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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.

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.