3986 Tasting Notes

Compagnie & Co Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

I think I may have use a bit too much water with this one, because it’s quite bland. These sachets have been consistently good with 8 ounces of water, but maybe this one had a bit less in it?

So a bit hard to review, but mostly getting watered down black tea with a bit of clove and a whisper of cinnamon.

Sorry, tea! :P

Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Thin, Watery

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Beach House Teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 10

An interesting one today! This looks to be a coffee alternative, with chicory root and cacao.

Oof, this is so strong on the chicory! It’s basically all I taste, with a bit of black tea in the background. Very strongly acidic with a bitter undertone. I wish I could taste the chocolate, but I don’t see how it could stand up to the overpowering chicory without adding flavoring.

So a bit disappointing, sadly.

Flavors: Acidic, Bitter, Chicory, Earthy, Roasted, Tannic, Woody

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Kaylee

I wish more coffee alternatives included dandelion root! I find it hefty without being acidic or bitter at all.

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75

Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

I’m surprised they put this one 10 days into the calendar. If it were me, I would’ve placed it very early since really it’s more of a fall flavor.

It’s quite a nice matcha though, and true to its name, it does taste like pumpkin pie. I prepared mine as an iced latte (as always) so I’m sure that helps to emulate the creamy texture. Tasting the allspice and nutmeg up front, backed by clove and cinnamon. (Actually, clove isn’t in the ingredients, so I guess that’s just the allspice still!) Ginger adds an earthiness which goes well with the already earthy matcha.

Speaking of which, I don’t taste a ton of matcha here, maybe because it’s a bit diluted by the ground spices. Still, it makes for a nice, creamy pumpkin pie sort of latte with a dash of matcha flavor.

Flavors: Allspice, Cinnamon, Clove, Earthy, Ginger, Grassy, Nutmeg, Spices, Sweet

Preparation
Iced 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
ashmanra

I found myself overly exasperated by the Harney and Sons Twelve Days of Christmas advent for sale at Barnes and Noble. They didn’t add ANY of their holiday teas! They could have put Holiday, White Christmas, Nutcracker Blend, and things like their new Salted Caramel black. Everything was so….UN-holiday, winter, or celebration oriented! Hopefully next time, these folks will consult US, CameronB!

Cameron B.

So lame! Maybe they just did their bestsellers? Advents are so much more fun when the teas are festive IMO! :|

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58
drank Arctic Surf by Beach House Teas
3986 tasting notes

Beach House Teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 9

So this is supposed to be a chocolate & white chocolate rooibos, but I don’t really taste either of those things. There were white chocolate chips in the blend, but they don’t seem to have contributed anything other than an oily layer on top of my cup. Apparently it’s also a vanilla-flavored rooibos, but I don’t really notice vanilla either? The only things I taste are woody rooibos and a bit of licorice root.

Not a favorite.

Flavors: Licorice, Licorice Root, Rooibos, Sweet, Woody

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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58
drank Zephyr by Thésaurus Tea
3986 tasting notes

Thésaurus Tea Fandom Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 9

This… mostly just tastes like rooibos.

There’s a touch of rose, and a tiny hint of almond maybe? But mostly it’s just rooibos, with a touch of bitterness – I assume from the gynostemma?

_Meh.

Flavors: Almond, Bitter, Rooibos, Rose, Woody

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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90

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 9

This is such an unusual and interesting tea. It’s roasted, but the sencha leaves are still dark green in color. But then when you steep it, it has the brownish color of a hojicha.

It has a smooth and lightly toasty flavor, but there is still some umami presence underneath. The roasted sakura is difficult to describe… I do still taste that savory floral note with a hint of cherry, but then there’s a deep, toasty note layered over the top.

Just lovely… Fresh and cozy at the same time, and an interesting intersection of spring and autumn.

Flavors: Butter, Cherry, Floral, Nuts, Roasted, Sakura, Savory, Smooth, Toasty, Umami, Vegetal

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 1 min, 0 sec 5 g 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Compagnie & Co Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 9

This is an interesting mix – green and white teas with red fruits, almond, and honey.

There is a vague fruitiness to it, the almond makes it lean more toward cherry to me, maybe with some raspberry in there as well. I do get a little touch of honey. Honestly it’s a bit difficult to pull the flavors apart, as they almost combine into a single, more complex flavor? I don’t think I would be able to pick out the notes (other than the almond) if I didn’t already know what they were. There’s almost something a bit citrusy as well? It almost hits bubblegum, but not quite.

An interesting one. I don’t love it, but mostly because of the almond ha ha. I wish there was a bit more freshness to the fruit (it’s more jammy) to help brighten up the flavor overall.

Flavors: Almond, Bubblegum, Cherry, Citrus, Fruity, Honey, Jam, Marzipan, Raspberry, Smooth, Sweet

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Tea at the White House Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 9

I’m not sure I’ve ever had stollen, though I am familiar with it. It’s sort of like a German fruitcake, but I don’t think it’s quite as dense as the American version. But it has dried fruits and nuts and spices, etc.

Anyway, this tea is mostly just marzipan. It’s not overpowering, but it is the dominant flavor. I do also pick up on hints of spices and cherry, and an undertone of butter.

Someone other than me might like this quite a lot, but I’m not a fan of almond extract sort of notes in tea, and here it’s paired with a maraschino cherry sort of cherry flavor, which I also don’t love ha ha. :)

Flavors: Almond, Butter, Cherry, Cinnamon, Maraschino, Marzipan, Smooth, Sweet

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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75

Sipology Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 9

Okay so… This actually does remind me of chocolate chip cookie dough, which really surprised me ha ha. It has that same buttery quality and sweetness with a bit of chocolate mixed in.

I will say though, I feel like puerh is an odd choice for this type of flavor? Maybe it’s just me, but I find it weird to pair puerh with desserty flavors. Chocolate makes sense, since the dark flavor of the puerh enhances it, but cookie dough? Not saying it’s bad, I just find the deep earthiness to not make a lot of sense with the buttery and sweet flavoring.

Pleasantly surprised overall though!

Flavors: Artificial, Butter, Chocolate, Cookie, Milk Chocolate, Pastries, Sweet

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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80

Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 9

This is an interesting one. It’s quite orange-y, which I don’t think is normal for carrot cake? To be fair, it’s been a while since I’ve had one ha ha.

Normal or not, the orange does go very well with the mild spices – mostly cinnamon and nutmeg. There is something a little cakey about it. Not sure whether I’m picking up on the frosting or not, but since I prepare these with oat milk, it’s a bit difficult to judge the level of creaminess.

Very enjoyable, like a spice cake + orange spice mashup. And now I’m thinking that carrot cake would probably be very tasty with orange, or perhaps with orange-infused frosting… :)

Flavors: Butter, Cake, Cinnamon, Clove, Fresh, Grassy, Nutmeg, Orange, Orange Zest, Spices, Sweet

Preparation
Iced 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Profile

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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