New Tasting Notes

Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 6

I love maple, but this is awful ha ha. It smells and tastes strongly of nutmeg, and then there’s a pile of stevia on top. I don’t get maple at all, just nutmeg and maybe cinnamon, a lot of sweetness (it has sugar and stevia) and a touch of questionable coconut tang.

No thank you!

additional notes: I forgot how much I loved this one, with only one tasting note that I wrote from 12 years ago. Wow. It’s a solid assam. Easily one I could stock up on.

Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #6
Ooooo… another one I have stocked up.  I swear, I don’t have every S&V tea stocked.  ha.  I used the entire sample for my mug, probably not even a teaspoon and a half, and if anything, this advent calendar taught me that only one level teaspoon is enough for a steep session of this particular blend.  Anything more than a teaspoon and it seems like too much stevia to my tastebuds.  Otherwise, I really love this creamy, perfectly minty green rooibos.  These awesome elements make this a blend I can actually tolerate the stevia in.  It always looks festive too. It is VERY spot on candy cane.  I do love a candy cane tea.  (Another Adagio tea I almost bought the other day.)    
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 18 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 5 minute steep

Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown 2025 – Day 5

Wow, it seems like this one can resteep endlessly. I’ve been drinking it gong fu all day and it’s still giving me flavorful steeps! Smooth and round mouthfeel, with a honey-like sweetness, that savory hay note white teas always seem to have for me, no astringency, and just a bit of dryness at the end of the sip. Great paired with Reese’s Pieces, or on its own.

Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 6

I am honestly so confused by this one. The package describes it as cinnamon and vanilla rooibos, and the website description makes it sound like a sort of Mexican hot chocolate vibe. But then it has hibiscus and rosehips in it… It doesn’t taste bad, but it comes out tasting sort of like an apple cinnamon infusion with a bit of tartness? Which is not at all how it’s described ha ha. Oh well, at least it tastes decent! :P

knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 6
Theme: Deck the Halls
Song: Deck the Halls by Tabernacle Choir

I think this may just be Adagio’s Blood Orange infusion, but I made a new entry for it regardless. I cold steeped it in a mason jar, for several hours this morning and afternoon. Perhaps this wasn’t the wisest method, as there is a large amount of orange peel here and it did come out a little bitter. But otherwise, it has a Tang or vitamin C sort of tangy orange flavor, along with oodles of hibiscus tartness. Not bad, but not something I would order for myself. Still, it was refreshing, even with the bitterness!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=bVg32d5citA&si=q1TpWVFYVKferuUK

DavidsTea Workshop Calendar 2025, Day 1.

I tasted this tea for the first time today. It is bright and cheerful – like a sunny winter day. It’s also a lightweight tea – not heavy like many fall and winter blends. So, it’s a nice contrast that just lifts your mood in the morning. The Oolong gives gives it an undercurrent of pleasant roasty toastiness, but the dominant flavor is clementine. The sweetness is smooth and honey-like with minimal acidity. It’s just a little tangy – like the satsuma oranges I used to buy around the holidays. (Hard to find them now). Looks like this tea debuted last year, and I’m sad I missed it. This year it’s not for sale individually, but if it ever comes back, I plan to buy it!

Kaylee Advent Day 5!
H&S makes pretty decent EGs! I taste a good amount of bergamot, though the base tea may not be quite my favorite. Looks like I rated this 88 in the past, and I still think this is a solid option, but I’ll lower the score a little. The resteep was pretty nice! Kaylee also included the cutest little snail teabag string holders, which I will 100% use, so thank you!!

Compagnie & Co Day 2

Empresses’ Tea! Such a luxurious name gives me high expectations. I steeped the 2 g sachet in 250 ml of 190F water for 3, 5, and 7 minutes.

The dry aroma is of raspberry and pistachio. In the first steep, I notice the pistachio first, followed by subtle, quite realistic raspberry and a little malt from the black tea base. The raspberry builds the more I drink, but though it’s sweet, it doesn’t venture into candy territory. I also notice faint tannins near the end of the cup. Marzipan emerges as the tea cools. The second steep yields even more jammy raspberry notes and clear pistachio flavour; it reminds me of the pistachio filling in a croissant made by a local cafe, complimented by the malty, bready black tea. The final steep has clear but fainter notes of raspberry and pistachio, with some woodiness from the base.

This tea is a decadent treat without being as sweet as the Creme Caramel from yesterday. The base complements the berry and pistachio, and the tea is elegant, balanced, and well executed. It lives up to my expectations for a French tea!

Advent tea swap!
I used too hot of water for the first steep and only got a hint of coconut and banana. The second steep is a very nice genmaicha with a slight banana finish. A nice cuppa.

I had a sampler of this tucked away from a Mei Leaf order back in November. I haven’t been ordering much from them lately, owing largely to the better value I’ve been getting out of the W2T orders. Nevertheless, I have so much tea that I’ll probably be putting non-club orders on hold for a while. It gives me the opportunity to clear out my drawers and try some teas that I had forgotten about.

Bliss Beholder is one of Mei Leaf’s most expensive sheng puerhs that is available right now, retailing at about 180 USD. I purchased this sampler right when it came out, and now it only seems like the tea is available in whole cakes. It is a sheng from Man Zhuan, advertised as one of the six ancient Puerh mountains dating back to the Qing dynasty.

Initial impressions off the bat were strong, steamed rocks and the fruitiness characteristic of much of the Mei Leaf sheng catalogue. However, the rest of the session was largely lacking especially at the price point. It’s a fruity sheng with an exotic nature to it; I can detect the hints of sandalwood to complement the apricot, and it is buoyed by a strong minerality, but I have had much better.

I still have two more sessions of this tea so this review may be subject to change, but as of right now it’s ‘ok’.

Stash Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 6
Tropical Snowflake

I guess this is only called “snowflake” because it’s in an advent, because it’s a passion fruit flavored green tea. It’s pleasant enough, the flavoring is a bit generically tropical, not specifically passion fruit to me. I think I would guess mango if anything, but maybe only because it’s more common. I only steeped it for one minute, so the green tea is mellow and subtly earthy. A nice enough cuppa, though not something I would feel the need to purchase (if it were available).

Rating: 68

knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 6 (my pick)
Theme: Deck the Halls
Song: Deck the Halls by The Five Fifths

The song made me think of holly and holly berries, so of course I had to pick a tea with red berries in it! So I chose this cranberry and cream black tea from Simpson & Vail. Love it, the cream is very much in the forefront, and it’s buttery and rich, almost like a buttercream frosting. Then there’s a tangy red berry note swirled in, and a subtle, deep cocoa note. Delightful!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3gry2zD57no&si=boyKPwsJgRn9VE8W
https://www.instagram.com/p/DR7y2G9D7v2

2025 Steepster Advent Swap: Day 6

Today’s advent pull from Michelle definitely makes up for the lackluster B&B oolong from this morning!

I accidentally oversteeped the first cup, but got it right on the second. This is so good, and I can see how it could become a daily drinker! It’s just a little bit malty and bready, with hints of molasses and brown sugar. Almost no astringency here.

Smooth, tasty, and eminently drinkable… what a winner!

Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 6

This is similar to that Stash caramel tea from earlier in the advent, in that it doesn’t taste like actual caramel, but like deeply caramelized sugar. It’s not my personal favorite, though caramel teas in general don’t tend to be either. The base is also a bit acidic and harsh for my tastes.

From Bonne Maman, today it’s Apricot Lavender Spread. This has been in the advent for a few years now, and it’s lovely. I don’t really notice the lavender, to be honest. But I love apricot preserves, so you’ll get no complaints from me! It has a nice tanginess to it.

I have to say that the previous reviews of this tea don’t fill me with enthusiasm. I’ve had Vietnamese oolongs long ago, including What-Cha’s famously good Red Buffalo, but don’t remember having any green teas from this region and hearing that they could get bitter. I steeped 5 g of leaf in 250 ml of 160F water for 2, 1.5, 2.5, 4, 5, and 7 minutes.

The dry aroma is quite floral, with hints of spinach and grass. The vendor describes this floral aroma as tea flowers, though my closest guess was orange blossom. The first steep has ethereal notes of orange, pomegranate, kiwi, magnolia, and orange blossom, with background notes of spinach and grass. The next steep continues to carry top notes of pomegranate, orange, honeydew, and florals, with the more vegetal green tea lurking beneath the surface. I get a nice kiwi and honeydew aftertaste from this steep. Steep three is still ethereally fruity and floral, but the green tea is beginning to show its teeth, with spinach, saline, beany, and astringent notes coming forward. Steeped for four minutes, the tea retains some of the magnolia, orange blossom, citrus, kiwi, and melon notes, though they’re becoming a bit soapy and the grass, spinach, and astringency are becoming distracting. The next steep is greener, with notes of spinach, grass, saline, and other veggies and hints of florals and tropical fruit. The final steep is predictably grassy, saline, mineral, and vegetal with slight fruity hints.

This is one of the most fruity green teas I’ve had in a while. I like the tropical and floral flavours, but the astringent, vegetal base gets in the way. I imagine the base would be even more assertive if I’d steeped it using hotter water. This was an interesting tea to try, but it’s not a daily drinker for me.

Also, in case anyone wants even more tea, this is the last weekend of my Black Friday sale. You can get 20% off if you buy three or more items, and a free pouch of Fushoushan Green for orders over US$150. My list of teas is here: https://www.teaforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=2847

For first time it seems I got a fruit tea blend! Translation of name should mean “Dream about the Love” or “Love Dream” or such. That still little hurts me, as my first nad last love… well we broke up earlier this year.

But as of tea… yep, it is a fruit tea, definitely, and that to hibiscus a deep red coloured tea. It is quite hard to me to point out the flavours as there are lots of fruits in and make some kind of fruit mish-mash; however two notes that stand out in my mouth are: caramel covered grapes.

That’s something I never had or tried. And I am not even sure it is a thing. But It is indeed quite sweet tea, with hints of grapes. Interesting, considering that by the ingredients there are no grapes or raisins, while the second is mentioned in the description by the vendor. And there is no caramel either.

It seems that this tea puzzles me.
Once it was fine; once it was bad. And today, in advent calendar it tastes like something different and fine.

I have steeped all 5 grams western today morning and steeped those in 80°C water (a little colder, actually) for 2 minutes.

I have received a tasty cup with lots of fruity, tropical notes, which were pleasing to drink. As of now, writing this note much later, I can’t recall exact fruits. The base was a little rough though. While not exactly bad, it was a bit astringent and maybe a little bitter for me. But it was strongly prepared, that could be the cause.

Anyway, it was fine… though agian not a tea to keep in the cupboard.

Adagio Advent Calendar Day 4

This was nice, with an earthy spicy flavor. I think my problem with these cinnamon rooibos teas is that I compare them to Good Earth’s Sweet and Spicy, and so far, nothing beats that one. So this is a perfectly good tea but I will not be ordering this one.

Adagio Advent Calendar Day 5

This was quite tart due to the hibiscus. I am NOT a fan of hibiscus because to me it is simply sour. Others may find the zing of hibiscus to be pleasantly tart.

I was able to finish most of the cup, but this will certainly not be a re-order for me.