4185 Tasting Notes
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 5 (my pick)
Theme: A Partridge in a Pear Tea
Her pick: Spiced Caramel Pear from Adagio Custom Blends
Just… yes. This has such a good pear flavor to it, and it’s so crisp that it just makes me think of biting into the real thing. Goes so nicely with the white tea too. There are some spices in the blend, but I feel like I don’t taste them at all. Not that I’m complaining, as it allows the pear to shine. :D
Flavors: Apple, Crisp, Hay, Light, Pear, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 5
Theme: A Partridge in a Pear Tea
My pick: Heirloom Bartlett Pear from Harney & Sons
So this… Honestly I pretty much only taste the Earl grey cream part of it. The white tea lightens up the body a bit, but otherwise it’s just bergamot and some creamy vanilla flavor. Maybe a hint of caramel? But certainly not pear.
I think I had the same experience with the tea from Day 1, which also had white pear in it. Clearly I’m just bad at tasting Adagio’s pear flavoring, LOL! Unfortunately, I am not a fan of creamy Earl grey.
Flavors: Artificial, Bergamot, Cream, Custard, Floral, Hay, Smooth, Vanilla
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 5
Sigh, Simpson & Vail, why you gotta include such boring teas? Am I the only one that doesn’t like it when companies have super basic teas in their advents? Like, at least have the French vanilla chai instead. Anyway… At least it’s early in the advent I guess.
This is fine. I am personally not a fan of chai with spice flavoring. If it’s a chai with other added flavors, like vanilla or fruit or something, that’s fine. But to me, if you need to add spice flavoring in addition to the actual spices, you’re doing something wrong lol. It just makes it taste like something else other than chai, I guess. I like that this has anise seed in it, and I’m getting a nice anise flavor, but not a fan of all the added flavorings (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove).
For jam, today I have Purple Fig-Cinnamon Spread. I love fig, so naturally I adore this one ha ha. So rich with the right amount of sweetness and big chunks of fig. The cinnamon is actually fairly subtle, so the fig still gets to shine! :)
(originally posted under their normal Chai, but noticed after reading the ingredients listed on the advent that this was actually their Organic Chai.)
Flavors: Anise, Artificial, Cinnamon, Clove, Earthy, Smooth, Spices, Sweet
Preparation
Every year, AC Perch has the same enormous amount of the most boring tea ever for Day 24 and it always drove me insane XD.
Oh no, ha ha ha… I thought about getting theirs this year, but went cheaper instead.
Yeah, I wasn’t too enthused when I discovered this one today! Boring!
Well I’m glad it’s not just me! XD
DIY Herbal Infusion Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 4
Name: Pineapple Sorbet
Ingredients: lemongrass, pineapple, spearmint, peppermint, lemon
Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas
I was excited to see this one! Freeze-dried pineapple contributes a surprising amount of flavor when steeped, which I was all too happy to discover during testing ha ha. Strawberry also seems to be a good choice for infusing.
Anyway, this is mostly a tangy pineapple infusion with just a dash of mint and lemon. I like to mix both mints, I feel like they complement each other well. Spearmint adds sweetness but peppermint is so refreshing, and often I want both qualities. Perfect for a sweet and refreshing sorbet tisane! The lemongrass just gives a nice foundation without changing the flavor too much, and citrus does help to play up the pineapple’s delightful tanginess. Yum!
Flavors: Citrus, Fresh, Fruity, Juicy, Mint, Peppermint, Pineapple, Spearmint, Sweet, Tangy
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 4
Ooh, I was so excited to see this one! This was part of a round of releases Simpson & Vail did (in the summer I think?) that I was so interested in trying, but wasn’t willing to order full sizes of. There’s also a pineapple green tea and a couple of fruit infusions that are still on my wishlist.
Hmm… I guess I’ve forgotten how much you need to overleaf their green rooibos blends, because even preparing this with 10 ounces of water (for ~2 teaspoons of leaf), it’s still a bit weak. It does have a nice, mellow strawberry & lemon flavor to it though, and the strawberry has a nice tanginess that reminds me of the freeze-dried variety. I wouldn’t go so far to call it “sour” – there is hibiscus but not a ton of it.
Not sure I can rate it since I seem to have steeped it poorly, but will definitely grab a bag whenever I order from them next. :)
Flavors: Dry Grass, Fruity, Herbaceous, Juicy, Lemon, Smooth, Strawberry, Sweet, Tangy, Tart
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 4
Theme: A Green Tea
My pick: Ginger Roasted Tea from Tea Kitamura
Hojicha time, part 2! This one is a classic from Deb, and one of the few I really enjoy from her. I actually just finished off a tin a couple of months ago, heh.
It really does taste like cinnamon raisin bread, though the pudding part is a stretch. I remember it being a bit too sweet, but this mug is actually about right. Like cinnamon toast made with cinnamon raisin bread! :)
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Caramelized Sugar, Cinnamon, Dry Leaves, Raisins, Rich, Smooth, Sweet, Toast, Toasty
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 4
The first holiday tea! I reordered the teas in this advent when I got it, and spaced out the six holiday teas so there is one every 4 days, and the most festive on the 24th. Because really I just can’t help overthinking every single thing… XD
This is an herbal that’s mostly ginger with licorice root, cinnamon, and hops. Not gonna lie, I was afraid of the licorice root (lol) so I sipped mine in a teacup with a slice of lemon. It was very lovely as a relaxing afternoon cuppa, earthy and spicy (but not too spicy) ginger with the right amount of soft lemon tanginess. I could still taste the licorice, especially at the end of the sip, but the lemon did a good job of reining it in. Didn’t taste the cinnamon, but there was a little floral, effervescent hoppiness in the finish.
Really enjoyed it! Not something I would order, as it’s essentially just ginger root, but lovely nonetheless. :)
Flavors: Earthy, Effervescent, Floral, Ginger, Licorice Root, Roots, Spicy, Sweet
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 4 (my pick)
Theme: A Green Tea
Her pick: Hojicha Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding from Dessert by Deb
We mixed in a few days that have a specific type of tea as the theme, just to mix it up and allow for sharing some teas that might not fit another theme. Funnily enough, we both chose a hojicha for green tea day! I guess that makes a lot of sense, it is very appropriate for the season he he.
This is a simple blend of hojicha and powdered ginger, and in teabag form. I really like how a lot of Japanese companies tend to use the paper pyramid teabags instead of the silky ones. They work just as well and better for the environment! Plus no questions around whether or not microplastics are a thing or will give everyone cancer, etc, etc. :P Anyway, the tea. The ginger is actually very subtle, moreso than I would like it to be or than I remember it being. Luckily, it’s a smooth and tasty hojicha that’s just so cozy for a drizzly day like today. The ginger is more of a subtle accent, adding a touch of warmth and earthiness. Can’t wait to sip Marjorie’s pick later today – an old favorite! :)
Oh, and the jam! Today it’s Orange-Yuzu-Grapefruit Spread. I’m not a marmalade fan, but I thought the grapefruit really helped to brighten it up so it wasn’t just sweet and bitter orange peel. I could taste the yuzu as well, which added an interesting piney note.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Dry Grass, Dry Leaves, Earthy, Ginger, Mineral, Roasted, Roasted Barley, Roots, Smooth, Toasted, Toasty, Woody
Preparation
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.
Flavors: Astringent, Cedar, Cinnamon, Earthy, Evergreen, Fir, Mineral, Pine, Resin, Sap, Savory, Smoke, Smoked, Thin, Watery, Woodsy, Woody
Preparation
DIY Herbal Infusion Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 3
Name: Wildflower
Ingredients: linden, chamomile, lavender, rose, elderflower
Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 version)
A bit more of a conventional blend tonight. I love linden, and would like to see it used more often – I think it may be a bit more common in Europe, but I rarely see it here in the States. It has such a light and soft flavor, perfect for a mellow wildflower-inspired blend. I will say, there was more chamomile than I remember from testing, so maybe I added too much in the final version? It was drowning out the other flavors just a smidge, when really I wanted the linden to shine. Could still taste the soft floral notes of the lavender and rose though, and the effervescent elderflower. Such a pretty blend too!
A note on the movie, ha ha… We only watched it because my husband had apparently never seen it, and he agrees with my assessment that it is not only odd but just a bit creepy LMAO!
Flavors: Airy, Effervescent, Elderflower, Floral, Honey, Lavender, Light, Linden, Meadow, Pollen, Rose, Smooth, Soft, Sweet
Preparation
I don’t think I’ve ever come across linden!
I think I’ve seen it most in French tisanes, where it goes by the name tilleul. It’s so nice and mellow, perfect for an evening cuppa. :3
Martin is also quite a fan of linden. I recently polished off a Paper & Tea blend with it. :)
I am indeed fan of linden. Dustin if you’re interested, I have plain linden flowers; and probably a few blends with it too.
That tea sounds lovely! Camellia Sinensis has linden sometimes and I’ve always wanted to try it.
That’s where I got mine from, Leafhopper! It’s a bit expensive but the stalks are huge and it’s delicious. :)
Nice! It might make its way into an order during one of their sales. There was a linden tree near my house growing up and the thought of that fragrance in a tea sounds wonderful.
