Joshua Tree

Simpson & Vail advent day 2

This tea is… hm.

Hay & hibiscus, with the slightest sweetness. I want to like it; usually a green rooibos is a better fit for me than red and hibiscus is a favorite. But it’s mostly giving me wet, tart hay. I couldn’t finish it.

The monkeys paw to my wish that this would not be a black tea! (And yet, I’m still glad it was here, since it’s exciting to try something so different).

S&V Advent Day 2! I’ve been eager to try this one so was happy to see it in the advent. The flavor is a bit underwhelming. It’s light and fruity in a way that’s almost candylike, but not quite. It’s not tart at all. It’s just a bit mild for my tastes. If I had more of it, I would definitely try overleafing to see if that helps. The cold resteep tastes like murky rooibos and fake berry.

Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 2

My nighttime tea! I’m live-reviewing it.

OK, this is… interesting. First impression is that it smells a bit funky, but that’s fine. Flavorwise… the hibiscus hits first, and I’m worried it’s going to overtake the rest of the blend. But then it recedes, leaving something herbaceous laced with a bit of smooth honey. It’s interesting that they use agave flavor — it tastes like the honey flavor 52Teas uses in a few blends.

Oh, right, the base — the green rooibos disappears under everything else!

So, a bit tart/juicy, a bit smooth/honeylike, and a bit herbaceous. I probably wouldn’t pick up more of it, but it’s also quite unique and different from most of my herbal blends. A fun one to try.

Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 2

Better get going on these advent teas ha ha. I got distracted chatting with a friend on Instagram, and now it’s 4:30 and I still have 4 more teas to go! XD

I was excited to see this one in the advent, because it’s actually the only tea in their National Parks series that I haven’t tried. I ordered the sampler at one point, but then they added this tea and Glacier after the fact. So hooray!

This is definitely an interesting one, as I might expect from the strange description (what does agave even taste like other than sweet?). I wonder if I should’ve used less water, because it’s actually a bit bland. Otherwise, not sure how to describe it exactly. There’s definitely an herbaceous taste, and something like dry grass or hay. Something almost starchy that I assume is coming from the yucca root. I do taste hibiscus, it’s not necessarily tart but there’s a hint of that rich fruity taste in the background. And then the finish is a bit honey-like, perhaps that’s the agave flavoring coming in? With some minerality as well. As it cools, it reminds me of OBTC’s Prickly Pear a bit, with a sort of melony flavor to it.

Definitely an unusual one. I don’t see myself ordering a tin of it, as it’s a bit strange. Not unpleasant, just not something I would reach for. Happy to have tried it though!

Advent Day 2

Was excited for this blend to be included in the advent, as it’s a tea I’ve wanted to try, but not something I need more than a sample of.
There’s a touch of horseradish in the aroma. I’m mainly getting hibiscus in the flavor. I can’t recall if I’ve ever tasted yucca root, but my Googling tells me it’s ‘mild, sweet, and somewhat nutty.’ Can’t say I’m getting that here. There’s something slightly herbal that I can’t place under the hibiscus, but nothing sweet or nutty.

This is sweet like agave, and pleasant like an herbal, but I don’t know if I need to drink this again. Fair enough as a NP blend, glad I got to try it.