4330 Tasting Notes
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 19
Theme: Comfort & Joy
My pick: Bourbon Brew from Old Barrel Tea Co
This is not at all what I expected from the name. It’s a mix of black, oolong, and jasmine green teas with peach flavoring. Seems odd for a holiday tea, and I think it might be their only one?
Anyway, it’s a pleasant enough tea. I’m not sure exactly what temperature I steeped it at, because I had already cut open the bags and put the leaves in the steeper (which had residual water drops in the bottom) before I realized I had set the kettle to 200°, forgetting that this has green tea in it. I ended up putting a small amount of cold water into the steeper first, and then filling the rest with the hot water. Not very precise ha ha, but it seems to have come out okay.
Mostly tastes like black & oxidized oolong to me, with a touch of the jasmine green. I do get the peach flavor, and it’s surprisingly nice, more like a tart nectarine/apricot IMO. There is a haylike note as well, possibly from the green tea or the oolong. Overall, a nice cuppa but not something I would order for myself.
Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Autumn Leaf Pile, Brisk, Dry Leaves, Hay, Jasmine, Nectarine, Stonefruit, Sweet, Tangy, Tannic
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 19
Yay, more holiday! Literally this time, ha ha. I’ve never been a huge fan of any of S&V’s holiday black teas, and it makes me so sad. But it’s still fun to revisit them every so often!
This is actually better than I remember it being. Very mellow overall, especially since the black base is cut with rooibos. The peppermint is soft, and somewhere between fresh and herbaceous. I do taste vanilla (yay!), on about equal footing with the peppermint. It’s a lighter, more pillowy vanilla versus a richer, creamier one. Really enjoying it! I don’t know that I would go out and order a tin, mostly because the base is a bit musty and earthy, but happy to have a cupful today. :)
The jam… So today it’s Cherry-Honey Spread. It’s not a honey, it’s primarily a cherry jam, but has honey added. I took a peek at the back of the box, and apparently it’s chestnut honey. So I tasted this, and immediately it reminded me of something, but I couldn’t think of what. It took me a whole piece of toast and half of another to realize it somehow tastes like masa to me. Cherry as well, but definitely masa, even without the toast. Very strange association ha ha! I still enjoyed it, but it felt a bit like eating cherry jam on a corn tortilla (or a cherry jam tamale LOL)!
Flavors: Earthy, Herbaceous, Light, Marshmallow, Mint, Musty, Peppermint, Smooth, Soft, Sweet, Vanilla, Woody
Preparation
Tea of the morning, from their winter subscription box. I was happy to see this in the box, because I love the version from Teavivre and was curious how similar these are.
Welp, seems not at all similar to me ha ha. It does have a thick and rich texture, but the flavor is totally different. Not really getting any cocoa notes, which are very prevalent in my preferred dragon pearls. Instead this is quite haylike, almost reminding me of an aged shou mei. Savory, earthy, and haylike without any sweetness to it. I admit, I am somewhat satisfied that I vastly prefer the Teavivre Fengqing dragon pearls ha ha… :P
Flavors: Earthy, Hay, Mineral, Savory, Smooth, Thick, Woody
Preparation
DIY Herbal Infusion Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 18
Name: Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients: lemongrass, strawberry, lemon, basil
Movie: White Christmas
Lmao, I feel like I wasn’t paying attention when I ordered these past few days, with so many citrus teas near each other. Oh well, I love citrus so I’m not unhappy about it ha ha.
This one was great, and my sister texted me to tell me it was her favorite so far. Very bright and juicy strawberry with tangy lemon and just a pinch of basil. Somehow the combination of the fruits was giving me pineapple vibes, yet I could still taste the strawberry and lemon individually. Just really nice, and would make a scrumptious cocktail!
Flavors: Basil, Bright, Fresh, Fruity, Herbs, Juicy, Lemon, Pineapple, Savory, Smooth, Strawberry, Sweet, Tangy, Tart
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 18
Yay, a holiday tea!
This smells like a mulled cider sort of blend, but kind of tastes like nothing? It’s a little bit like bland clove water, maybe I should’ve used even less than 8 ounces of water ha ha. I don’t taste the hibiscus at all, and only a faint whisper of fruit. Mostly I feel like I’m tasting the green rooibos? I have a half-ounce bag of this from the subscription this month, so we’ll see how that goes ha ha.
Flavors: Clove, Thin, Watery, Woody
Preparation
The only drink that could be worse than bland clove water is strong clove water.
Ha ha, so true! You and I are on the same page with clove.
No Beeman’s Clove gum in either of your stockings, then!
Lol, thank you but no thank you! XP
I have a pack here that I bought to remind me of my mother, who loved it. It has been safe from chewing for about twenty years and will remain safe for the foreseen future!
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 18
Theme: Sparkling Frost
My pick: Jingle Bells from Lupicia
So… This mostly just tasted like rose to me, which is not my thing. Luckily it’s quite light, so still drinkable. But I’m not getting any sakura or strawberry, just rose and white tea.
Flavors: Floral, Hay, Light, Rose, Smooth, Soft, Sweet
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 18 (my pick)
Theme: Sparkling Frost
Her pick: Happily Ever After from Gilded Coach Teas
Yaaaaay, a favorite of mine! And I just bought the pretty, pretty tin from this season too! :3
Love the sweet, rich purple grape flavor of this. It always makes me think of drinking sparkling grape juice (and cider) during Thanksgiving, which I look forward to every year, and we always buy way too much and drink it all within a few days ha ha. Anyway, I think I would have to drink this and Muscat side by side to be able to tell which part of the flavoring is the sparkling wine, but it definitely does have a slight effervescent quality. Plus, the tea itself is so much cuter than Muscat, ah ha! Pretty little pink flowers.
Flavors: Black Currant, Candy, Effervescent, Grapes, Rich, Smooth, Sweet, Syrupy
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 18
One week until Christmas! I’m simultaneously sad for advents to end, and also relieved that I won’t need to take photos every day anymore, ha ha. XP
I actually picked up a bag of this tea with my advent, because it sounded good and I remembered enjoying it. It’s essentially an Earl Grey Cream with cardamom added. I’m actually not generally a fan of EGC, but here the vanilla is light and fluffy, and the cardamom really brings the bergamot and vanilla together IMO. I’m actually getting a hint of something fruity in this cup as well, I assume it must be coming from the bergamot, but it reminds me of a bright berry of some kind. The base is unobtrusive but not bland, and I would say midway between smooth and brisk. Makes a lovely latte as well!
From Bonne Maman, today it’s Caramel Coffee Spread! I ended up eating mine swirled into (and drizzled onto, heh heh) plain Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of chopped semisweet chocolate. Needless to say, it was heavenly! I could taste a hint of coffee, which was wonderful with the creamy yogurt. I adore Yoplait’s chocolate and coffee Oui yogurt, and this was even better!
Flavors: Bergamot, Cardamom, Citrus, Floral, Fruity, Light, Marshmallow, Red Fruits, Soft, Vanilla
Preparation
DIY Herbal Infusion Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 17
Name: Marmalade
Ingredients: honeybush, orange, ginger, turmeric
Movie: Christmas Chronicles
More orange ha ha. Can you tell I like citrus? :P
This was very mellow and gently sweet, with the nutty and slightly toasty honeybush and a kiss of sweet yet zesty orange. The ginger and turmeric were very minimal, just enough to add a touch of warmth and a subtle earthiness. Very low-key and perfect for enjoying a Christmas movie with the puglets. :)
Flavors: Biscuit, Bright, Earthy, Ginger, Nutty, Orange, Orange Zest, Smooth, Sweet, Toasty, Turmeric, Woody
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 17
Not the most exciting pick, but I did enjoy their Masala Chai more than I expected, so high hopes. And this one is lovely too! Definitely heavy on the star anise and fennel notes, but not in an overpowering way. I do taste the ginger, cardamom, and clove as well. It’s a nice blend of spices, and I love the sweetness the anise brings. Not actually tasting much rooibos, so it’s more like an herbal chai ha ha.
Flavors: Anise, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Fennel, Ginger, Spices, Star Anise, Sweet
