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Another steepdown thanks to my boba tea obsession. I brew this tea very strong in 200 mL boiling water and allow to steep for 15+ minutes. Cool in fridge or freezer for 10 minutes. Pour into a tall glass and fill remaining space in cup with vanilla soy milk and some cold water. Add some ice. I use the frozen ready-to-eat boba (O’s Bubble brand brown sugar or black tea flavour) and microwave for 50 seconds. Overall it makes a bubble tea latte that is better than any creamy ones I’ve had from a store. Something about the cocoa, toasted coconut, creamy soy milk, and brown sugar sweetness goes so well together.

I wish it had a bit more cocoa/chocolate but there is enough toasted coconut and desserty goodness that I enjoy it a lot.

I’m trying to make a dent in my hibiscus herbal collection of teas I don’t really love but don’t hate enough to compost/give away.

Cold water, steeped ~15-20 minutes in ~400 mL water
The most noticeable notes are sour acidic hibiscus and a nice peach flavour. The peach is stronger in the after taste and the smell of the liquid. The initial taste is generic fruity with hibiscus and it takes a moment to notice the peach. I can’t taste any rhubarb in particular but it is fairly sour. This would be best served with sweetener or in a lemonade drink.

This is a lovely creamy dessert tea. Although a bit cloying, I like how thick and fullbodied it is and I like the vanilla and cream flavours. It is less citrus/bergamot than some other EGs but I actually like that better. Stronger bergamot can make tea bitter or medicinal. This is good with a touch of maple syrup or brown sugar + a dash of vanilla soy milk. I’ve also tried Silk brand coffee creamer and it was very sweet and delicious.

I’ve had this quite a few times and it is delish! I just finished it off a few days ago and thought I would make one last review only to find out I never reviewed it! I must remedy this!

First of all, this is really nice hot or cold. I prefer 4-6 minutes if I’m adding milk or ~3 if not. For cold steeps I brew overnight or for at least a few hours. It is very nice on its own or lightly sweetened with agave. It is not too tannic in a way that is bitter and overpowering, but there is lots of flavour there. The fruitiness is natural, but it is difficult to pick out distinct fruits. I want to say strawberry and notes of honey, tropical fruits, and maybe apricot. I do not get floral notes but the vanilla is present in the aroma. I like how versatile this blend is. Perfect for a cozy cup with milk and sugar but just as nice plain and iced in the summer.

Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #17

This is a nice herbal mint blend. It does not taste like the chocolate mint that I grow and dry from my own garden, but it is nice. It is more vegetal and has less menthol than peppermint. It has some other herbal notes (from the hyssop I assume). A nice herbal, but nothing really stands out from other mint blends.

Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #16

A really interesting blend with lightly floral notes and some light vegetal white tea flavour (like bai mu dan and other delicately vegetal whites). Very smooth. the brew is very light but is aromatic and smells slightly of honey, flowers, and green tea.

Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #15

This made a lovely breakfast tea with my bagel. I was surprised about how creamy this was with the aromatic vanilla. I got some toasty notes and lots of tannin, but not as strong as most breakfast blends. I did not get any smoky notes like other people, but I added a bit of vanilla soy milk and it might have muted this a bit. I did not realize this blend would have smoke notes so I did not think to check for it.

Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #14

I’m behind but will eventually get all of my tasting notes uploaded! (they are written in a notebook)

This has a lovely strong maple scent. The brew is flavourful and the green tea comes through a lot. There are vegetal green notes and some maple. I get a hint of dried apple, as well. I would have liked a bit more vanilla and cakey/buttery flavour or maybe some apple butter/caramelized sugar notes. If I didn’t know any different, I would think this was just a maple apple green tea.

Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #13

I enjoyed this as a latte with a splash of soy milk in my second cup (1st steep was a plain cup without milk). I think the milk is a really nice addition to a genmaicha, despite being unconventional. I got lots of green tea and toasty rice, but the banana and marshmallow must have been overwhelmed. I couldn’t taste much in the way of banana and I couldn’t taste vanilla in the plain cup. Still a nice tea, but it didn’t live up to its name like I hoped.