Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank Nutmeg Cream by Butiki Teas

3986 tasting notes

So Stacy from Butiki posted on Facebook that she had a stray ounce of this lingering around and I volunteered to be its new home! Hooray! She was also nice enough to include two samples even though I only spent $5 for this tea (plus the shipping). So yay for Stacy for being so nice! This is my first Butiki tea, although I have been plotting an order since I discovered them here on Steepster a few weeks ago. Soon!

Anyway, this tea is quite beautiful visually, even though it’s just tea leaves with a few golden flower petals. The leaves are nice mix of chocolately brown and gold, and the petals accent their color perfectly. It also smells quite lovely – all nutmeg and vanilla goodness reminiscent of eggnog. I brewed one teaspoon for 3 minutes (Stacy included a note recommending 190 degrees).

The brewed tea smells even better than the dry version. The nutmeg and vanilla have toned down a bit, but they are joined by luscious notes of chocolate and raisin, giving it a richness and depth. I was surprised when I tasted this that I didn’t get a sense of vanilla or cream that many other tasters described. I did get a light but multi-flavored base tea that is well-accented by the addition of nutmeg. The nutmeg hits me most at the beginning and end of the sip, while in the middle I taste lovely hints of raisin, wood, and honey. Quite tasty, and I didn’t miss the cream at all.

I drank this one au naturel, but I can definitely see it being a decadent eggnog treat with added milk and sugar. Thanks again, Stacy! :)

Flavors: Honey, Nutmeg, Raisins, Wood

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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TheTeaFairy
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So glad you are having a great experience with butiki, and Stacy is the best, enjoy!!

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TheTeaFairy
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So glad you are having a great experience with butiki, and Stacy is the best, enjoy!!

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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