86
drank Courage and Strength by Geek + Tea
6444 tasting notes

Geek + Tea Advent Teas – Day 3

When I pulled this out and mentioned it was a Gryffindor tea, my family and I got into a bit of a discussion over what houses we belong to. I am the true Harry Potter fan in my house (curse you JK Rowling for writing an awesome story and then coming out with really transphobic comments!) but my brother-in-law and sister are both obviously familiar with the stories – mostly through the movies. From their perspectives, Gryffindor is THE house to be in so my brother-in-law was disappointed when I told him he was almost definitely a Hufflepuff. That led to us all taking a house sorting quiz (a la Buzzfeed since the Pottermore website required a login and we were all too lazy to do that. It can be found here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/eleanorbate/accurate-af-sorting-quiz). The results indicated I was predominantly Ravenclaw, he was mostly Hufflepuff and my sister was a balance of Gryffindor and Slytherin. No surprises there.

What was surprising is that this is a spiced apple green tea. I am with Roswell Strange since I definitely would not have thought of this flavor profile for a Gryffindor blend. I even double checked the website to make sure it wasn’t a Slytherin blend since that would be the house I would maybe associate this with, sheerly for color reasons. Oh and also because there is a slight smokiness from lapsang that also seems more connected to Slytherin…well some famous Slytherins…the death eaters that apparate in clouds of smoke. So in that sense, this tea really missed the mark for me.

Tastewise, this tea is not bad though. I didn’t know how much I would like it but I really do. I would call it campfire apple since its got a great crisp green apple flavor which is not waxy at all. And then it has the smokiness from the lapsang that takes this up a notch. I even get the fennel/anise Roswell Strange talked about and while that often veers too close to licorice for my enjoyment, it really works here. It’s a tasty tea for sure. It’s not a Gryffindor blend.

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My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

Location

Waterdown, Ontario

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