80

361/365

Made this one up as a shot, since I’m having a lot of success with that recently. It’s also quick and easy to prepare on a morning, which is when I tend to need matcha most! I’m not sure why this is called swampthing – there’s certainly nothing particularly swampy about it, in terms of colour, scent, or taste. It’s described as lavender & lime, which gave me pause, but the initial flavour reminded me more of Skittles than anything. Or Starburst, maybe. The green ones, mostly, which would make sense, but not exclusively by any means. There’s a kind of tangy, fruity, sweetness that’s reminiscent of fruit flavoured candy generally – but I’m okay with that!

I get a lot of lime from this, in a tangy, candy-like sort of way. I don’t get much lavender at all, which is fine by me. The thought of floral matcha scares me a bit. I hadn’t expected to get along with this one, but it’s actually really nice. A good surprise, for once! This is another matcha I’d be happy to add to my morning repertoire – which, thanks to Bird & Blend and their sudden explosion of flavoured matcha releases – only seems to keep expanding!

Facebook reminded me this morning that today marks one year since I began my challenge. I’m happy that I haven’t slipped too much – only by 4 days or so, thanks to colds, new jobs, and general life stress. This year has gone so quickly, though! I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas already! Today is also my first work-at-home day, which I’m thoroughly appreciating. Peace, quiet, no commuting, no phones…I’m so glad I finally put the effort into changing job this year. My new one isn’t perfect, but it’s way better than my old one and I’m a lot happier for it. Hopefully next year will be an equally positive one!

ashmanra

What challenge are you celebrating? Congrats on the first day working at home! Peace and quiet are precious!

Scheherazade

My 365 days of tea :)

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ashmanra

What challenge are you celebrating? Congrats on the first day working at home! Peace and quiet are precious!

Scheherazade

My 365 days of tea :)

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

Location

Norfolk, UK

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