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I used water just under boiling and steeped for 4. I will finish this mug but only so I can write it. The rest of the bags are going in my “anyone else but me” pile. I find it tastes like burned rice. I guess it could be called grassy but not in the way I like. It’s rather bitter so perhaps the water was too warm or perhaps 4 min was too long. I have tried this tea before and don’t remember being excited about it then either.

B&B Advent 2022 Day 8

I am so delayed in noting my teas this Advent. I pulled this one a few days ago but didn’t feel like it was what I need that day. This morning, I decided to have a cup as we’re still fighting off colds.

I really enjoyed this one. I usually drink the Yogi Cold Season Tea or the Traditional Medicine Cold Care but I definitely think this tastes better. I like the balance of mint, lemongrass, and eucalyptus with a hint of spice from the chili. I don’t think 1 cup will knock these sniffles out of the house but I’d have a cup of this even if I wasn’t ill.

Another from the Literary Tea Collection I bought myself last Christmas. Years ago, I toured The Mount (her home in Lenox, MA) while they were renovating it. The grounds are lovely. I was required to read Ethan Frome in high school and have picked up a few of her other writings over the years.

I’ve been enjoying this one over the last few weeks. Today I broke out the Christmas tea set and made a pot of tea while avoiding the pile of work on my desk. It has a light floral taste. I don’t notice the citrus or ginger that others mention on the SV website. It’s a decent cup of tea but doesn’t excite me. I will continue use it until it’s been used up but not on my “must re-order” list.

I’m a huge Austen fan and recently went to a wedding of a friend who shares my love of all things Austen. This tea was one of the reasons I picked up the Literary Collection gift box. I almost sent it to my friend as well and honestly, I might do that for her birthday.

I did have this tea last week but cold season has hit our house and I couldn’t taste anything. Today it tastes much better. I wasn’t sure what I was going to think about the spearmint and lavender combo but it works well together. I’m reminded of a lavender cookie I had once. It’s a nice sip for a quiet afternoon.

A neighbor was gifted this collection of Harmony Organic Teas and regifted it to me. It was a pretty collection of their teas that look like books on a shelves in cardboard boxes with 10 bags each in side. The outer package still had the sticker from Marshalls/TJMaxx.

I have had a few of these teas so far and have been underwhelmed. The envelop for the tea bag is plastic coated paper. The tea bag itself is a flimsy paper bag resembling a paper towel. The the leaf is tiny, tiny dust particles.

I steeped this one in 195F water for 4 minutes as recommended. There is a slight aroma of mango while steeping, definitely not strong. It has a clear pretty yellow/brown coloring. The tea does have a mango flavoring to it but definitely not overpowering. I think I taste it because I’m anticipating it to be there. There is more grassy flavor than anything else. It feels rough on the back of my throat. Over all, I’m disappointed in the tea and probably will use it to make ice teas or try my hand at tea infused spirits.

Part of the Literary Tea Collection Gift Box I bought a while ago. I have to say, reading the ingrediants and descriptions, this is not something I would purchase. I had a friend over the other day who had shared in the disappointing experience with the Banana Bread Chai. I offered him a cup of tea and said I wanted to open a new tea. It was a gloomy night and Poe seemed appropriate. There was a party going on around us but we both were pleased with the tea and loved that it was a reddish hue (Tell-tale Heart Style, we thought).
Today is my second tasting of the tea. This time, it’s morning, and generally when I’m able to play on Steepster. I may have steeped it a minute or 2 more than recommended but it didn’t seem to ruin the cup. I love the earthiness and smoke flavors, which is something I didn’t ever think I would say. I don’t think this is a tea I would drink every day but it is one I definitely would repurchase and enjoy. Especially on a gloomy November day when winter is creeping closer.

I’m not sure that I’ve read Frankenstein. I know the story and have seen movies but I may have to put the novel on my list. This tea seemed appropriate for the spooky season.

I steeped the tea at 175 for close to 3 minutes to avoid bitterness. I had read that others made the mistake of steeping at higher temps. It’s a pretty golden color. The aroma is very artificial to me. I think it’s the addition of cacao and chocolate flavoring. I want a stronger blackberry taste.

I was gifted this last Christmas and have 2 tea bags left. I like this as a mid day cup of tea but I have to be in the right mood for it (I think that’s true for most teas though!). I drank this mostly through the spring and summer. Its a warm day today and I want to make some space in the cabinet. I don’t like the plastic packaging it comes in. The container is shaped like to-go cup and it fits awkwardly in my cabinet.
The tea has a light yellow tint to it. It’s light and fruity- mostly pineapple and mango but I get hints of peach too though that’s not in the ingredients. It does leave a bit of a syrupy feeling in my mouth after but not unpleasantly.
I still miss Teavana shops and I’m pretty sure I tried it there when the shops were in operation. If I saw this on sale at the local Target, I’d probably pick it up again.

I purchased a ton of this last year to make Tea Trees (trees made out of tea bags) for a Christmas Swap. I finally am getting around to having a mug myself. I’m positive I’ve had this out at a restaurant or at a friend’s home. Bigelow is very common in the grocery stores and discount stores.
I steeped it for just over 2 minutes, probably closer to 4 minutes. It reminds me of Wrigleys Spearmint Gum. Which makes sense as this tea bag is black tea and spearmint. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a stick of it before. I also am not sure when else I’ve had spearmint aside from tea and that gum.
I feel like I should have used it this summer to make sun tea with some of my fresh peppermint. Pretty sure my oldest kid will like this one. The others in the home don’t care for mint flavoring. I know that visitors would recognize it and pick it out of the tea stash. Pretty sure it’s a favorite of my mother in law’s too. It’s not a favorite tea but a “make do with what you have tea” for me.

When I purchased my 2022 advent calendar, I was intrigued by the chai line up. I saw that the gingerbread would in the advent calendar so I ordered the Banana Bread Chai. We had unexpected guests on Saturday, one of which is known to make banana bread regularly. I brewed up a pot for us all. While we all enjoyed the tea, none of us thought it was like banana bread.
This afternoon, I made another pot for me and the kids. Since it was with the kids, I added a splash of milk in my cup as well. I enjoyed the tea much more and this time, it vaguely reminded me of grilled and buttered banana bread- heavy on the butter. I like the heat of the ginger and cinnamon in this blend; it’s not too strong but enough kick to warm me. Probably going to add a little sugar with the milk in the next mug.