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After sticking to my tea-buying hiatus pretty faithfully this year, all bets are off! I ordered Simpson & Vail’s advent last week and felt obliged to add a few teas… for the free shipping, of course. ;)

This is S&V’s newewst “literary blend” and it sounded very appealing to me on paper: lapsang, whiskey, and wild cherry? Right up my alley! But I tried it this morning and did not love it. :( I have a pretty high tolerance for cherry flavor — even when others describe something cherry-flavored as “medicinal,” I rarely feel the same way. Yet I really struggled with the hibiscus-enhanced cherry in this blend. It’s cloying and almost chemical, and I don’t feel like it complements the smokiness.

The flavors just kind of sit next to one another, and not in an entirely pleasant way. I’m also not getting any whiskey, which is a shame.

I may have overleafed this cup, so maybe I’m not doing it justice. I want to love it! I’ll have to give it another shot.

I thought I’d reviewed this tea before! It’s such a solid dessert blend. I absolutely get buttery caramel and shortbread, and just a whisper of walnut. The green rooibos base works really well, too, giving the whole thing a little oomph.

I’m drinking this alongside a late-night snack plate, which includes some Ritz chips. This tea is fantastic with the salty, crunchy chips — it’s got salted caramel vibes.

Anyway, this is a good ’un!

2024 Sipdown Challenge | September | A tea that Kermit would drink

I’m picturing that meme of Kermit sipping tea, and for whatever reason, I can totally imagine him drinking THIS tea. :D

This was another 20g package I picked up at Bird & Blend in Cardiff and stuffed into my 28L backpack for the flight home. It’s a nice ‘un! Gets the job done with a gentle jammy fruitiness, although I didn’t notice much of the toast aspect.

2024 sipdown count: 32

I’ve been on a tea-buying hiatus for most of the year but recently have started picking up a few bags here and there. I couldn’t resist 52Teas’ recent sale, especially since I paused my subscription earlier this year!

I am loving how simple and satisfying this one is. The wild Assamica leaves are so luxuriously large and lush, and they brew up smoooooth. No bitterness here, just a full-bodied, almost bready base for the light yet distinct blueberry notes. I keep thinking I’m catching a hint of cinnamon on the back end of the sip, but maybe it’s my imagination!

I am so enjoying drinking this hot on a cool late-summer morning while doing some schoolwork. Bliss.

I spent a week and a half in Wales this summer, mostly in the countryside, but I also was in Cardiff for a few days. I had totally forgotten that B&B has a storefront there! So despite traveling really light and not having much room in my carefully packed 28L backpack, I bought a couple 20g sample bags to take home.

This was one I hadn’t tried yet and I gotta say, I’m digging it! Maybe it’s because I am READY for fall, but — it’s really nice! I do get both toffee and apple (more the latter), and then a very inoffensive hint of smoke. Nothing too complex, but enough to get the job done. Super satisfying and cozy!

2024 Sipdown Challenge | August | A calming tea

Logging a second “calming tea” for this month’s challenge, because why not?! This one was a gift from a fellow intern who brought me some teas from Leaf & Petal in Virginia. Their website lists Vida pour Tea as the source, so!

Anyway, this one does what it says on the tin (er, pouch). It’s quite delicate, all things considered, with the lavender and rose hitting first, followed by a little bit of vanilla holding up the end. Super soothing and a lovely little wind-down tea.

2024 sipdown count: 28

2024 Sipdown Challenge | August | A calming tea

Really enjoyed this fragrant blend! I don’t typically love bergamot, but I really enjoy it here with the complementary rose and subtle cinnamon notes. This tea actually straddles the line between two prompts: It’s both a wake-up tea and a calming tea! I find the floral elements quite soothing, so I went with that prompt.

I’m sad to run out of this one and will probably pick up another bag the next time I order from Tea Thoughts.

2024 sipdown count: 26

Last month, toward the end of my first social work internship, one of my fellow interns gifted me a few teas she’d picked up at Leaf and Petal, a tea shop in rural Virginia. She and I connected over our shared love of tea early on, so when she stumbled on the shop, she said she thought of me because I was the only other person she knew who’d nerd out over the find! :)

Leaf and Petal lists the vendor for this blend as Gnat and Bee, so I’m confident I’m reviewing the correct blend. It’s a really beautiful tisane, with pops of color from lavender, rose, and chamomile. I expected the flavor to be muddled — there’s a lot going on! — but it actually works nicely. It’s a very smooth, full-bodied blend, with a hint of sweetness even though it’s not sweetened. Spearmint dominates, followed by chamomile and a bit of lavender and rose. I’m not picking up on the cinnamon chips but perhaps they’ll come through as it cools.

I like but don’t love chamomile, so the fact that it’s playing second fiddle here is very appealing to my palate.

My stomach’s been a bit upset tonight, and this is helping! A really lovely pre-bed cuppa.

Sipdown! I wish I’d purchased a larger pouch of this one when I ordered from S&V last year, because it’s excellent. Juicy and mildly tart, with lychee flavor just bursting in every sip. Yum.

2024 sipdown count: 18

Another sipdown from the past week! My nephew and sister stayed with us for a bit, and I made a big pot of this tea to finish off the packet (which I got from a TTB). My sister loves rooibos but doesn’t like fruity or floral flavors, and my nephew loves chai, so this was the perfect choice for all of us. I still maintain that this is basically liquefied red cinnamon candy hearts rather than chai, but still — it’s a fun one! Very kid-friendly, as long as the kid in question enjoys cinnamon.

Sharing tea with loved ones brings me great joy, so it was delightful to finish off this tea alongside family. :)

2024 sipdown count: 16