1843 Tasting Notes
Advent Calendar from Nabo: Day 12
Ehh, no, Nabo, you made me so sad again. Well, dry leaf aroma should warn me a bit. It was somehow soapy.
Steeped, in smaller cup than usual, for 2 minutes only; and it smells wonderful. Peach was there, so was ginger.
Sipped… I drank a soap bar? Sweet cloying soap bar? Bleh… Just no… Sadly, dumped.
Plus points: nice aroma when steeped.
Advent Calendar from TakeT: Day 12
Rating on hold as I don’t think I received a proper sample. Considering all the spices pictured I have received maybe those small bits which seems — based on the flavour, ginger.
It was nice rooibos with ginger, but as I wrote above, there certainly should be more spices and I didn’t get them in my pouch. Based on the list of ingredients, I believe it could be something like gingerbread.
Preparation
Advent Calendar from TakeT: Day 11
As I have no sisters, and my nieces doesn’t play with Barbies, it is hard to say if the hue of the tea is at least, similar. But it is nice color somehow, pinkish-red and clear. But funny name considering this year movie industry hit.
Based on the aroma I have been expecting tart tea, but it is not! Instead it is indeed nicely fruity tea where I do notice apples, beet root and hints of blackberries; but also sweet-sour rhubarb and I would bet there are some red fruits. But that’s maybe the hibiscus, which isn’t present in flavours too much (or if at all).
The mouthfeel sadly, doesn’t last long. It is strong, but it fades very quickly. That’s sadly a flaw for me in this cup. But probably only one and it is definitely interesting change of pace in all the black teas I had recent days. Actually, it surprises me a bit that it is very first fruit blend in my Advent and we are almost in the half of them.
Preparation
Advent Calendar from Nabo: Day 11
This smells so nice. Full, fresh and juicy clementine aroma. I have steeped it for maybe 5 mintues and think… I have oversteeped it? They suggest 5-8 minutes though!
The level of rooibos woodiness was fine. The level of tangerine… orange… clementine note was just right. But level of licorice root was too damn high! Cloying aftertaste of that ruined otherwise pretty nice experience of caffeine-free cup.
Funnily enough, I have returned late from work today so I wanted some caffeine-free teas. And both advents are!
Preparation
Advent Calendar from Nabo: Day 10
This is supposed to be caramel-like? Cream caramel? Well, for me it was cocoa coconut balls as a Christmas cookies.
It was a bit bitter from the cocoa and not from black tea base, also I have noticed coconut and overall a bit pastry like.. but I would not expect caramel. I noticed nothing from that and also there was a weird floral-herbaceous aftertaste, luckily not much noticeable. To be honest, I haven’t noticed it; but my brother did and then I have as well.
The aroma is boozy, but that transferred into the flavour just a little bit.
Again, fine tea, but nothing I need to retry. Festive though!
Preparation
Advent Calendar from TakeT: Day 10
Well, and after 3 days we have here the black tea version.
I have been on a day-trip to local open-air folk museum, so I have prepared it in thermos and drank all day long. The thermos I got from derk holds the hot tea all day long. Thank you, it is indeed lovely gift from you (I have used it like this for very first time!)
Well, actually this tea flavour and aroma wise is very same as its green counterpart; just the base was, naturally more robust and almonds were weaker and vanilla was stronger. That could be because a bit different ratios as well, though.
It was nice, but not my preferred flavour profile.
Preparation
Cool, glad you got to use the thermos. It’s big and bulky and looks unabashedly American in design but it’s the best for keeping beverages hothothot! How was the folk museum?
The folk museum was fine, but a bit crowdy for me. There was Christmas market, so it made sense. But from buildings and speeches of guides it was a bit annoying. Also, the paths turned into ice quite fast, so it was a bit tricky.
Advent Calendar from TakeT: Day 9
Actually TakeT celebrates today 7 years of existence; so happy birthday. Their 7 Years tea seems to be a blend of black teas, lapsang souchong, whisky aroma and saffron.
But their 1 Year tea is a blend of green oolong, milky oolong and yellow rosebuds — I don’t count any other flowers that aren’t contributing to the flavours.
Well, it is quite mineral for me, sadly not much milky as I have hoped. The rose gives a peppery note a bit, but overall, it was like a quite normal and nice daily-drinking oolong. Not bad, but nothing I need to order.
Preparation
Advent Calendar from Nabo: Day 9
Plums and cinnamon? That is indeed a wintery blend for me! Green tea base? That’s a bit strange… I would expect black tea. Or maybe even a rooibos.
Well, it’s full of cinnamon. It seems that Nabo overdo they cinnamon teas. This was so cinnamony I though I am sniffing a cinnamon-bun instead.
When I have brewed it, the aroma of cinnamon faded a bit and it was fruity (stonefruits) a bit more.
But when sipped, it was all cinnamon again sadly, with mineral and plum notes. But those plums were quite unripe and green… as the tea was. But that cinnamon flavoring Nabo uses covers everything and I am not such a fan, especially when it contains cinnamon itself.
Preparation
Advent Calendar from Nabo: Day 8
When brewed, this tea smells like a mulled apple cider with the spices. When sipped, flavours changed a bit, it delivers mish-mash of spices, cinnamon being strongest, cloves and ginger being a bit behind. I assume it is because they have used also the cinnamon flavouring.
Actually, in this tea the black tea base isn’t noticeable at all. Instead I notice mentioned cinnamon and somehow, orange. That’s so strange after noticing apples in aroma, but none being there!
Martin! Are you still active on Discord? If so please send a message to microshrimp when you can. It’s about the tea server.