59 Tasting Notes
Yum! I really shouldn’t be drinking caffeinated teas in the evening, but this just begs to be sipped whilst cuddled under a blanket on a cold winter’s night. Ok, so it’s not technically winter yet, but it’s still darn cold. This is by far and beyond the best tea from the pumpkin collection. My son can’t resist stealing a few sips here and there when he thinks I’m not looking. The balance of chai spice and pumpkin flavouring is just delicious.
Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Pumpkin
Preparation
What a great evening tea. The dominant flavour is peppermint, but the lemongrass and chamomile are very noticeable too. It had a relaxing smell and a soothing flavour. The downside? My cats think this stuff is liquid catnip, I can’t take my eyes off it for a second or they will be rubbing all over my cup and dipping their paws/faces in the tea. Also, over steeping brings out too much hibiscus.
Flavors: Floral, Hibiscus, Lemongrass, Peppermint
Preparation
I opened this and thought “Oh no!” It looked and smelled just like Gingerbread House by Distinctly Tea and at 3 times the price. Thankfully though, once brewed the flavour is different enough that I don’t completely regret the purchase. Plus I did get the pretty collector’s tin. The flavours are similar, with cinnamon and apples being the dominant flavours, I can actually taste the popcorn in this one, though the coconut isn’t as evident. I would probably stick with Gingerbread House in the future due to the price difference but both are good.
Flavors: Apple, Cinnamon, Popcorn
Preparation
Delicious tea. I smelled this and had to have it, despite the cornflower and marigolds, which I was wary of. I am so glad I did, with a bit of sugar this tea tastes like almond sugar cookies. What a holiday treat! Thankfully the floral elements don’t stand out. Be careful not to oversteep this tea, it is quite unforgiving. I steep for exactly 3mins30secs in water just below boiling. After 4mins the bitterness starts to creep in, I accidentally steeped for 10 or so mins at work when I was distracted and it was undrinkable.
Flavors: Almond, Cookie, Vanilla
Preparation
I opened this and backed away quickly. It reeks of alcohol, my husband gagged after smelling it and my mother said it smelled of liqueur filled chocolates. I wasn’t hoping for much as I brewed this, and I’m glad that I didn’t get my hopes up. It smelled slightly less of rubbing alcohol as it steeped, and started to smell spicy instead. Upon drinking though, I found there was a definite alcohol-ish flavour to it. It was sweet, I could taste the maple, and a mass of spices that I could not readily identify individually, but that alcoholic aftertaste was just blargh!
Flavors: Alcohol, Maple, Spices
Preparation
This tea is ok, I’m not in love though. It has a strong leafy/woodsy flavour and I did get a hint of smoke. I have eaten a lot of pumpkin seeds in my day, but always roasted with the shell on. The seeds in here are shelled and the flavour coming off them is not what I was expecting, it’s a bit like sunflower seeds. The last few sips tasted heavily of nutmeg. I don’t dislike it, I will drink it, but I wouldn’t buy it again.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Nutmeg, Smoke
Preparation
More like buttercream icing chocolate pound cake than red velvet, but that’s ok with me. Sweet, chocolate-y, vannilla-licious. It does a good job bringing cake to mind, just not the intended variety. I liked it a lot, but the sprinkles do leave an unappealing red waxy goo around the top of the cup, which I wiped off with a paper towel prior to tea consumption.
Flavors: Cake, Chocolate, Vanilla, White Chocolate
Preparation
This is a delightfully minty tea, with sugar it is just like candy. It doesn’t get 100 because I feel it’s a tad weak at the recommended amount. Upon upping the loose tea though it is just bursting with candy cane flavour! Christmas here I come!
Flavors: Candy, Peppermint, Vanilla
Preparation
Terry’s Chocolate Orange. That is what this smells and tastes like, and i love it. Nothing says Christmas in my neck of the woods quite like a chocolate orange, the staple of stocking stuffers. The main flavour here is the orange, but the chocolate and earthy pu-erh shine through. I recommend stirring the tea in the filter to help dissolve the chocolate bits or else you will get a orange-y first brew and a chocolate-y second brew, but not so much of both flavours at the same time.
Flavors: Chocolate, Earth, Orange