961 Tasting Notes
AJRimmer Advent Day 6
I’ve never sprung for the 52Teas Advent calendar, so it was fun surprise to get to try this one that was all over Steepster at this time last year. :) Personally, I would call this one “Blackberry Jam”. I don’t really get custard or pastry from it at all, but the blackberry flavor is strong and sweet and the green tea base is nice and smooth. This was tasty hot and I think it would also be lovely iced!
Flavors: Blackberry, Jam, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
AJRimmer Advent Day 5
This smelled so tropical and yummy! Unfortunately, I think I underleafed and/or underbrewed it, as the flavor was disappointingly light. (I followed the directions of 2 minutes and 45 seconds at 195 degrees, though I would usually brew black tea for at least 3 minutes with boiling water.) Fun to try a new-to-me brand, though!
Flavors: Mango, Passion Fruit, Tropical Fruit
Preparation
AJRimmer Advent Day 4
I honestly wasn’t super excited when I saw this one, as I’ve tried some of the 52Teas marshmallow treat genmaicha blends before and found that the genmaicha flavor took over in a way that I didn’t love. But this one was a lovely surprise! The rice was present but not too strong and there was a beautiful sweet, natural banana flavor that I really enjoyed. Another one I’m so happy I got to try and that I’d gladly drink again!
Flavors: Marshmallow, Rice, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
AJRimmer Advent Day 3
I’d never heard of this tea (or the candy it’s based on) but I’m so glad I had the chance to try it! I don’t remember trying many apricot teas before and now I’m wondering why, because it’s a lovely flavor…especially paired with the burnt sugar sweetness in this blend. The base tea is hearty but not too aggressive. I really enjoyed this one and would definitely consider ordering more if 52Teas ever brings it back!
Flavors: Apricot, Burnt Sugar, Butterscotch, Sweet
Preparation
AJRimmer Advent Day 2
AJRimmer was so kind to specifically include all the flavor profiles that I especially enjoy in this calendar! Caramel and oolong seems like such a natural pairing to me, since both have a natural smoothness to them. This was definitely smooth, but the flavoring was on the light side. I mostly tasted the oolong base with just a hint of caramel and fruitiness. This is another one that I think might have benefited from a bit of sweetener. Still fun to try, though!
Flavors: Caramel, Fruity, Smooth, Vegetal
Preparation
AJRimmer Advent Day 1
So excited to have another homemade advent calendar to dig into this year! AJRimmer was so thoughtful and really seems to have kept my preferences in mind while putting this calendar together. I shared that I love caramel and coconut flavors in tea and this one has both! I let it cool 10 minutes as instructed, but didn’t add sugar since I almost never sweeten my tea. The resulting flavor was a bit lighter than I would have preferred, so I may try a touch of sugar in my second cup to see if I can coax out more of those caramel notes. But this was still a smooth, yummy cuppa!
Flavors: Caramel, Coconut, Smooth
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #20
It’s not on the ingredients list, but I would swear this blend has stevia in it. It had a pleasant enough fruity flavor, but the sickly sweet aftertaste totally killed it for me.
Flavors: Fruity, Sweet
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #19
This was a pleasant, if slightly boring, bagged hojicha. Plenty of the toasty, roasty flavor I was expecting, but it came across a bit thin and lacking in depth.
Flavors: Roasty, Toasted
Preparation
TeaTiff TTB #18
This is the last tea I’m sampling from the Japanese Tea Marathon: Sannen Bancha by Miyazaki Sabou. Apparently it’s a roasted tea that includes branches from the tea plant along with the leaves. It definitely doesn’t look like any tea I’ve tried before, consisting of mostly little pieces that look like cut-up twigs. The flavor was unexpectedly sweet and delicate with a smoky flavor that is weirdly reminding me of maple bacon. Fun to get to try such a unique tea!
Flavors: Maple Syrup, Meat, Smoke, Sweet