clove, and I’m picking up on the ginger as well. The combination gives a light tongue-tingling sensation. I don’t feel that I taste cacao here, even though cacao nibs are the second ingredient and there’s apparently also chocolate flavoring. I think it’s just being overpowered by the brighter citrus and spice ingredients.

Anyway, it’s quite enjoyable. I wouldn’t mind just a bit less clove, as it tends to build up a bit as I continue to sip. But I do enjoy the very acidic and bright clementine notes here, and how the citrus competes well with the spices.

I’m having double jam again today, as I didn’t end up getting to yesterday’s flavor. On Saturdays, I play board games with a group of friends at a game café in the late morning through the mid-afternoon, so a bit less time for tea-drinking and jam-scarfing yesterday.

Anyway! First off is yesterday’s (Day 18) flavor, which is Cherry-Christmas Spice Spread. What a perfect choice to pair with a Christmas tea, he he. I adore this one, it was one of my favorites last year and remains so today. Although I never understand why they don’t put it behind door 24, as I think it’s the only holiday-themed flavor? Anyway, rich sweet-tart cherries with just a kiss of warming spices makes for a scrumptious jam, and it pairs so well with butter on toast.

And then today’s flavor is Peach-Jasmine Flower Spread, which is new this year I think. The peach is sweet and juicy. I found the jasmine to be a bit too much when I tasted the jam plain, but I think it’s just the right amount when paired with toast. It adds a lovely soft floral top note. I will say, I find this jam a bit too sweet overall though.

Sipdown!

Fortnum & Mason Advent Day 21

There have been two tins of this all three years that we have purchased the tins advent, and it is one of our least favorite F&M teas. I picked out all the cloves I could see but there is still too much clove flavor for me. Ashman added milk and sugar to his and I just powered through my cups. It isn‘t horrible but it isn’t a tea I look forward to. Since I shared one tin of the tea, this is now a sipdown!

By the process of elimination, I know that tomorrow will be Christmas Green, another that they duplicate, and the day after that will be their herbal Christmas blend with plum flavor.

Fortnum & Mason Advent Day 8

I drank this today as we went out of town yesterday. This is not a favorite Christmas tea nor is it a favorite Fortnum tea, yet I have three tins of it – one large and two tiny. They duplicate this tea every year in the advent and the karge tin came in the Christmas hamper this year. I will probably give away one of the small tins. I like that it is more than just orange-cinnamon-clove like so many black Christmas teas, but I really could do without the clove. It says the blend is five per cent clove, and that is 4 3/4% more than I want.

Not the worst Christmas tea ever and sometimes I even enjoy with food, but definitely not my favorite, either. Maybe I can pick most of the cloves out.

Fortnum & Mason Advent Day 23 (tins)

I can scarcely believe we have finished a tin, but we have. Not because this is a favorite. But because Ashman has Covid. His Wednesday night test was negative but early this morning he got two positive tests.

Since his throat was hurting I told him we would drink hot tea all day, and the ginger and clove in this one seemed to be good for throats, so I have made pot after pot for him. A doctor said years ago that hot beverages do make the throat a little less hospitable to pathogens, so we are both chugging it.

I am staying holed up in the guest room with books and dashing out to cook or do laundry while he stays in the den with the tv. In spite of being wasted and weary, he checked all the antifreeze and contacted neighbors to let them know what to do to winterize.

Where is the chocolate in this tea? I wish I could detect it but I simply do not. There is clove, there is ginger flavoring which seems stronger to me this year, and there is orange, but I wish there could be a bit more orange. And of course, the chocolate.

You get two tins of this in the advent, so maybe tomorrow we will knock out the other.

Another Fortnum advent sipdown! Thirteen down, eleven to go.

This was okay, and good with food, but I am not sorry to see it go. It had too much clove tingle for me once the food was gone and I was drinking it by itself. Food tames the least attractive aspects of a tea quite often, and with a meal was the only way I really enjoyed this one.

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 22

A repeat! I had this one just a few days ago. I think I would have skipped it entirely but today was tea party Christmas celebration, so i figured I would make a pot for that.

I picked out all the clove I could see in hopes that by diminishing the clove (which was not too strong anyway) I would taste the elusive chocolate. The tea was okay, but hard as I concentrated, I still didn’t really find chocolate. Maybe if I thought about chocolate really hard I could get a whisper of it, but it was beyond subtle.

At least the citrus is really nice here, and it doesn’t bite like a lot of cinnamon/orange/clove Christmas teas do!

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 19

I had to check the tin to make sure this was the right tea.

I really don’t get excited about orange and clove Christmas tea. When I smelled the steeped tea I was pleased that the orange was really prominent even though that old bully clove was in there. Clove is okay, and I like the scent (especially in a Christmas candle) more than the taste, because it seems to erase others flavors to me.

What confuses me is…I didn’t get chocolate. There are cacao nibs in this, and supposedly chocolate flavoring as well. But I had no idea until I fetched the tin to make sure I was logging this in the right place. I saw no nibs in my scoop, so maybe if I can nab one I will taste it better.

Sipdown! (70 | 167)

I’ve been slacking a bit on the Fortnum teas lately, I really need to get cracking since I still have 9 tins to go, and I want to finish them before December. Plus I’ll be on vacation for two weeks next month, so that’ll be a wash for sipdowns ha ha… Why does time always go by so fast?!

Anyway… I quite enjoyed this tea. The green tea is extremely mellow and smooth, not super flavorful but still a nice base for the bergamot. The level of bergamot is just right, easily discerned, but not so strong that it overpowers the base. A perfect tea for the afternoon for sure. It’s not exceptional, but still very enjoyable to sip on.

I should probably try more green Earl Greys, I think this may be the only one I’ve had. I have a baozhong-based Earl somewhere from Lupicia as well, that I haven’t tried yet…

Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 17

Seeing green again today! And ashmanra and I finally had the same tea again for once. XD

To tell you the truth, I haven’t had many green Earls. I have an oolong version from Lupicia somewhere, but I don’t think I’ve even opened it yet. But I do love Earl Grey on a white base, so I’m sure this will be right up my alley as well.

Yummy. The bergamot is just the right amount (IMO), not too strong but easily perceptible. I’ve enjoyed all of Fortnum’s bergamot teas so far, they’re lovely and citrusy, and aromatic without tasting like perfume. I don’t get a ton of flavor from the base here, less so than the jasmine version yesterday. It does taste overall lighter than a standard Earl Grey, and there’s a little touch of dry grassy flavor. But then there’s also an earthy minerality that would almost make me guess it was a light Chinese black tea.

Overall, it’s very tasty, but I wish I got a bit more from the base. Perhaps next time I’ll try a slightly longer steep to see if it brings out more of the green tea.

Okay, so I have two jams today because I didn’t end up having yesterday’s. We got donuts the night before, so I had one of those for breakfast instead of toast. :P

First off, it’s yesterday’s (Day 16) Apricot-Bergamot Spread. This was scrumptious and got absolutely scarfed down. The bergamot is very subtle, I would never have known it was there if I hadn’t read the label. But I do think there was an extra bit of tartness to the apricot that really made it pop out, so that’s likely from the citrus. I would have guessed apricot and lemon or lime maybe.

Today’s jam is Mandarin Spread. I am not a marmalade fan so this is not for me. It tastes similar to orange marmalade, but with more of a zesty zip from the tarter mandarin.

Fortnum Advent sipdown 24/24

This was a decent Green Earl Grey. We usually drank it with food. Not soapy, decent green base.

This morning was foggy and chilly so when three sisters arrived for lessons, I asked the eldest if she would like to make a pot of tea for them to share. (I always set out a cookie plate for them because the girls all have to wait for each other at the dining table throughout the lessons. They bring books, art supplies, and tablets to entertain themselves while they wait.)

They seemed to like it, and when I offered to send the remaining three teaspoons home with them for their other sisters to try they gladly accepted. Thus ends the 2021 Fortnum advent calendar! It was fun! And now it is time to move on to other things!

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 17

Third green in a row! Ha ha! I see a trend here….

I like certain Earl Grey teas a lot and really really don’t care for others. So far, I have enjoyed the Earl Grey Classic and the Smoky Earl Grey. This one follows suit.

The bergamot is very apparent but not obnoxious. The green tea base is a little brisk and grassy, as it should be.

Although I normally would not have something like this for breakfast, I didn’t mind it today and I am enjoying it. It will be a nice afternoon cup as I finish off this tin.

Sipdown! (6 | 103)

Yay, one more advent tea down!

This was a tasty gentle jasmine green, perfect for the evening. The jasmine is nice enough, natural-tasting but not quite as sweet and creamy as a nice jasmine pearl. And the green tea is a good foil for the flavor, with its smooth and mellow earthy character. A hint of mineral smokiness at the end of the sip maybe.

Certainly not one I would repurchase, as I love Teavivre’s jasmine teas, but I enjoyed finishing off the mini tin.

Fortum & Mason Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 16

And we’re back to green! Finding it funny how the order of the teas seems to vary slightly for different copies of this calendar, so sometimes I see a little preview of what’s to come!

This is yummy. The jasmine is more restrained than I am used to, but it still has a lovely natural sweet flavor. It’s not subtle by any means, but lighter than a jasmine pearl tea. The base tea is quite earthy and smooth, with a pleasant warm, dry grass sort of flavor. There’s a hint of smoke at the end of the sip as well, and a touch of minerality. Also picking up a bit of an apricot note, probably from the green tea, as I do often find a fuzzy apricot taste in Chinese greens.

A super pleasant and relaxed jasmine green for the evening. Enjoying this so much after a rather long day… :3

Fortnum & Mason Advent Day 10

Edit to add: Sipdown December 31, 2024 iced

Once again, I tried this hot and just didn’t like it. In the past I have made sweet iced tea with it and that is how we finish it. Today I actually poured out my cup (a very rare occurrence) and made a different tea.

It was just too sharp. The base was sharp and the flavoring was sharp. Just a no today. Maybe I made it wrong but this is one I have had trouble getting right before, and I even love floral teas. Back to having it sweetened and iced.

Fortnum and Mason Advent Day 19 (tins)

This one has to be paired with the right food (unless you have it on its own) and doesn’t stand up to distracted steeping. Good tea and one of my first that had strong elderflower taste. Had it hot today but love it iced and sweetened.

My first cup of this was hot and really surprised me with how floral it tasted. I drink jasmine tea with food often, so I don’t know why it seemed to clash so. I decided to have it as a stand-alone cup from then on or iced and sweet, and have been enjoying it that way.

Today was an odd day. I got a phone call mid-morning from my nephew, telling me that my sister had died of Covid. Only my brother and myself left now, and I had to call and tell him. It was an odd feeling. (Our eldest brother died decades ago.)

Somehow I feel shocked, numb, but also very quietly peaceful and very aware that I am glad to be alive. The sunshine was especially sweet, the wind chimes were particularly beautiful, and the tea was so keenly cold and sweet and enjoyable. I don’t think I will ever stop associating this tea with how I felt today.

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 16

My second green tea in a row after fourteen days of black tea.

This was beyond surprising. I guess I have never had straight elderflower before, although certainly it has been listed in teas that had a long list of ingredients.

I have so, so much to do, so of course I sat staring out the window this morning catatonically and didn’t have breakfast. When I finally got started I realized I would have to stop for lunch.
I ran outside and picked greens and chives and made a pot of miso soup and a lettuce sandwich. I made this tea to go with it, and….I think I like this tea and potentially would love it but it really was a terrible pairing.

After a bite of miso soup I took a sip, and I felt like my mouth was full of bathwater. In comparison to the salty, brothy miso this was like sipping perfume. Weirdly, I kind of liked the tea, but it just didn’t go with the soup.

It was reminding me very strongly of something and I realized it was my first ever jasmine black tea that was not a great quality one. The jasmine was soapy and overpowering.

I think this will grow on me with the right pairing, and I think Ashman will hate it because he doesn’t like highly floral teas except for good jasmine and he says he is still traumatized by Evening In Missoula, which I liked. So it is up to me to finish this tin. I am okay with that. It just won’t be with miso soup.

First day of the month and first sipdown of the month! But I don’t feel that it really fits any of the sipdowns prompts, except perhaps a tea I would not repurchase.

It isn’t bad, but if I am going to drink a green jasmine tea, I want Teavivre’s Premium Dragon Pearls. They have really spoiled me for all other green jasmine teas.

This one is perfectly fine, and especially suitable with food. It isn’t super strong on the jasmine and the green base is a good one.

Someone gave us some wonderful homemade lumpia so I made a sauce for it and a pot of homemade miso soup. That just cried out for green tea to me, and I really want to get some advent sipdowns underway. Elderflower would be way too floral for Ashman and he doesn’t like bergamot so no on the Earl Grey Green and the Christmas Green has too much going on and is too sweet for supper, so that really left only this one as a viable choice.

The jasmine is milder than I remembered, maybe because of what we are eating, but the green base is nice and the mild jasmine was not perfume-y. There seems to be a little buttery note to the base now, and the aftertaste is nicely sweet.

Although I have six empty tins from the advent now, this is not one of them….yet. But it is pleasant and will be easy enough to finish off.

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 15

My first non-black tea in this advent! And I love jasmine tea, but don’t usually drink it at breakfast. Hmmm. Decided to go for it anyway and just had a toasted and buttered English muffin so the tea could shine.

And… it is a decent jasmine green! I like it. The jasmine is pretty middle of the road here, not too weak, not too strong, just right. I can taste the green base and it is pretty smooth and sweet tasting with just enough grassiness to give you the feel of green tea base. It isn’t strong with seaweed flavors or anything, just a nice, neutral green base to carry the jasmine flavor. Might get lots more green base if it is drunk on its own and not with food.

Thumbs up, will enjoy drinking the rest of this tin.