Had this one yesterday on the go and took notes while I was in class (pay attention!? Nah…not when I have tea tasting notes to write!).
When I saw that Butiki had an eggnog flavored tea I was so very excited. This year I seem to have developed an egg intolerance of some sort (just feel really sick to my stomach), which means goodbye fried egg sandwich’s, farewell scrambled eggs, and worst of all – so long Eggnog! This holiday season was a rough one, as we had eggnog in the house and I kept drinking it even though it made me feel sick. Anyway, when I found this (too bad it was AFTER the holidays, as this could’ve saved me a lot of discomfort!) I was thrilled! I swear, I heard the Hallelujah chorus and a beam of golden light shined down on my computer screen!
So, here it is, the solution to my eggnog problems. Verdict: I was not disappointed!
Dry, this smells just like rich creamy eggnog – a real treat to my nose! Once brewed it picks up a little of the vegetal green tea scent, but the eggnog/vanilla/creamy/sweet scent is still very much there.
The taste: The creaminess of this cup is amazing! It’s not cloying like real eggnog can be, which is a plus. The eggnog taste and the vanilla taste aren’t artificial, but seem quite natural (as natural as an eggnog taste can be). The blending of this flavor with the green tea base is also really well done, as it provides sweetness but also, through the vegetal notes, keeps the eggnog flavor in check. Very refreshing, yet at the same time nice and dessert-y.
As others have said, the spices are missing, but I don’t find myself too upset about it. I think this tea works very well in capturing the eggnog taste while keeping it unique. I think adding the spices to this tea would take away from all the great aspects I found.
Overall, I’m very pleased with this substitute. Is it real eggnog? No. Is it just as delicious? Yes, in its own wonderful way. Plus, it doesn’t make me feel sick, so that’s a big plus! =)
Big thanks to Stacy at Butiki for blending this up.
