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This one was always a bit flat for me. I can smell lemon but it’s hard to get much beyond the maple sugar.

I wanted a latte. A spiced, delicious latte with whipped cream. So that’s what I made.

This tea was one of two teas I grabbed in addition to the Plum Deluxe advent and I think I did that for free shipping purposes. At the time of the order, I just finished or was almost finished my Chaiwala chai and so I had that on the mind and I think that’s why this appealed to me.

Drinking it now, its nice. It’s not replacing the Chaiwala one as a favorite but its also got a nice balance of spices that are offset by a soft caramel. It has vanilla butternut essence but that doesn’t really come through much for me. I think that feeds into the caramel more than anything. With that said, I wish the caramel flavor was stronger since that’s the component that should be setting this apart from other chais.

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When they say sweet peppermint, they really mean sweet peppermint. Like this is a cup of minty sugar…with sugar being the focus. I like mint and I like sweet but this is a bit over the top.

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Sil’s husband will be coming by at some point today to do our usual exchange of teas so I figured now was as good a time as any to drink this sample I received in our last swap. I don’t usually eat plums but as a flavor, it is usually appealing. I also am intrigued by zabaglione since its a dessert flavor, but I don’t think I ever had one. So, I can’t say if this is accurate or not to either flavor since I have not had either much. I can say its a nice tea. The base comes through smooth and malty and a bit bready. The other flavor I am getting is the plum, or at least stone fruit. Thank you Sil for the share. I enjoyed this sample a lot but I don’t know how often I would reach for a plum tea that would justify purchasing more. With that said, for people who are bigger plum fans, this is a great option.

Latte Sipdown (320)

Vahdam recommends making this stovetop but I got lazy and just made it the usual way I make a latte. It was so pretty and the milk/tea line was so sharp. It’s shallow but I think it makes the tea taste better haha.

I’m wondering if I should have made this via the stovetop though because it’s a bit loose flavorwise. I get a really nice cardamom flavor but it’s separated from the milk. It’s like the sharp contrast in looks also made for a sharp contrast in flavor versus when I make my beloved chaiwala chai on the stove top and it comes together deliciously. So I guess next Vahdam chai I try, I’ll do it on the stovetop.

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This is one of two Tearunner samples that I grabbed from Roswell Strange before sending her along her teas. I was interested in trying it but don’t drink straight oolongs enough to justify purchasing a bag for myself. With that said, thank you Roswell Strange for giving me the chance to try this one!

Drinking it now, I am glad I didn’t buy it. It’s not bad but its not to my tastes. The website claims there are peach notes here and while I maybe get that a little, I get more a metallic floral. It’s a classic oolong profile but not the oolong I personally enjoy. Its been fun to try though and now I know for sure that I was fine with the one-cup sample and nothing more.

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When this is not made as a latte, the peppery honeybush comes out more. There is also an alcohol quality to this with a touch of strawberry. It’s not bad but not a favorite either.

Decided to revisit one of my favorites from the summer…this as an iced latte with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. Dessert in a cup!

Matcha Latte Sipdown (323)

This latte was a mess from start to finish. The measuring was a bit wonky because I hate measuring out of the little tins (they are cute though). Then I wasn’t sure how much milk to froth. Then I pulled out a tea cup and thought it was bigger than it was so the matcha and milk didn’t all fit. That was probably for the best since I managed to spill the milk a fair bit on the tea cabinet and on another mini matcha tin (which thankfully was sealed twice so I don’t think there was an issue). Also, the matcha was brown and for the life of me I can’t remember if that is the color it should be or if it has turned with age.

Tastewise, this is flat and diluted by probably too much milk. It is distinctly toffee apple – like those bright green apple lollipops covered in caramel but the flavor isn’t fully developed. Or perhaps it is weighed down by the milk.

My cupboard has been a bit overwhelming so I made my sister pick a tea. I wanted to make a latte so she grabbed two and this was the only one which worked for that prep method. This basically just tastes like sweet cream though. I was surprised that the black tea wasn’t contributing more but happy since I imagine it might have been similar to Adagio base teas. However, without the base, there isn’t much going on here. It’s not bad but nothing special either.