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*October Sipdown Prompt – a tea that relaxes you”

Once again, this is not a sipdown and not even close to one, but this is the tea I reach for now when I want a cup of hot tea late at night, all alone in the quiet.

The first time I had it, I got mostly lavender with a touch of mint and lemongrass. Last night, there was lot of cinnamon in the aroma but the taste was still lavender forward. I don’t know why I didn’t get the cinnamon as much the first time I drank this, but it was very welcome last night. This makes a cozy quiet cuppa.

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A delicious tea that I mostly enjoyed cold since the mint is so sweet and refreshing in the summer. I have had it both sweetened and unsweetened and thought it was great both ways. This last bit became sweet iced tea for Ashman to take to work.

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I probably shouldn’t log this sipdown because the new one is on the way. I hoarded and parceled out so this would last all year.

I noticed a Decaf Apple tea when I was ordering this one and bought it to try so my cupboard will be going up by one tea but since I have made two sipdowns today I don’t feel too bad about that.

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I only bought the small packet of this matcha, but when I place another 3 Leaf Tea order (you know, that mythical time when my cupboard is smaller) I would be happy to get the large packet. If I remember correctly, this is one I also sent to Superanna and she liked it very much.

I only used it in smoothies. I don’t really do flavored matcha traditional whisked style but I use it for iced matcha, lattes, or smoothies like this. It adds such a blast of coconut flavor. This would be awesome with a pineapple smoothie in summer but alas, I never thought of it then. Maybe next year.

October Sipdown Challenge – a tea that makes you feel posh

This is one of the first teas I ever got in a swap, and is probably the first French tea I ever tried. The flavoring was also the most exotic I had tried at that point. When I raved about it all those years ago, Superanna was quietly taking notes and ordered a tin and a few others from Dammann as a surprise for me, probably at Christmas.

This batch came from Youngest who went to Paris a few months ago and offered to pick up tea for me! This is one I specifically asked for but there were several others as well added to my cupboard as a gift, too. Oh, I think I also requested Miss Dammann by name and have already finished all of that one. In fact, this is probably the only tea I have left from that batch but that is because there was the most of it plus I am hoarding it.

This is as delicious and delightful as I remember from twelve years ago when I first had it. How, how, how do they get the “biscuit” flavor so perfect? This tea drips sophistication. There is no bitterness. The base is full bodied. The almond is perfection – not too sharp and candy-like but warm and lovely. I am enjoying it with toast accompanied by the forbidden Fortnum “Shingo Okada Blood Orange With Orange Liquer Marmalade – Medium Cut.”

As my dear father used to say…”That’s fittin’!”

Many thanks to Youngest!

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Ashman enjoys oolongs so this has been his morning breakfast tea for the past few weeks. It is roasty and nutty has good body, and has enough flavor to go well with whatever he chooses for breakfast. It has that bit of heft flavor-wise that makes it awesome at breakfast to me, or for whenever I just need a boost from my cuppa.

October Sipdown Challenge – National Dessert Day

I drank a dessert tea while eating dessert. How on theme can you get?

These caffeine free blends are getting hit hard. I will almost certainly have to re-order before winter ends. The green rooibos base is the perfect chariot to carry these flavors, and the rich vanilla of this one won over several hearts at my house. Especially good tonight as I have had a fever and decided I was allowed an extra large bowl of ice cream because surely it is very very good for you when you are sick.

Although they were good together, I do prefer black tea with ice cream, especially smoky ones, but alas it is too late at night to have anything like that.

Hojicha is one alternative that gives me that vibe, though. It is great with ice cream.

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This was actually a sharedown. I ended up with a huge amount of Tilluel and decided to share this one with someone who loves using lots of natural remedies.

I still have a big bag of Theodor Tilluel Mint left for cold and flu season.

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October Sipdown Prompt – a tea you can’t wait for to be gone

I had planned a different tea for that prompt but the other tea grew on me and was quite good today. I had to pick a new one! Ha ha!

This isn’t terrible, it simply isn’t what I thought it would be. I was expecting rich black tea and this is more like a darjeeling or a sheng puerh. Ashman loved it, though, so I just made a big batch of it to serve as his breakfast tea that I make ahead for him so he can just pour it in a mug and heat it each day since he leaves for work very early.

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This was a tea Ashman got for Christmas. The first time I made it, it was so astringent I could hardly drink it. I decided to try it at 160F for 3 minutes and Ashman loved it. Although he has had it hot a few times, it mostly was used for his sweet iced tea that he takes to work each day.