DAVIDsTEA Matcha Advent Calendar – Day 16

Ohhh boy… I am almost guaranteed not to like this one. And the dry scent is quite sweet-perfumey, so that doesn’t bode well. I will say, I’m not sure I understand the person who decided the ordering of the teas in this calendar. Why would you put two such similar flavors next to each other? I would think more contrast between days would increase the likelihood for enjoyment. No?

Anyway, prepared this hot with 8 ounces of water and 4 ounces of milk. I did taste it before the milk, and promptly made a face and went ahead with adding it.

Blegh, I am not a fan. It’s very sweet and very floral. I do get lavender, but also some other floral notes, and they taste very perfumey to me. The bitterness of the matcha is probably making this worse, but it has an almost chemical floral flavor. I do feel like I taste more honey than yesterday.

The combination of sweet + heady floral + bitter is really just bringing out the worst perfumey flavor for me. Nope, nope, nope!

On to happier things, also known as jam! Today it’s Raspberry-Lychee Spread, which I could not have been more excited to see. I think if you told me this was plain raspberry jam, I would absolutely believe you. I can taste a bit of lychee if I really think about it, but it’s definitely very much in the background. Either that or raspberry and lychee just blend so well that I can’t taste them separately anymore… XD

ETA: I think I’m tasting the lychee more and more as I eat this, yum! And I tried the matcha after the jam to cut the sweetness, better but still like drinking perfume…

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CI3UsUyAU_Z/)

Flavors: Artificial, Bitter, Floral, Honey, Lavender, Perfume, Sugar, Sweet

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Courtney

Chemical floral, oh wow. It makes me think of being in a chem lab and something going wrong haha!

Cameron B.

Could just be me, hence the non-rating. :P

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Courtney

Chemical floral, oh wow. It makes me think of being in a chem lab and something going wrong haha!

Cameron B.

Could just be me, hence the non-rating. :P

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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