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I’ve had this one in my cabinet for quite some time now and only remember drinking it this week. I must have had a cup before though, the package was opened and I can’t imagine anyone else going to the effort of making tea in this house!

We have a lovely spring day here in January and an alleged snow storm on the radar for tomorrow night. This may be another year where my skis go unused. It’s just too warm! I’m ignoring the house cleaning I should be doing and just made a cup of tea to further ignore the cleaning.

This packet is adorable with the little snowflake sprinkles in it. I can easily smell the mint in the packet. 5 minutes of Steeping makes me very impatient today. After steeping, I definitely get a whiff of chocolate off of my mug but not as strong a taste. The mint pushes the chocolate aside on my tongue and makes it’s presence known. I find the mint to be very strong; almost sinus clearing strong. It’s also very sweet.

This is not an every day tea for me but I would definitely drink it occasionally especially in winter. Maybe by having a cup or 2 this week, we’ll actually get some snow storms!

Local author who I actually enjoy. I’ve toured her home, visited her gravesite, read her works, and watched almost every adaptation on film. The most recent film adaptation (2019) is one of my most favorite movies.

The berry scent off the leaves is very strong. Steeped for 3 minutes at 175. I found it to be a light and summer worthy tea. There is a fruity taste to it that I can’t define- even though I know the ingredient list included strawberries and apples. There is also a slight floral taste as well. My packet doesn’t include the amaretto ingredient but I do get a bit of a nutty taste and I see that it’s listed on the S&V website. I enjoyed this one. Think I’m going to put it in the back of the cabinet for a few months until spring arrives!

Pro tip- don’t try to drink tea and cough at the same time

After making a second mug of tea, I got a chance to sit and kick my feet up and sip. The tea bag, like others by this brand, contains leaves that are very very tiny, almost dust. Steeped for about 3 minutes in 175* water. I don’t smell it but I definitely taste the jasmine. The tea is light and smooth, easy to drink. I think this would be good for a spring time or summer tea.

As with most of these Harmony tea bags, the leaf was ground to fine particles. Steeped for 4 minutes as recommended at 170F. I feel like I should have steeped a little longer but this was my first sampling and I tend to follow directions to the letter. It has a nice yellow color with a leafy scent. It is mellow and light, neither good nor bad, but rather basic.

2022 Bird & Blend Advent calendar Day #4

I love the smell of the tea pyramid- dark chocolatey and a sweetness. It tastes a little bit like a dark chocolate Almond Joy. No not a mounds, I do taste a little nuttiness in the mug. Mini marshmallows aren’t included in the tea bag version of this so I do wonder how much they add/detract to the flavor. I think this is a great sub for when we have Hot Cocoa and I want something less heavy. I enjoyed this one and think I might have another mug with some milk added to see if that enhances the cream factor. I definitely would purchase this again for my winter cupboard

2022 Bird & Blend Advent calendar Day #21

After a rocky start to the new year, I’m feeling more like myself. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been sick like this. I took today off from work unsure if I could put in a full day but I think I’ll need to head back in on Thursday. Since everyone is back to school finally, I have a quiet house for the first time in ages! So I thought I’d spend some quiet time with a mug of tea before tackling the laundry and bills that piled up.

I rather like this one. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the ingredients. I definitely get the mint in scent and taste and can smell some cherry to it as well. There is a slight nutty taste that give it an interesting factor. I’m reminded of pistachio ice cream from my childhood. This was good mug for the afternoon and I’ll probably go put the kettle on for a second.

2022 Bird & Blend Advent calendar Day #13

I enjoyed this for my breakfast tea to start the new year. The raspberries definitely come through first but there was also a very strong bitter note. I steeped the leaves for 4 minutes and did not add anything. After reading some other notes, I feel I should have added some tea to temper the bitterness.

2022 Bird & Blend Advent calendar Day #16

Solid British Breakfast tea. Malty with some astringency. Would do again but not a favorite.

2022 Bird & Blend Advent calendar Day #11

I love mulled cider and had high hopes for this one. It smells like mulled cider but definitely is lacking in punch. I get more hibiscus and a tiny bit of clove. I honestly, do not detect an abundance of flavor. I also think I may have just really wanted to drink mulled cider and will need to pick up some cider at the market next time I go.

2022 Bird & Blend Advent calendar Day #14
My notes for the calendar are going to be out of order and second tastings. While I did manage to sip the teas through December, I had very little time to play on line.

I like this tea but if it wasn’t named Birthday Cake, I wouldn’t make that connection. I definitely taste vanilla and a little almond. Smooth and not too sweet. A good tea to start the day of un-Christmasing the house.