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Home – 8:30 PM

This was one of the bonus 50g bags from my Bird & Blend order. It looks like this was a spring blend that they don’t carry at the moment. I do like both mint and pistachio, so hooray! I was surprised that this is a black tea – if I were to blend those two flavors, I would likely put them with a white tea base.

Wow, sniffing the dry tea certainly cleared my sinuses out! It smells like peppermint Altoids… O.O

Luckily, the steeped tea doesn’t have such a strong peppermint aroma. Hmm… The peppermint here goes a little “wet rag” for me. I sometimes have that issue with peppermint leaf. I do taste just a little bit of cardamom, which is a spice that I really enjoy when it’s not too strong. To me it almost tastes like a combination of citrus and floral with some additional spiciness. I’m not sure I can taste the black tea at all here. The pistachio (which really is almond extract, like in pistachio ice cream) comes at the end of the sip, and it is quite subtle. It gives the blend a slight creaminess as well.

Personally, I could do with less peppermint leaf here. I feel like it overpowers the other two flavors, and it definitely overpowers the black tea.

Maybe next time I’ll try picking some of the peppermint out to see if that improves it.

Flavors: Almond, Cardamom, Cherry, Creamy, Herbaceous, Peppermint, Sweet

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Kittenna

This makes me think of mint chocolate chip ice cream, which I like despite disliking peppermint – but it sounds like the wrong type of mintiness for me! (Yay, a tea I don’t need to try!)

Cameron B.

It’s definitely an herbal peppermint flavor, not a candy one.

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Kittenna

This makes me think of mint chocolate chip ice cream, which I like despite disliking peppermint – but it sounds like the wrong type of mintiness for me! (Yay, a tea I don’t need to try!)

Cameron B.

It’s definitely an herbal peppermint flavor, not a candy one.

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 28
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 28

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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