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CuppaGeek Advent Calendar – Day 3

I was very much not excited to see this as today’s Cuppa Geek blend. It’s not flavours I enjoy on their own so combined just didn’t appeal to me at all. Interestingly enough, I drank it while FaceTiming with a friend and learned that Lavender Earl Grey is actually her favorite so that was a fun discovery. Plus, now I know where to send all my Lavender Earl Grey twas I come across. As for the tea, I didn’t really like it as expected and don’t recall much beyond that.

DAVIDsTEA Matcha Advent Calendar – Day 3

Today I decided to try this one as an iced latte made the way DAVIDsTEA recommends making them: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/explore/how-to%3A-any-tea-anywhere/how-to-make-an-iced-matcha-latte/. Things got messy so I am thinking I may invest in a chawan that has a spout for pouring…maybe. My whisking can also use some work. However, I did buy matcha makers and those should be arriving soon so hopefully they help with these issues.

As for the iced latte, its pretty good, though I think the amount DAVIDs recommends using is too much. I used the whole sample packet and it is very sweet. I get sugar up front but berry sugar. So in that sense, I guess it is true to the flavor…sorta. Also, its an iced latte so its creamy but I can’t say if that cream is coming from the matcha or just the prep method. Overall, its good but I would use less matcha powder next time given the sugar that is added.

Kenneth Ave Advent Calendar – Day 2

Cold brewed. This was fruitier and sweeter than I expected. And then it was all apple flavor. I really don’t get much cranberry which makes this pretty blah.

CuppaGeek Advent Calendar – Day 2

This one had potential with its chocolate chips and orange slices. Both those flavors come through, along with clove, which I like. However, there is a hibiscus note that hits you in the back of the throat that is out of place and makes me kind of sad.

DIY Advent Calendar – Day 2

Today’s tea is courtesy of Sil. Thank you!

This is just oolong to me. There is supposed to be more I think but it’s just oolong and it’s a pretty meh oolong at that. Fun to try but surprisingly mediocre.

Being the first of the month, I tend to reorganize my tea drawers so that everything from a year ago gets moved into the focus area of my tea stash. That’s where I store my older teas so that my mind realizes I should be finishing them. That is also where I store the sipdown box which are a select few teas that are exceptionally old and thus need a concentrated effort to drink. Hard to believe that being December 1, 2020, it was a year ago (not to the day but the month) that I met Roswell Strange in person and got a GIANT bag of teas. So between that and the 1/2 advents and some shopping, there were a lot of teas from December 2019 that had to be moved.

This tea is from the start of 2019 and I moved it into my sipdown box along with another tea from the first half of 2019. So now my sipdown box is a collection of 5 teas from 2018 and the first half of 2019 that I am trying to get through. This is the only caffeine free option though and I was thinking that might be a good plan. Also, I was really warm so I wanted something that would be nice iced. This fit the bill.

As per usual, the melon notes are so juicy and so spot on and delicious. I do get a bit more of the base given the age of this tea causing a touch of flavor deterioration. But this tea is great hot or cold and this is no exception.

Kenneth Ave Advent Calendar – Day 1

This is a rooibos with papaya and almond. Kenneth Ave gives you 2 servings of a tea per day so for today’s tea I decided to use both servings to make an eggnog latte. Mostly I don’t usually love almond in teas because I don’t love marzipan so I figured this way the eggnog would cover stuff up a bit.

It’s better than I expected. It definitely has a marzipan quality to it so I won’t be restocking this but it works alright when paired with the eggnog and generic fruitiness of the papaya. Overall, not bad.

DIY Advent Calendar – Day 1

I got a DIY advent kit of Amazon. Then had my sister pull 24 teas from my stash I haven’t had yet and put them in the bags. So I sort of know what is in this but not completely and have no idea what day which teas will come up.

Today I pulled this tea and decided it would be good as a cold brew. And it definitely works as a cold brew but I don’t know how into this tea I am. It is blueberry-ish but clearly with the help of hibiscus because both flavors are present and notable. The lime is the end note and sort of pops up to say hello. At first sip, it would seem like just a blueberry/berry tea but then the lime kicks in which adds a touch more.

CuppaGeek Advent Calendar – Day 1

This is the tea I grabbed out. Actually, its the one my sister grabbed. I insisted her and my brother-in-law open the advents with me. They were not nearly as excited as I was but here we are haha.

This was an interesting one to have today given how much snow I woke up to. I realized now the picture I took could have been infinitely better if I put it in the snow but not possible now. Oh well.

Anyways, the tea itself is good. It’s got great fruit flavor. It’s honestly a bit fruit loops like for me. At least what I remember of fruit loops since its been forever since I had them. This tea also boasts peach and strawberry ingredients and I can see how this tea leans into those flavors a bit. Though no fruit flavor is overly distinct. I also like that marshmallows add a fluffiness here that pairs with the fruit notes well.