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Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | March 2023 | A favorite herbal tisane

March has been abysmal for sipdowns so far! And I really need to step up my game: My 52Teas February subscription box just arrived, my parents sent me some herbal blends from a small Rhode Island-based tea company for my birthday, and my in-laws sent me a Simpson & Vail gift card, sooo… I’ve gotta make room! (On that note, would love to hear everybody’s favorites from S&V!)

Anyway! This is a sad sipdown of a cinnamon-cardamom blend my wonderful supervisor gave me for the holidays last year, along with a lovely little mug hand-thrown by her husband. (It has pleasing dimples where my fingers naturally fall and is a real pleasure to use.) I don’t know where this blend is from or exactly what all is in it besides cinnamon, cardamom, and pink peppercorn, but it’s very comforting and gently spiced. I’m drinking it alongside an amazing vegan peanut butter pie my partner made for my birthday. :) A good Wednesday!

2023 sipdown count: 27/75

I’m opting for a caffeine-free tea this afternoon rather than my usual green (or black, if I’m feeling wild) because I’m already over-caffeinated! It’s my birthday, so I took advantage of the free birthday beverage offered by That One Big Coffee Chain. I’d already had a black tea in the morning and I’m buzzing!

Anyway, I think maybe I don’t like honeybush all that much. :( This tea smells really lovely, like maple and clove, but the taste is a bit thin and overly mineral to me. I get a smidge of maple toward the back of the sip, but otherwise it’s mostly wet rocks and cloves. Alas.

HELLLLOOOOO deliciousness! Seriously, this is so good. Like an elevated, more sophisticated version of fan-favorite Glazed Lemon Loaf. It smells like creamy lemon marshmallows and tastes… well, similar! There’s a fantastic balance between zest and sweetness with a little depth from the hojicha. I’ve squeezed like three or four steeps out of my first serving (with a little “boost” from a few additional leaves) and it’s still quite flavorful.

Ugh, so good.

I was today years old* when I learned that not all lapsang souchong is smoked. In a past life I would’ve hesitated to admit such ignorance, but I’m trying to embrace vulnerability and humility, so here we are!

This sample came from a TTB last year, and this morning seemed like the time to give it a whirl. I was so surprised — and a smidge disappointed — when I tore open the packet and didn’t get a whiff of smokiness! As it turns out, though, I’m absolutely LOVING this tea. For the first time, I really understand all those tasting notes I’ve seen on here that reference sweet potato. Amazing!

The scent here is caramelized sugar sweet with a teensy hint of wet dog, but not really in a bad way. The taste is earthy sweet potato and the ground after a rainstorm.

I love how it’s both earthy and light, with absolutely no astringency or dryness (and I say that as an avowed lover of tannins).

I’m finishing my first cuppa while going through morning work emails, etc., and wishing I’d given myself a little more time to enjoy this tea without distraction. The first few sips were blissfully taken in bed with a book, but then it was time to log on for work. I’ll squeeze at least one more steep out of these leaves, and then I still have another cup’s worth in the sample packet.

Thank you to whoever threw this sample into last year’s Steepster TTB! What a treasure.

*Apparently “today years old” is a terribly millennial phrase. Welp, I AM A MILLENNIAL. Deal with it.

Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | February 2023 | A least favorite tea

Getting another sipdown in today! I cold-brewed this last night and sipped on it this afternoon. I guess I prefer it iced to hot, but I won’t seek it out again — the fruit just tastes artificial, and there’s nothing special about the base. Meh.

2023 sipdown count: 26/75

Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | February 2023 | A tea swap tea or gifted tea

Getting in one more sipdown on the final day of February! This one came from Kaylee in our advent swap.

I haven’t gotten through many of this month’s prompts… February has been busy with work and school! Right now I’m sequestered in the “cat room,” reviewing hard-copy printer’s proofs for work and drinking tea. Our elderly cat is on bedrest for two weeks while we try to get some symptoms of suspected spinal disc degeneration under control, and she doesn’t love being alone… so we’re spending lots of time hanging out with her in her bedroom. :)

Anyway, this brisk, bracing tea is gonna start me off on the right foot today! It’s standing up nicely to a breakfast of oatmeal with walnuts and maple syrup. A very tasty Tuesday morning indeed.

Leaving my rating the same.

2023 sipdown count: 25/75

I oversteeped this one a smidge, and it’s making for a bracing cuppa this morning!

This tea is just bursting with flavor! Anise and licorice are definitely the strongest, but there’s also a smidge of sarsparilla. Then you get that creamy, almost marshmallow-like vanilla that 52Teas does so well. I can’t really pick out the raspberry, but I’m sure it’s there. (Actually, this one reminds me of BOO-Berry, which I sipped down recently and really enjoyed.)

So flavorful and unique. Licorice haters need not apply!

Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | February 2023 | A grocery store tea

A very sad sipdown indeed! This tea punches so far above its weight. It’s been a very comforting evening sipper this winter and I’m sad to see it go.

Leaving my rating the same.

2023 sipdown count: 22/75

Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | February 2023 | National Latte Day: Make a latte!

I was a few days behind on making a latte, and then a few more days behind on logging it, but here we are! I definitely don’t have my latte proportions down, because this was very heavy on the not-milk! I’ll keep my rating the same.

2023 sipdown count: 21/75

English Tea Shop Advent Calendar: Days 18 & 25

Oh yes, I am indeed rating an advent tea today! Haha. I’m finally almost done with my English Tea Shop advent. It was a thoughtful gift to receive, but I wasn’t impressed with the tea itself. This one was unobjectionable but underwhelming. There’s black tea and rooibos, which intrigues me. I guess I do get a bit of a medicinal rooibos as it cools, but otherwise it’s mostly a dusty black tea with a bit of creaminess and some clove. It does not remind me of an Irish holiday in any sense of the phrase. :D