PIPER & LEAF Artisan Tea Co.

2024 Advent Calendar #24

I’ve reached the end of the Advent Calendar. I’d have to look back to see how many of the teas I actually enjoyed from it. I feel like they provided a good sampling of teas from the company. The calendar itself was fun with little songs, activities, and stories for the holiday season. I have stored the box in with my holiday decorations to see if future re-use is likely. If I don’t use it, it will end up in our recycling bin.

I did manage to drink this one at Christmas time so today I finished the 2nd sachet. Its the 3rd day we’ve woken up to Spring snow, so it looks more wintery than it did on Dec 24. Tart Cherry and Almond are the strongest flavors. I’m reminded of a cherry almond tart or cookie.

2024 Advent Calendar #23

It’s a lighter chai but has enough of the classic chai spices to keep me interested. The cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and coriander are all very present. I do get a bit of the fennel as well. Towards the end of the mug I was getting more of the oregano. This was a good pick for this morning and now there’s only one more left in my December Advent Calendar!

2024 Advent Calendar #22

Went for a Spring hike this morning and thought cup of tea would be a good idea to warm back up. I probably should have pick out something a bit heavier but I’m down to the last 3 in my Advent Calendar.
Strawberry scented sachet was steeped for 4 minutes. It’s a light fruity tea with a touch of acidity and a little bit earthy. I think this would make a really good iced tea and will try to save the 2nd tea sachet for warmer weather.

2024 Advent Calendar #21

Probably should have used this one on the Advent Date as germs were flying around at work and home but it was another missed sip. As it’s now allergy season, perhaps this will help me today.

As I pulled the sachet from the wrapper, immediately I could smell the ginger and echinacea. After steeping for 15 minutes, my breakfast was done and I was ready to sit and sip. The elderberries are there but the ginger and echinacea are stronger. I also do taste the cloves. It’s milder than the Traditional Medicines teas I keep in my “medicine tea” box but definitely helping the congestion I’m feeling. Not a bad sip but not a pleasure sip, this one means cold fighting business.

2024 Advent Calendar #20

Another missed Advent Date. Pretty sure we had some illness roaming the house, so there was no time for sitting and sipping.

This blend is lovely, light, and citrusy with a hint of peppermint. The tea reminds me of the fresh air of spring with plant new growth. I was distracted half way through the mug and even enjoyed it cooled off. A nice refreshing tea

2024 Advent Calendar #19

Another missed Advent Date. Pretty sure this time of December was a bit wild for me.
This is a big old nope for me from the start. My initial reaction to this sachet was to connect it with a childhood medication with “grape” flavoring. But I know that sometimes the “sniff” test doesn’t equal the taste test. Indeed, it does not taste like Dimetapp but this is not an Earl Grey I’ll be recommending. I do get the vanilla and I guess the flavor of a vanilla birthday cake, however, it’s the kind of cake I wouldn’t finish but would eat out of politeness for the birthday honoree.

2024 Advent Calendar #18

Missed this one completely during advent. With this warmer weather, it’s a nice day to have a light tea. Too hibiscus heavy for me. I do taste the apples and peaches but no “tropical flourish” in my mug. Since, I still have the second sample, I’ll make sure to try it iced.

2024 Advent Calendar #17

Cinnamon and sweet with a bit of apple and hint of citrus and peppermint. This one appears to be a newer blend than prior reviews on here. I’ve not had the previous version so I can’t compare the two but I did enjoy this herbal blend.

Ingredients: Green Rooibos, Apples, Orange Rind, Lemon Rind, Cinnamon, Ginger, Hibiscus, Lemongrass, Rosehips, Peppermint, Lemon Oil, Blood Orange Oil

2024 Advent Calendar #16
I probably should have found my glass tea cup for this one to show of the color but I was so taken aback by the spearmint and shoved the tea bag under the Mister’s nose, that I forgot about the butterfly pea flowers. It took a few minutes to remember which spearmint chewing gum I was trying to place. Finally I came out with Wrigley’s Spearmint.
After much chaos in the house, I was finally able to sit quietly with my mug and laptop. Unsurprisingly, it’s minty and blue. It’s sweet and cooling with an earthy quality in the background. With DLS in effect today, I may actually need something with a bit more caffeine!

2024 Advent Calendar #15

From the moment I took it out of the packet, I knew it was going to be an interesting tea morning. The tree/woods scent jumped out at me and I had to double check that I wasn’t imagining it. After steeping I had the Mister sip it who definitely raised his eyebrows. As a nature person,I love the smoky, woody taste and scent of this tea. I don’t taste any of the spices or the pumpkin. Honestly I wondered what the pumpkin was doing in this one but perhaps it’s balancing out a stronger flavor. This isn’t an everyday tea but it’s one I would definitely purchase again. I want to plan some hiking trips with a mug of this right now!

2024 Advent Calendar #14

The hibiscus is strong in this one. Once I got past that, I started to taste the peach coming through. It’s not like a juicy ripe peach more like the off season not worth your time peaches that you get at the grocery store in mid winter. It might be better chilled or with honey.

2024 Advent Calendar #13

Another day on the advent calendar that I skipped. And when I pulled it out I almost skipped it again while it was steeping. I dislike coffee so much and the ingredients list cracked coffee beans. My first sip was too warm but the scent was inviting so I decided I’d let it cool to see if the chocolate was more dominant. I’m glad I did. I get cocoa and fig but only a hint of weak coffee at the end of the mug. More of a dark chocolate flavor than milk chocolate. I’m glad I have a second sachet for later this week!

2024 Advent Calendar #12

Promising first impression with the scent of caramel coming from the sachet. I did steep longer than the recommended 3.5 minutes but not by much. I do taste the caramel but no apple or cinnamon. Good enough tea but not a favorite

2024 Advent Calendar #11

I was not much impressed when I removed the sachet from the packaging but I’ve definitely liked Healing Honeysuckle. Hopefully I benefit from it’s healing properties too, since another cold is haunting our house. It steeps up a yellow orange color with a vegetal scent. There is a nice blend of echinacea, lemongrass, and spearmint as the prominent tastes. It’s light and soothing.

2024 Advent Calendar #10

Looks like I skipped this day completely during advent as there’s 2 tea bags still hanging out in the “book”. Guess that day didn’t have time for a quite mug by the tree. Well, this morning I had the mug while in my “office” enjoying the quite now that school break is over. Last week was the first week since October that everyone in my family wasn’t battling some school illness. It’s been a tough season for colds/flu etc. My medicinal tea cabinet has been getting well used.

This one seems like an odd one for a Christmas Holiday calendar. Blueberries are delegated to only a summer treat in my mind. But since we’re having the first warm day in a looong time, it will do. Maybe I’ll work on my summer vacation plans.

I did enjoy this tea but I think I will enjoy the second mug of it iced with some sweetener mixed in. Maybe even with a little lemonade mixed in. Blueberry and hibiscus are the predominant flavors.

Looking at the website, it appears that this was a limited run. It’s currently sold out and possibly discontinued.

2024 Advent Calendar #9
Hmmm looks like my prior tasting note didn’t save. Bummer.

I was kind of surprised that when I took the sachet out of the pouch it smelled of apples. My nose may have been playing tricks on me as there’s no apples in this blend. It is a mildly floral black tea. I don’t believe I’ve had catnip in my tea before. I wish I had woken up sooner to enjoy a bit of tea meditation but alas the rest of the family is up and they are never quiet. Enjoyed this mug but not on the must buy list

2024 Advent Calendar #7

I skipped 6 because I had previously logged it and didn’t have any new things to say about it.
I enjoyed this peppery pumpkin-y blend. It’s not a pumpkin “spice” tea but more orange, cloves, and peppercorns. Reminds me of a dish I make for Thanksgiving time.

2024 Advent Calendar #5

Trying to psych myself to go for a walk but after a quick errand in the frigid temps and wind, I’m going to sip tea and plan for summer instead. The sachet smelled like chocolate and raspberries when I pulled it from the packet. Using my largest pottery mug I steeped this for about 3+ minutes. Sipping I taste the strawberries, some figs, and chocolate. The elderberry comes through as well. A good mug for a cold, blustery day.

2024 Advent Calendar #4

I don’t think I’ve ever had sweet potato pie. We love sweet potatoes in our family so I may have to try my hand at it.

The dry sachet had fabulous scents of cinnamon and clove. I, impatiently, let it steep for the full recommended 7 minutes and then snuggled in my arm chair with the mug. It was full of warm and comfort but not so strong with the chai spices. I do taste the cinnamon and clove and sweet potato. There is a flavor I can’t quite pinpoint and I googled Tulsi to see if that was it, as it’s the only ingredient I wasn’t familiar with. Still not sure if the Tulsi is what I’m getting. There was a creaminess to it that I think is coming from the sweet potato.

2024 Advent Calendar #3

Happy New Year! Taking a moment this morning to sit with a mug of this before undecorating and calendar planning. It’s the first one that I missed in the actual Advent season. It’s also the first disappointment for me but I would say, it is exactly as described. The color of the tea is a light cranberry color and the scent is strong with strawberry It’s very sweet, dry, tart with strawberries and hibiscus. For me this would be a better pick for summer than a New England summer

2024 Advent Calendar #2

This day suggested making paper snowflakes, which I might have the kids do since it’s pouring rain here and melting the little layer of snow we did have. But first a warm mug of berry tea to start the day. This is the only tea of P&L that I’ve have tried before. At that time, I drank it cold brewed in mason jar on a sunny summer deck. With a rainy, raw day, I wanted to try it out warm. It steeps up a deep red and tastes like tart blueberries and blackberries. The hibiscus is very prominent. I don’t get a sense of the elderberries or sage.

2024 Advent Calendar #1

December was a blur and I never had time to log in but this year I ordered the Piper and Leaf Advent Calendar. It was a good fit for me with some music, stories, Bible verses, and 2 tea sachets per day.

This was the first tea (and likely the only one I drank on the correct day). I enjoyed the blend of jasmine, bergamot, and mint. I could see this being a good cold brew but at this time of year I stick with hot mugs. I did a second steeping of this and found it enjoyable as well. The sampler started off with a good tea match for me!

No black teas in my advents today, so I figured I would take the opportunity to try one of these Piper & Leaf sachets from the weekly subscription free trial. I love woodsy teas, so this one stood out to me.

Gotta say, the dry scent was a bit intimating ha ha. The resinous, evergreen aroma was so strong, I assume because this has “balsam fir oil” listed as an ingredient. Thankfully, steeped up it’s not quite so intense. Definitely a very woodsy blend, with the cedar, juniper, and fir taking the lead. Then there’s the smoky lapsang, not too overbearing which is nice. I don’t really taste much of the spices though, this has cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper, but not finding those. Maybe a hint of sweetness from the cinnamon.

It’s definitely nice, especially for those who prefer a stronger woodsy tea. Not sure I would go out of my way to order it though, since overall it’s quite thin and watery, and I feel like it’s missing something to round it out.