Inkling Send Message

Devon Bartholomew Advent Day 6

Fun to see a winter/holiday themed tea in the advent calendar today! I was a big fan of Teavana’s White Chocolate Peppermint rooibos back in the day, so I was curious to see if this might be a dupe. Turns out this one has spearmint in it as well, so it’s VERY minty! I don’t really taste the vanilla, but I’m happy that I also don’t taste the rooibos base at all. As a cozy winter tea, I think I would have preferred a bit more creamy vanilla to smooth things out. But I do think this would make a super refreshing iced tea!

Devon Bartholomew Advent Day 5

This seems like your classic jasmine-scented green tea; I don’t notice any other flavors in play here. While I’m not a huge jasmine fan, I’m pleased that this one has a very balanced flavor; the jasmine isn’t overpowering or too perfume-like.

Devon Bartholomew Advent Day 4

Labeled: Japanese Midori Green

I’m not always the biggest fan of green tea; particularly Japanese, as I find it often has a more aggressive, grassy flavor. But this one was a pleasant surprise! I stuck to a 2-minute steep and the resulting brew was smooth and almost buttery, reminding me a bit of a green oolong. I was trying to pin down the flavor and I think it reminds me the most of baby spinach…which is my favorite salad green, so no complaints. A nice surprise!

Devon Bartholomew Advent Day 3

I’m afraid I didn’t get much cherry or vanilla from this one! It seems to be the same mellow, smooth black base tea from yesterday’s blend, but what flavor I noticed actually came across more nutty than fruity. There’s maybe just a hint of cherry in there, but it’s actually reminding me more of marzipan.

Devon Bartholomew Advent Day 2

I’ve only tried a handful of blackberry-flavored teas over the years and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one! No hibiscus (hallelujah!) and nothing overly sweet or artificial. Just a smooth, mellow black tea with a strong blackberry aroma and a light blackberry flavor. Personally, I would have loved an even stronger flavor, if that’s possible without it getting overly artificial. But this was nice cozy cuppa today and I’m guessing it would also be a lovely summer iced tea!

Devin Bartholomew Advent Day 1

Labeled: Shady Maple Spearmint Herbal

Swapping homemade tea advent calendars has become a bit of tradition for me these past 5ish years and I always look forward to opening the daily packet and trying new teas in the lead-up to Christmas!

I was pleased to see a mint tea right off the bat…so festive! I steeped it up in the evening and sipped while decorating our Christmas tree with my husband. My steeping may have been to blame (it was a small sample and I used a big mug) but I found the mint flavor a bit muted for my tastes.

TeaTiff TTB #31

I kept a few small 1-cup samples and single teabags from the box to throw in my desk drawer at work, this being one of them. I love almond flavoring and don’t tend to care for cherry, so amaretto is always hit and miss for me. This one, unfortunately, is a miss. The flavor definitely tips more cherry than almond and is pretty mild overall. The base tea is rather brisk and astringent, leaving me wishing I had some milk to smooth it out. Not a fan!

TeaTiff TTB #30

This one smelled nice, but the flavor was too light for my preference. Super smooth, a bit sweet, a bit floral, but just not much depth of flavor.

TeaTiff TTB #29

This is my favorite oolong…and one of my favorite teas!…that I tried from this TTB. I’m not educated enough on oolong to know what Guei Fei means or what it’s “supposed” to taste like, but this one reminded me of a Yunnan black tea in the best way! It had that distinctive buttery-smooth mouthfeel of an oolong, but the flavor was much more robust than I’m used to, with a bit of maltiness and a hint of sweetness. I’d say the flavor reminded me of a slice of toast with honey. My second steep was as delicious as the first and I think these leaves still have more to give! I’d definitely consider purchasing this one at some point in the future!

TeaTiff TTB #28

I pulled a few small oolong samples from the TTB to try before sending it off. This was one that had barely enough for 1 Western-style mug left. I’m guessing someone who enjoys floral tea would love this one, but for me it was that really intense floral flavor that borders on drinking perfume, so I wasn’t the biggest fan.