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Another place where I came for fruit and just got tea.

In addition to the orange peel, they’ve listed orange essence (not an ingredient I could add), and yet I get absolutely 0 orange. I’m not sure I saw any orange peel in my bag, so perhaps that’s the problem. It’s a very generic black tea that I poured over ice for something a little more refreshing. Not bad, just not what it sounded like.

Plum Deluxe advent, day 2

I am not getting any mango or lemon balm from this at all – just chicory, really. It’s not that it’s bad; it’s got a smooth sweetness that’s pleasant. I just expected something a little brighter. That said, not sure how much I would have liked something that tasted like coffee and mango at the same time, so maybe for the best?

teeccino advent, day 2

I wrote a somewhat negative review of this last year with the advent, but I’m surprised by it – this is actually a tea I have in my cupboard because I’ve liked it! And I liked it again this time, so who knows what was going on.

I tend to forget about my tea and oversteep it, which is obviously more of a problem with the more sensitive blends and most pure teas. I’m learning though! Pulled up at just before 3 minutes, I still had more bitterness than I generally prefer, but mostly a toasted spinach & grass flavor. Actually, it reminds me a lot of a favorite spinach & pine nut salad somehow, which is one reason I bought more.

DAVIDsTEA Around the World Advent, Day 2

I’m new to the teeccino brand and discovered both the brand and flavor from sipsby. I was so intrigued I wanted to sample more variety from them in their advent, and what do we have here? The same flavor that I started with!

With a little experimenting, I’m finding that a longer steep really overpowers the maple and pecan flavor. It’s a deep and roasty tea that does indeed make me feel like I’m drinking a coffee (which I love, since I adore the scent and flavor of coffee but the acidity is a real problem for me). If I stick more to the 3 minute end of the recommended steep time, I get a lot more maple scent and a sweet, nutty flavor that I imagine was the intent.

I’m still deciding if I’d buy more of this; I look forward to the rest of these flavors so I can choose a couple favorites.

teeccino advent, day 1

I had so much fun with the DAVIDsTEA matcha sampler a couple years ago that I decided I had to do this (especially because I’m definitely not buying any matcha without sampling it any time soon).

I half expected a plain matcha to start us off, so I was happy to see this instead. The berry is kind of generic berry candy in scent and flavor, but it’s very much overwhelmed by an intense bitterness I wasn’t expecting. I tend to prefer a little milk in my matcha; unfortunately we were out yesterday! (My toddler made it very clear that was not acceptable, so we’ve fixed it moving forward). I went with a bit of honey instead, which helped with the bitterness, but it was still hard for me to finish. Which is a shame because the berry was a decent flavor!

Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Day 1

I’m new to Bird & Blend and thought that sampling from their advent calendars would be a good way to decide if I needed to place an order. (The answer is already yes, because of their Spiced Pumpkin Chai I got as a sample). I couldn’t decide between caffeine free and regular, and figured I’d go for both since I’m not aiming to keep up with them this month – plus the matcha because it’s fun and different.

I should have realized that this would mean I’m in for a good deal of rooibos; why is it just now occurring to me that this is going to be heavily featured in caffeine-free tea?

Actually, this one isn’t too terrible for me. The ginger is spicy and stands out above everything else going on, and it’s almost enough for me to ignore the wood-chips flavor I get out of the rooibos. I don’t know that it feels like gingerbread, but I’m wondering if that might be a regional difference in what Americans consider gingerbread.

I wouldn’t buy it, but I’m not mad about having a few bags of it.

Bird & Blend Caffeine & Caffeine Free Advents, Day 1

So while I have 3 advent calendars I plan to enjoy every day, I also bought some that I’m using as samplers and will be satisfied if I finish them by the end of January. This sipsby bagged version is one – I really didn’t want to do their loose leaf again, but the bagged one seemed like a nice way to have tea for work.

It makes me laugh that this tea was my day 1, since I just finished it from their subscription. I don’t know that I have much new to say about it! It’s still a good tea; a lovely earl grey that doesn’t overwhelm me with lavender. It feels perfect for the morning and remains on my list of “sometime when I don’t have other earl grey waiting for me”.

Sipsby Bagged Advent Day 1

Despite being a subscriber, I had no idea Plum Deluxe did an advent calendar until I started seeing reviews last year, so this was the other one I had to have.

This was a fun way to start. I love peach, and the peach here is done well, not too artificial, though it could have been a touch stronger. I noticed it more as I let the cup cool. The maple is more of a scent and aftertaste, and definitely mellows a lot with a cooler cup. I think that balances well – in a colder tea I’d prefer more peach, but the hot tea brings out more maple.

I can’t find this tea on their website or anything, so it may not be available, but if it were I’d go for more.

Plum Deluxe Advent Day 1

This was the advent I wanted most this year, so I’m very excited to have one.

This cup screams caramel apple pastry to me. It tastes a little more like a caramel flavored with apples than a caramel apple, if that makes sense. But while it’s sweet, it isn’t cloying. I’m getting just a hint of cinnamon in the aftertaste.

My absolute favorite fall flavor is caramel apple, and this is done well. I’m going to want more of this.

BrutaliTeas Advent Day 1

Before I talk about the tea, can I just say how much I love an advent calendar? I wish I could just buy them year-round in different lengths and count down to whatever I wanted. Tiny surprises in the morning are so much fun!

Generally speaking, I am a “let the flavor smack me in the face” tea drinking type. I want an intense scent and a matching flavor, and I don’t want to add anything to my cup to get it. But I’m trying to branch out a bit, and I was very curious to find the Around the World advent from DAVIDsTEA – this seemed like as good a chance as any to try some things I wouldn’t just buy on my own. (I told myself no more from them unless they did something different; point goes to them on this one).

I am not being hit in the face with cinnamon. The scent in the canister was noticeable, the scent after steeping is subtle, and I barely get it at all in the sip (though it increased as I was getting down to the end of the cup). It does come out a bit in the aftertaste, along with a pleasant sweetness, especially as the cup cools.

But I’m also not being overwhelmed by bitterness in the cup. The tea is smooth with some substance and body to it. I had to get out the door this morning pretty quickly, but I can see this as a lovely accompaniment to a slow, cold morning and a slice of toast.

This is a general “I’d be pleased to try it again” score for me.

DAVIDsTEA Around the World Advent Day 1