Sparkling Sugar Plum

Oh, yum. I’m not sure I’ve had peony petals before, but I’m on board! They remind me of a more floral, less tart hibiscus flavor.

This tea features a black tea base (unspecified, and I’m not well-versed enough in black teas to identify them by taste alone), peony petals, tiny sugar crystals, and “natural flavours.” It’s not exactly plummy, but it’s definitely got a deep fruitiness to it that comes out the more it cools. It’s not terribly sweet, either, despite the sugar crystals.

I like this a lot. It’s very cozy, and I could see enjoying it year-round… it might make an interesting cold brew.

Shae Advent Day 3

This is a tea I’ve added to my cart before, but I never actually made a Whistling Kettle order, so I guess you were reading my mind, Shae! Hot, it doesn’t taste like much, but when I waited for it to cool, some nice fruity notes came out, and I’m enjoying it! Milk and sugar complement it nicely. The fruit flavor is complex, not just the same fruity flavorings added to every tea. I’d say it tastes somewhat like plum or fig. And the sparkles are so pretty!

Ehm… not sure if I even have time for this tasting note. So sorry if you have been expecting something funny, light-hearted or anything. Nothing from that from me today. I just get an email saying tomorrow there is an exam from Forwarding. Yes, she decided on that in the first week of semester, but she could at least remind us week in advance.

Shae’s ADVENT CALENDAR, December 8
The concentrated aroma in pouch, in the morning I have opened it was just… too strong. But then it was much, much better and now I think I am close to “love it” mark. What a coincidence I bought prunes today to use in the Christmas cookies. At least I think so. They aren’t on the photo though, as I don’t know how much of them are needed and the package isn’t that big at all.

I think I notice cinnamon in as well. At least based on the aroma; among the prunes. Seeing sugar crystals in the blend is nice, but for me, who almost never sweeten tea, well it’s going to be bit tricky.

Are those prunes in liquid form? I was afraid it would be sweet, or exactly opposite, but… it is just right. A bold black tea base, prunes and cinnamon. No alcoholic note as another thing I was afraid of, as I had tried few plum teas. I can imagine the cinnamon bit more prominent, but maybe adding it next time and it will be just great.

Photo: https://flic.kr/p/2keKPY6

Sipdown Progress Challenge
January 2024 | A winter inspired blend

A favorite that’s been knocking around in my cabinet for a while. This is still available so it’s on my sipdown list for January. I don’t specifically taste prunes or plums, more of a generic stone fruit flavor, but it’s delicious.

*Note to future self — this one curdles with milk.

Not a bad tea, and as a black tea it’s solid, but I didn’t detect any especially strong plummy or cinnamony aromas or flavors. It’s certainly a pretty tea – the sugar crystals do give the loose leaf tea a sparkle – but it didn’t have a strong non-standard-black-tea flavor. I would neither recommend nor not recommend it; I’m ambivalent about this tea. The creamer I added did provide a deeper flavor to the tea. Probably good for people who like flavored black teas but don’t want (or want a break from) strongly flavored black tea.