4330 Tasting Notes
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.
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 3
Theme: Sugared Berries
My pick: Thé des Impératrices from Compagnie & Co
So… I’ve actually had this one before, and I was not a fan ha ha. But obviously I’m willing to give it another shot since it’s a favorite of Marjorie’s.
Yeah, this is not for me… The cranberry very much tastes like a cherry lozenge, and it’s paired with rooibos. And then the stevia as well… >.<
Oh well, different strokes for different folks ha ha.
Flavors: Alcohol, Artificial, Candy, Cherry, Medicinal, Rooibos, Sweet, Syrupy, Woody
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 3
This was a perfectly pleasant light, spearminty green tea. But given the name, I was hoping for more of a citrus presence? Maybe it’s just because I didn’t steep it for very long, given it’s a green tea base. But the spearmint seemed to make itself known even with the short steep, so not sure… There was a hint of a lemon balmy sort of lemon herb note at the end of the sip, but that was all the lemon I detected. The green tea also just wasn’t very good. I think it was a Chinese sencha, and it mostly tasted like dry grass.
Still pleasant, just not what I was hoping for heh.
Flavors: Dry Grass, Earthy, Fresh, Grassy, Herbaceous, Mineral, Mint, Spearmint, Sweet
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 3
A favorite from Simpson & Vail today! This one, Rocky Mountains, and Grand Canyon are my favorites from their National Park collection.
The blueberry in this reminds me of dried blueberries – specifically, it reminds me of Blueberry Morning cereal ha ha. And then there’s a touch of oat from the oatstraw, and the combination makes me think of blueberry scones. Obviously it’s not that sweet, and there’s no pastry here, but still the association is there. And then the green base is just smooth and unobtrusive, but gives nice body. A nice afternoon tea for day 3! :3
Flavors: Blueberry, Dried Fruit, Grassy, Herbaceous, Oats, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 3 (my pick)
Theme: Sugared Berries
Her pick: Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland from Celestial Seasonings
Going with my own swap advent pick for my first tea again, because it’s the only black tea I have for today ha ha… Hardly surprising, since my DIY advent is herbal and Bush Berry is also majority herbals I would say.
I really like this one, it tastes like some kind of pistachio dacquoise or meringue layered with raspberry jam. It’s not really cookie-like as there’s no buttery pastry element, but it does still make me think of cute little almond-flavored thumbprint cookies filled with rich raspberry jam. The base has a definite woodiness to it, but I don’t really find it distracting.
From Bonne Maman, today was Apple-Quince-Honey Spread. I must’ve checked to make sure I opened the right door three times, because we just had Quince Spread on the 1st. Odd to put them so close together, but whatever ha ha. I actually liked this better than the plain quince, as it was less over-sweet and had nice chunks of al dente apple in it. Plus it’s nice to see an apple preserve with no cinnamon! Would definitely purchase this one if it were available. :)
Flavors: Almond, Jam, Marzipan, Meringue, Pistachio, Raspberry, Rich, Smooth, Sweet, Syrupy, Woody
Preparation
DIY Herbal Infusion Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 2
Name: Elements: Water
Ingredients: Labrador tea, blueberry, lavender, wintergreen, hibiscus
Movie: Trading Places
Apparently I forgot to write a tasting note again, lol! I guess I must’ve gotten distracted because I wrote an Instagram post for this blend. Anyway…
I really like Labrador tea as a more mellow alternative to stronger evergreen ingredients like pine, cedar, or juniper. Really well-suited to a nighttime cuppa, where the others might be a bit much before bed. Enjoyed it with the juicy blueberry, with a touch of hibiscus added to give a bit of dimension and bring out the tangier notes of the berries. Wintergreen adds sweetness and a refreshing quality, along with a nice cooling finish. And then lavender, for some reason I just felt like adding it LOL. To shake it up a bit, I guess ha ha.
As for how it’s related to water, I guess the combination of the woodsy, sweet, and refreshing notes was inspired by a cool, wild mountain stream. I would say, I think the final version had a touch too much wintergreen, and it made it a bit more difficult to taste the Labrador tea and lavender. But still a lovely cuppa, and my sister liked it too!
Flavors: Blueberry, Cooling, Earthy, Evergreen, Fresh, Juicy, Lavender, Menthol, Spring Water, Sweet, Tart, Wintergreen, Woodsy
Preparation
I’m quite curious about a tea named Labrador, since I’m sure it’s not supposed to invoke imagery of wet dog and yet that’s where my mind goes.
Ha ha, yeah here in the States, the mind definitely goes straight to Labrador Retriever LMAO! Thankfully it does not taste doggy in the slightest. :P
