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FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 20

I had to add this one to the database, and it does not show up on the F&M website, so I am guessing this is exclusive to the advent calendar.

This smells super sweet dry! The leading aroma dry and steeped is anise. Tastewise, I get the spices which (hooray!) does not include clove, the mouthfeel of the licorice root, the thick sweetness of coconut, and a little warmth (very nice) from the pink peppercorns. This has been one of the more complex of the teas in the advent.

Ashman enjoyed it and his first comment was that he smelled a lot of anise. God bless the man at work who brought him lumpia today, because it meant I didn’t have to cook lunch (Ashman has a half day) and also went really great with this tea!

Cameron: do you or your friend who has this advent ever have trouble getting some of the tins out? I have small hands and some days I still struggle to wiggle these tins out of there! They catch on the bottom lip, and if I lift they hit the top lip. Either the tins or the box need a redesign for next year! I vote the tins, so those of us who already have the box can buy the refills!

I remember a store (Macy’s?) many years ago that used to do one incredibly extravagant gift per year for the mega millionaires who had everything. I remember they sold a tabletop mouse ranch one year with sterling silver round up tweezers. As I wrestled with this tin, I thought, “those tweezers could come in handy for wrangling these tins out their slot.”

SONNENTOR ADVENT DAY 19

This is a basic, mild herbal tea, easy to drink and also one you have to pay attention to if you really want to notice it, because it is easy to drink it forgetfully. Does that makes sense?

It doesn’t help that I ate a half pack of lavender CHoward’s candies. The aftertaste made me think the tea was floral at first until I realized I was tasting lots and lots of lavender! Ha ha!

An herbal with no chamomile and no mint is somewhat unusual. I liked it!

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 19

I had to check the tin to make sure this was the right tea.

I really don’t get excited about orange and clove Christmas tea. When I smelled the steeped tea I was pleased that the orange was really prominent even though that old bully clove was in there. Clove is okay, and I like the scent (especially in a Christmas candle) more than the taste, because it seems to erase others flavors to me.

What confuses me is…I didn’t get chocolate. There are cacao nibs in this, and supposedly chocolate flavoring as well. But I had no idea until I fetched the tin to make sure I was logging this in the right place. I saw no nibs in my scoop, so maybe if I can nab one I will taste it better.

We had first Christmas today as my son, his wife, their twins, my daughter and her husband came. This was one of my gifts from daughter Superanna. She gave me Laponic White a few years ago, and I believe Laponic Black but I don’t see any notes from me on it. Hmm.

This one smelled great from the get go. Chamomile and citrus hit me first. And the blend is so pretty! The chamomile sets off rose petals and deep pink peppercorns, and lemongrass adds visual texture.

Best of all, it tastes good! Laponic White and I had an odd relationship. I drank most of it, but it was just so….odd. I couldn’t figure that tea out at all! This one is much easier. Very nice and very easy drinking.

Main flavor is chamomile, then lemongrass and a bit of sweetness, with the occasional zip from the pink peppercorns warming things up but really just zippy and not HOT HOT. It is a very sweet and gentle blend but with color, to the eye and the taste.

Superanna and I finished off a really big pot as our celebrations were drawing to a close. I look forward to more of this one, though I do wonder how much of it I can have with the licorice root in it considering that my blood pressure has gone unruly again of late.

Superanna dislikes both licorice root and lemongrass, but seemed to really enjoy this blend.

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 18

Well, well, a returning tea! I had this on day 4! If a tea must be duplicated in the advent, I wish it was most any but this. Like Smoky Earl Grey, come on, people, that would have been so much better!

I don’t hate it, but it is a standard breakfast blend that really tastes better with milk and sugar. I will probably make iced tea with the rest.

SONNENTOR ADVENT DAY 18

Although this is a green tea, you could have fooled me! There is a lot of other stuff in this one, and that is what I taste most.

The first thing I notice is the mouthfeel of licorice root, which I happen to like. The only thing is, you are supposed to have only a limited amount if you have high blood pressure, and mine does, sometimes. Anyone know just how much is safe? I am sure this one cup wonkt hurt, but how much it too much? Three cups a day? Four?

The second thing I taste is ginger, that bit of heat and tingle. Next comes lemongrass for me.

I really don’t taste the cinnamon. It must be pretty mild. And after having our first celebration of Christmas with half the family today, I am too tired to dig out more! But it is a nice cup to sit and relax with now that everything is cleaned up and put away.

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 17

Third green in a row! Ha ha! I see a trend here….

I like certain Earl Grey teas a lot and really really don’t care for others. So far, I have enjoyed the Earl Grey Classic and the Smoky Earl Grey. This one follows suit.

The bergamot is very apparent but not obnoxious. The green tea base is a little brisk and grassy, as it should be.

Although I normally would not have something like this for breakfast, I didn’t mind it today and I am enjoying it. It will be a nice afternoon cup as I finish off this tin.

SONNENTOR ADVENT DAY 16

We had a beautiful warm day today but I was cooking and preparing for “first Christmas.” I never made it outside to enjoy it. After grocery shopping tonight, it was still quite warm and after bustling around putting away groceries I was not in the mood for anything hot. So I decided to ice this!

It looks like the blend has changed a little since Martin had it two years ago. The sentiment on the wrapper is still the same. I love the little short stories or memories on each one! They are a tiny snapshot of Christmas.

Martin lists chamomile but my box says apple mint, lemon balm, peppermint, blue mallow, daisies, blue cornflower, and marigold. It could be that one of these is another name for chamomile?

I made a cup of hot tea (Christmas Wreath by Lupicia) for the Ashman and a glass of this, sweetened and iced for me and we sat in the rockers and enjoyed the warm evening.

I think the lemon balm came out most for me, followed by apple mint and peppermint with the floral tastes rounding out subtly. It was just what I wanted, a refreshing drink to enjoy while relaxing.

It was good enough to make me want to ice more of these if we have more warm days, and we are supposed to hit 73 tomorrow and 76 Saturday. The next two in the advent don’t look like good icers to me, though. We will see.

FORTNUM & MASON ADVENT DAY 16

My second green tea in a row after fourteen days of black tea.

This was beyond surprising. I guess I have never had straight elderflower before, although certainly it has been listed in teas that had a long list of ingredients.

I have so, so much to do, so of course I sat staring out the window this morning catatonically and didn’t have breakfast. When I finally got started I realized I would have to stop for lunch.
I ran outside and picked greens and chives and made a pot of miso soup and a lettuce sandwich. I made this tea to go with it, and….I think I like this tea and potentially would love it but it really was a terrible pairing.

After a bite of miso soup I took a sip, and I felt like my mouth was full of bathwater. In comparison to the salty, brothy miso this was like sipping perfume. Weirdly, I kind of liked the tea, but it just didn’t go with the soup.

It was reminding me very strongly of something and I realized it was my first ever jasmine black tea that was not a great quality one. The jasmine was soapy and overpowering.

I think this will grow on me with the right pairing, and I think Ashman will hate it because he doesn’t like highly floral teas except for good jasmine and he says he is still traumatized by Evening In Missoula, which I liked. So it is up to me to finish this tin. I am okay with that. It just won’t be with miso soup.

SONNENTOR ADVENT DAY 15

Reading the description of baking an apple on the wrapper makes you really want a baked apple…

With all of the herbal blends in this advent (I think only three of the teas are not) I am leaving the bag in the cup as I sip. This one is decidedly apple, with a bit of gentle cinnamon. Almost every herbal apple tea I have had was more like a chamomile tea with added apple. This one is really an apple tea with no chamomile fighting for attention.

The body is thin as I find most dried fruit and herbals to be, and it makes a pleasant bedtime cup. Because of the flavor this is trying to evoke, a baked apple with cinnamon and brown sugar, I think most people would enjoy it even more with sugar or honey, but I just generally don’t add sweetener and am almost always disappointed when I do.