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In an effort to try and embrace Christmas (I just don’t feel Christmassy this year), I drank two cups of Bluebird’s Christmas Cake over the weekend. It came as a sample with my last order, and I kept it so that it wouldn’t be late summer when I was drinking it! I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It’s one of those novelty teas that’s so appropriate at Christmas, with its snowflake candies, iridescent glitter, and SPRUCE NEEDLES. I mean, how much more christmassy can you get? This is tea which contains ACTUAL CHRISTMAS TREE.

As if appearance alone wasn’t enough, it’s pretty good to taste, too. I tried this one the year before last, but this year’s version seems stronger on the vanilla than I remember. It’s deliciously sweet and creamy, with strong, rich, fruit cake notes underlying. There’s a lot of raisin, a touch of orange, a hint of spice. It really conjures up Christmas cake for me! I have a sample from last year lying around somewhere, so I’ll have to dig that out when I get home. This one was a real mood booster for me.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 30 sec 1 tsp
Sil

sounds tasty!

Fjellrev

Interesting!

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Comments

Sil

sounds tasty!

Fjellrev

Interesting!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

Location

Norfolk, UK

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