Eggnog (well, more like Silk Nog… the real deal’s a bit rich for me) is one of my favorite parts of winter, and I couldn’t imagine how the flavor and texture could possibly be translated into tea form. As it turns out, they’re not, quite. I’m not getting a true eggnog flavor, but I am reminded of sweet wintry treats—which is close enough, I think. The flavoring is reminding me a lot of Celestial Seasonings’ Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride herbal, which is one of my favorite holiday blends. The flavors are fairly subtle, but they’re definitely present.
All good so far. But I’m not entirely sold on the way the sugar-cookie flavors are working with the Huangshan Mao Feng. While it is pleasingly creamy, it’s also quite vegetal. I know that’s intentional, and while I see that a lot of people enjoy the interplay between the sweet and savory flavors in this tea, this particular combination of base and flavoring is not quite right for me.
I think I would’ve enjoyed this more with a different base – a white or an oolong (like the base used for Butiki’s Maple Pecan Oolong, maybe?) seem like strong contenders. Still, I’m glad to have had the chance to try this creative tea – thanks to Shelley_Lorraine for the sample!
