2955 Tasting Notes
This is a lovely creamy dessert tea. Although a bit cloying, I like how thick and fullbodied it is and I like the vanilla and cream flavours. It is less citrus/bergamot than some other EGs but I actually like that better. Stronger bergamot can make tea bitter or medicinal. This is good with a touch of maple syrup or brown sugar + a dash of vanilla soy milk. I’ve also tried Silk brand coffee creamer and it was very sweet and delicious.
Flavors: Creamy, Nutty, Sweet, Tannin, Thick, Vanilla
Preparation
I’ve had this quite a few times and it is delish! I just finished it off a few days ago and thought I would make one last review only to find out I never reviewed it! I must remedy this!
First of all, this is really nice hot or cold. I prefer 4-6 minutes if I’m adding milk or ~3 if not. For cold steeps I brew overnight or for at least a few hours. It is very nice on its own or lightly sweetened with agave. It is not too tannic in a way that is bitter and overpowering, but there is lots of flavour there. The fruitiness is natural, but it is difficult to pick out distinct fruits. I want to say strawberry and notes of honey, tropical fruits, and maybe apricot. I do not get floral notes but the vanilla is present in the aroma. I like how versatile this blend is. Perfect for a cozy cup with milk and sugar but just as nice plain and iced in the summer.
Flavors: Apricot, Fruity, Honey, Strawberry, Sweet, Vanilla
Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #17
This is a nice herbal mint blend. It does not taste like the chocolate mint that I grow and dry from my own garden, but it is nice. It is more vegetal and has less menthol than peppermint. It has some other herbal notes (from the hyssop I assume). A nice herbal, but nothing really stands out from other mint blends.
Flavors: Herbs, Mint
Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #16
A really interesting blend with lightly floral notes and some light vegetal white tea flavour (like bai mu dan and other delicately vegetal whites). Very smooth. the brew is very light but is aromatic and smells slightly of honey, flowers, and green tea.
Flavors: Flowers, Nectar, Smooth, Sweet, Vegetal
Preparation
Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #15
This made a lovely breakfast tea with my bagel. I was surprised about how creamy this was with the aromatic vanilla. I got some toasty notes and lots of tannin, but not as strong as most breakfast blends. I did not get any smoky notes like other people, but I added a bit of vanilla soy milk and it might have muted this a bit. I did not realize this blend would have smoke notes so I did not think to check for it.
Flavors: Cream, Smooth, Tannin, Vanilla
Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #14
I’m behind but will eventually get all of my tasting notes uploaded! (they are written in a notebook)
This has a lovely strong maple scent. The brew is flavourful and the green tea comes through a lot. There are vegetal green notes and some maple. I get a hint of dried apple, as well. I would have liked a bit more vanilla and cakey/buttery flavour or maybe some apple butter/caramelized sugar notes. If I didn’t know any different, I would think this was just a maple apple green tea.
Flavors: Dried Fruit, Green, Maple, Maple Syrup, Vegetal
Preparation
Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #13
I enjoyed this as a latte with a splash of soy milk in my second cup (1st steep was a plain cup without milk). I think the milk is a really nice addition to a genmaicha, despite being unconventional. I got lots of green tea and toasty rice, but the banana and marshmallow must have been overwhelmed. I couldn’t taste much in the way of banana and I couldn’t taste vanilla in the plain cup. Still a nice tea, but it didn’t live up to its name like I hoped.
Flavors: Tannin, Toasted Rice, Toasty, Vegetal
Preparation
Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #12
This is a wonderful mint blend. I normally do not drink green/mint combos since I stick to non caffeinated mint herbals instead. I did like how the tea make this a bit more well rounded and varied. Mint is great, but the addition of tannin and vegetal flavours really brings nuance to the drink and even a bit of sweetness. The mint was very fresh, as evidenced by how potent it was when I forgot about my cup and let it steep for 30 minutes. The upside is that I diluted it and made multiple cups out of the one steeping.
Flavors: Herbs, Menthol, Peppermint, Sweet, Vegetal
Preparation
Homemade Advent Exchange Tea #11
Steep 1 – 5 minutes in almost boiling water, 3 minutes
I love how nutty this tea is. I found the base very flavourful and bold without being too tannic. It almost has a creamy vanilla flavour to it, which pairs with the walnut flavour well. I could have used more vanilla in the after taste, but it was still a nice blend.
2nd steep – 10 minutes in hot but not boiling water + dash of soymilk
I brewed a second cup, which was weaker, but also delicious. Hints of butterscotch. The soy milk really elevates it to a super smooth decadent latte.
Flavors: Creamy, Nutty, Pecan, Smooth, Sweet, Vanilla