400 Tasting Notes
Steepster TTB 2025
Drank this one on my final (!) day at my field placement/practicum — I’m sooo close to being done with my grad program! Just one more semester to go.
My hastily jotted notes indicate that this tea was a bit too sweet for me, but it did have a nice, jammy blueberry flavor to it. I wanted a little more cinnamon to really evoke the streusel element, and possibly a slightly stronger base. Not a bad dessert-y blend, though!
Flavors: Blueberry, Jam, Sweet
Steepster TTB 2025
I have to admit that my tea drinking in 2025 has been pretty uninspiring — I’ve barely written any Steepster notes, and I’ve mostly been drinking old favorites. That makes the TTB’s arrival extra exciting for me!
Mmm, smells delicious. This is malty, astringent, and maple-y, but I’m not getting much blueberry at all (or bready notes to evoke pancakes, for that matter). Blueberry as a flavor is hard to capture in general, I think. I do have a soft spot for brisk breakfast teas, and I love maple, so I’m not complaining here. But “blueberry pancakes” is a stretch!
There’s not much left in this packet so I’ll probably keep it and try it again with some oat milk — that might add some pancake-y heft to the flavor.
Flavors: Astringent, Brisk, Malty, Maple
I enjoyed this the first few times I had it, but tonight… ick! My partner wanted a cinnamon-y tea, so I made a pot of this one. But neither of us cares for it. It’s got that stevia-like slippery-sweetness from the blackberry leaf that coats my tongue after each sip, and I’m just finding the overall flavor profile on the cloying side. It’s absolutely cookie-like, but it’s just not hitting the right notes for me tonight!
Flavors: Artificial, Cinnamon, Cookie, Sugar, Sweet
Ashmanra’s 2025 Sipdown Challenge: A leftover advent tea
Hehe, what an excellent prompt! This is from last year’s 52Teas box. I spent quite a while waffling about which tea to make this afternoon and ultimately selected this one.
I’ll stick with my rating from last year. I’m still not getting much of the caramel popcorn flavor, but that could be because I’ve been sick for nearly a week and I think my sense of smell (and taste) is shot. Still, I’m really appreciating the briskness of the base today — it’s making me feel a little more alive.
2025 sipdown count: 2
Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 21
Realizing I never logged this one! AJRimmer included two generous cups’ worth in the baggie; I made one on the actual advent day and one last night. It feels quite thrilling and naughty to have something so coffee-esque at like, 11 p.m.!
I continue to enjoy the Teeccino base, though the flavor profile here is not my favorite — there’s just something a little slick and on the verrry verge of cloying that doesn’t quite work for me. It’s not overpowering, at least.
Honestly it’s probably because I love coffee but drink it black (unless I’m getting a really fancy latte), so a sweet version of a black coffee dupe is jarring to me. Glad to try this one, though!
Flavors: Cinnamon, Sugar, Sweet
Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown: Day 18
Playing catch-up with some of my advent teas!
It’s cold and blustery outside, with a bit of snow on the ground and more to come, so I decided to have a lil gong fu session. I’m thinking it’s way past time to pick up a gaiwan. I try to keep my teaware/drinkingware collection minimal, since my house is not huge and I don’t like clutter, but I do think I’d appreciate and use a gaiwan. Bitterleaf and Yunnan Sourcing both have some really pretty ones, but I’d love to hear y’all’s favorites and/or purchasing tips for a first-timer!
Anyway… the tea. First steep was light, yet unctuous, with a wisp of leather. Second steep brought out more leather, plus heavy notes of roasty charcoal and on-the-verge-of-bitter citrus rind. I reduced the temp for a few more steeps to get rid of the bitterness, which mostly worked. The rest of the steeps were predominantly leather with a bit of woodsiness. I didn’t find the flavor profile super enjoyable, to be honest!
Flavors: Bitter, Charcoal, Citrus, Leather, Roasty, Wet Wood, Wood
I also keep my tea gear minimal. I don’t even have a teapot because I know I only want to own one, and I haven’t found that perfect one yet!
I know what you mean! I have a couple pieces of teaware that were gifted to me so they have sentimental value, but I don’t think I’ve purchased much of anything for myself… I’d have to really love it, and nothing’s quite right!
Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 25
The final tea in our advent swap, and one I’ve wanted to try!
I’m 99% sure I’ve never had this tea before, yet it tastes SO familiar to me. Either H&S is totally nailing the flavor and I’m just thinking it’s familiar because it reminds me of real gingerbread, or another company has a dupe/twin/doppelganger available.
Regardless, it’s really nice! Super cozy, with a great balance of spices… no overwhelming clove here. Personally, I find it a smidge on the sweet side, and I would prefer a stronger base, but those are minor quibbles. I could see this being a great tea to bring to a holiday gathering!
On the topic of gingerbread, I made Nigella Lawson’s Luscious Vegan Gingerbread this year and it was AMAZING. I subbed chopped medjool dates for the prunes and added some chopped candied ginger, but otherwise I followed the recipe as written. It’s super complex and delicious and will be my go-to gingerbread recipe going forward!
Flavors: Ginger, Gingerbread, Pastries, Spices, Sweet
Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 24
I actually ordered 4 oz. of this tea when I purchased the S&V advent, so I’d tried it before it showed up in the calendar. I really enjoyed it! There’s something very satisfying and cozy about it, like a big messy chocolate cupcake with gobs of buttercream frosting and berry swirls. I could do with a bit more tang from the cranberry, but overall it’s a fun one!
Flavors: Berry, Cocoa, Frosting
Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 23
Catching up on tasting notes after disconnecting for the holidays — hope everyone has had a lovely and restful holiday season!
Urgh, the stevia here is criminal. I couldn’t drink this one without grimacing (although I can be a bit dramatic, so…) and feeling like my mouth was coated in slippery-sweet stevia. :(
Flavors: Peppermint, Stevia, Sweet
