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Two rinses, boiling water, short glass gongfu steep (I’m so getting a gaiwan in the new year).

Ah, the name of this tea sums everything up extremely well. I don’t know what I expected. The first initial sips give a premature impression that this is a thin tea, but the build up of creamy and sweet notes, with a cushion-y nip at the end, form something surprisingly thick and bready over time. Coriander is noticeable and the cinnamon is prevalent, but it’s the sweet zap of ginger that grabs my attention.

The citrus is a spiced orange and it’s a nicely incorporated aside that really lingers as an aftertaste, and in the back of the mouth with the vanilla bean.

The creamy and sweet vanilla notes are starting to come out in the later steeps (4), while the spice lost ground somewhat. It’s an extremely appealing and decadent change. I almost taste apple crumble.

I just read Sil’s 6 minute steep instructions; I’ll have to try that next.

5/12 teas of Christmas, 2013.

Oh, not bad! This one tastes like a thin, resisting slice of cinnamon toast, overburdened by butter and syrup. It’s tasty but deceptively filling. Makes a good breakfast brunch tea!

Edit: Also egg. You wouldn’t think it but it’s there in all its strangeness.

This one’s quite neat! the first steep bore similarities to a greener Darjeeling’s second steep. There’s a smoothing out of sour, muscatel notes and a subduing of hay and malt, except this tea was never bold in these characteristics, like a Darjeeling, to begin with. It’s a trippy experience. The finish was also deliciously sweet, which made it an easy cup to gulp down.

While the second steep is still somewhat malty, it’s starting to taste more like a silky floral white tea, with a bit of citrus. It’s a very pleasing and smooth tea, with lots of fun layers.

Every time I see the package, smell this blend, or drink it the song starts playing in my head. I don’t know how that’s going to go over when I drink alarming amounts of this guayusa next semester but I’m glad I like the song.

4/12 teas of Christmas, 2013.

Ah, I was hoping never to see this one again. It smells and tastes better than my first encounter with this tea, but I don’t think this will ever be a favourite. There is something that teases at being burnt marshmallow and buttery cacao but then it all folds back into a sour and oily mild green with a puff of old smoke. This tea is such an awful tease- the empty cups smells like melted chocolate and Rice Krispies. Cruel.

Oh, well. I’m glad I gave it a second chance.

3/12 teas of Christmas, 2013.

This one is a hodgepodge of nostalgic flavours- primarily coconut and banana. Something about these two ripe ingredients gets to me, and conjures up images of rainbows, warm rain, and tropical islands. This blend also reminds me of the coconut cream pie blend, which I drank in copious amounts last spring, but with the additional sticky banana chip note.

This cup is sweet and creamy, with a bit of an astringent nip for grounding. Definitely something I can get on board with.

Edit: I accidentally oversteeped my second serving of this tonight by about 6 minutes. I added some milk in an attempt to cover up any bitterness and WOW it’s so creamy and banana..ful.

2/12 teas of Christmas, 2013.

It might be a little early, but so far this box is on a roll for including teas I was extremely tempted to pick up this year.

The vanilla-tinged marshmallow root smooths everything over. I may possibly love this more than (rootbeer-like) butterbeer but it’s too early to tell. The samples for this box are generous like last year, so I’m going to save the rest for a cold steep and a latte. This seems like it would be good as either of those options.

1/12 teas of Christmas, 2013.

This was a neat surprise! I’ve wanted to try this one for some time but have convinced myself out of it each time an opportunity has arisen to pick some up. I’m glad that I lucked out anyways with the the twelve day box.

Buttery cinnamon hearts with some vegetal, smoky peppers- that sums it up. :)

This has a sweetness, like cinnamon, gooey sugar, and ripe canteloupe, that sticks to the back of the throat after taking a big gulp. It’s such a vivid and shocking note after gliding along the grassy, cedar aroma.

Edit: The cantaloupe sweetness receded in the third steep, becoming more like apple juice, while the cedar note took it up a notch. Something reminds me of juniper berries.

I guess it was the right decision to dump the whole sample bag in my tiny glass gongfu. I did two rinses, and hope to get as many short steeps out of this one as I can tonight while I study for my last final. Almost done!

The roommate and I mixed this into our vanilla ice cream tonight. So good. This batch is grassy-sweet, and almost buttery.