58

Good morning! Once again, the DAVIDsTEA matcha advent has a matcha-infused product instead of a powder, so I found another single serve stick to sip down instead! :D I believe this one was from a past Sips by box. The instructions call for 8-12 ounces of water, and I stopped at 8 after tasting it.

It’s okay. The matcha is very grassy, like I straight up feel like I’m drinking grass clippings. It’s a very fresh grass flavor at least! I do get a hint of umami as well, though it’s a little more on the marine side than I prefer. There’s also a fairly big hit of bitterness at the end of the sip. I do enjoy the strawberry lemonade flavor, the strawberry tastes very authentic to me. The lemon is also good but perhaps a touch more candylike.

What I really don’t enjoy is the monk fruit sweetener, it tastes artificial and cloying and is a really strange combination with the bitter aftertaste… So that’s kind of a dealbreaker for me.

Anyway, so I have two spreads today. The jam from Bonne Maman is Pineapple-Passion Fruit Spread and it’s really fun. It does taste more like canned pineapple or perhaps pineapple gummy bears to me than fresh, but I suppose that makes sense given the pineapple has to be cooked. The passion fruit is there in earnest as well, adding a delightful luscious and almost floral tropical hit. Yummy, love this one!

The DAVIDsTEA advent selection today is Honey with Matcha. I will say, I am not a fan. I’m not sure whether mine crystallized or if it’s just meant to be this way, but it’s so thick and gloopy. I actually heated it a bit to be able to spread it on toast in a reasonable manner. I think they just put way too much matcha in it, as it has an overpowering vegetal and bitter matcha flavor and then mostly just the sweetness of the honey. I’m thinking it’ll be interesting to use in baking.

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIgMNjsgAZc/)

Flavors: Artificial, Bitter, Candy, Freshly Cut Grass, Grass, Lemon, Marine, Strawberry, Sweet, Umami

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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