1301 Tasting Notes

70
drank Pear Walnut Herbal by Plum Deluxe
1301 tasting notes

Day 20 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendar. The idea of this one is very enticing, but in practice it actually just tastes like a milder version of Plum’s chestnut flavoring to me. I’m not really picking up on “pear” so much as a vague general sweetness. It’s pleasant enough but nothing to write home about. Unlike the holiday gift of Plum’s vanilla sugar cookie and evening in the garden that just arrived! Two of my favorite blends from this company – excited to have them in my collection!

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91
drank Golden Cacao by Plum Deluxe
1301 tasting notes

Now this is a turmeric blend I can enjoy! Day 19 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendar AND tasting note number 1100. This was in last year’s Hanukkah sampler. I loved it then and was a little disappointed that it wasn’t in this year’s, even though logically of course they wouldn’t repeat blends in a small sampler two years in a row. (Putting aside that I got the caffeine one and this wouldn’t have been in there anyway, clearly one of my goofier moves.) So I’m very pleased that it’s in the advent! Just a really great blend of chocolate, earthy, and vanilla flavors with a hint of heat from the ginger and pepper. Perfect cold weather tea!

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90

Day 4 of the 52teas advent calendar. I was so excited to see this! I love all of Anne’s marshmallow blends, and the marshmallow treat genmaicha is a classic. This did not disappoint. As usual, the trick is to get the steep time just so – too long and the grassiness of the base gets a little too strong relative to the other flavors. But if you’re careful with the timing, the reward is worth it. The peppermint pairs well with the marshmallow fluff and gentle roasted rice flavors. Even though there are a few actual bits of candy in this (very cute!), they don’t create a film in the mug or feel too sweet in the sip. This definitely won’t last long.

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88
drank Earl Grey Cheesecake by 52teas
1301 tasting notes

Day 3 of the 52teas advent calendar. Gotta agree with what seems to be the general consensus: this is a great (re)blend. I never had the original and am not a fan of EG teas as a rule, but this version is really well executed. This is a better bergamot than most I’ve had – citrusy, clear, no weird aftertaste. And the creamy cheesecake flavoring is beautiful. I had most of the mug plain. I added oat milk to the last bit of it, but I actually preferred this straight rather than latte’d. The oat milk just drowned out the flavoring more than I expected. Maybe I used too much of it!

Flavors: Bergamot, Cheesecake

52Teas

Whenever I add dairy (at least, when I plan to add dairy) I make it a point to brew it stronger than I would a tea I plan to consume without the addition. (What I mean by brewing it stronger is to brew it with more leaf, rather than a longer steep time. The longer steep time will produce a more astringent & bitter cup, the additional leaf will just make the flavor more concentrated that the addition of dairy won’t dilute the cup.)

Kaylee

that makes sense!

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drank Chestnut Creme Decaf by Plum Deluxe
1301 tasting notes

Day 18 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent. This is a decaf black blend. Honestly, I’m getting pretty wary of black teas in my advents at this point – seems like there have been a lot of them and my body has not been responding particularly well. But there’s also rooibos in here and I made sure to do a fairly short steep, so hopefully that helps. Plum’s chestnut flavoring is as accurate as I remember from last year. The aroma of the hot brew is just perfect chestnut with a hint of cream. I’m not getting much creaminess in the flavor though. Really just a strong chestnut flavor on a slightly tannic, slightly malty base. Some oat milk might bring out the creaminess but I made this for bed and don’t like to put additives in bed tea in case I spill. I am not personally a big fan of chestnuts so this is not quite up my alley, but I think it would be for someone who likes them.

ashmanra

Maybe it will be a little easier on your body since it is decaf. I hope so!

Kaylee

Thanks! I ended up drinking about half of it and then calling it quits.

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90
drank Vista Blend Herbal by Plum Deluxe
1301 tasting notes

Day 17 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent. This is a great evening tea. Sweet dried apricot, floral and soothing lavender, on an oaky honeybush base. Finished off a giant mug quickly and the leaf even resteeped nicely!

Flavors: Apricot, Lavender

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50

Day 16 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent. In sharp contrast to Day 15, Welsh Dreams, this blend feels very aggressive. The lemon peel, orange peel, and hibiscus give it a lot of tartness. I don’t like how that combines with the earthiness of the turmeric. It ends up just tasting like it has a coarse, harsh edge. I think I prefer turmeric in a sweet blend or a ginger blend. The citrus combo really isn’t working for me.

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85
drank Welsh Dreams Herbal by Plum Deluxe
1301 tasting notes

Day 15 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent. This is similar to the Evening in the Garden blend, except this has mint where that one is floral. Everything in this is soft and gentle. Soft vanilla, gently tart lemon, a mint that lingers lightly on the palate. It’s not a weak blend, just a cozy one where the flavors all play together nicely.

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90

Got sick over the weekend and fell behind on my advents! Trying to catch up now. This is Day 2 of the 52teas advent calendar. I made it as an oat milk latte. The flavors are almost annoyingly well-balanced and on point. How dare you. I don’t even particularly like fig but the fig in this is so spot-on that I can’t deny it. And it works really well with the ginger and cinnamon. I could swear there’s a bit of clove in here but the ingredients don’t list it – maybe it’s one of the flavorings? I appreciate that this lands gingerbread, lands fig, and lands a good balance between the two to have a distinctive twist on a holiday classic.

 As an aside, the teas arrived packed in a Christmas-patterned box with a jingle bell attached. We couldn’t figure out what the sound was and were afraid that somehow there was broken glass inside the package! Thankfully there wasn’t, and now we know what that sound is!

gmathis

Oh, a jingle bell package! Hope I remember that next year when I send goodies to my grand-nephews!

52Teas

I love those big jingle bells – it’s become as much a thing for me as 12 Teas! I love bringing the boxes to the post office, with the bells jingling in their boxes. I get everyone’s attention as I’m toting the boxes into the post office. :)

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85
drank Cranberry Creme Black Tea by 52teas
1301 tasting notes

Day 1 of the 52teas advent calendar. Solid start and better than I expected! It’s a nice, soft creme with a gentle menthol sensation that lingers on the breath. So like cranberry-flavored soft peppermints but not terrible. The astringency of the base complements the tartness of the cranberry well, too.

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Bio

she/her

Geek and nerd (shoutout to GeekSteep). Still trying to get a handle on this whole work/life balance while ALSO succeeding at work thing. I have some chronic illnesses that make that harder. Tea is my respite.

Favorite tea types, in order:
oolongs
green
herbal
white
yellow

Don’t drink:
black
pu’erh

A sampling of tea shops I like:
Te Company
Calabash
Volition
Tea Thoughts
Harney & Sons
Yunomi
Teavivre

RIP Butiki

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