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Kelmishka drank Gingerbread Chai by Bird & Blend Tea Co.

427 tasting notes

2025 Bird & Blend Advent: Day 1

My family and I spent a week in France earlier this fall, and I booked my return flight with a long layover in London. I would be lying if I said the prospect of visiting Bird & Blend and picking up a few (shipping- and tariff-free) advent calendars for myself and a few friends didn’t play into that choice! Plus, a morning in London is always delightful.

Anyway, this rooibos-based chai is very ginger-heavy. I don’t really love chai blends on a rooibos base, because I generally want something stiffer and stronger to balance out the spices, and the rooibos doesn’t do a whole lot here. It really feels more like a ginger tea than gingerbread.

I sipped it while working on a holiday sewing project (a semi-quilted table runner) and the combination of crafting and tea was very pleasant. So, even though it’s not a favorite blend, it made for a nice evening.

Flavors: Ginger, Red Rooibos, Spicy

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4 comments

tea-sipper
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I’m glad someone grabbed the B&B advent, AND you were actually able to visit their store.

Kelmishka
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Yes! I wish I’d had more room to take things home, but I do carry-on only and I basically had to stuff all the advents in a bag as my personal item. XD

AJRimmer
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Ha that’s relatable. When I visited Toronto last year, I came home with so many hot sauces and books that I had to carry a plastic bag of dirty laundry as my personal item..

Kelmishka
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That’s a brilliant and unhinged idea I will probably end up using at some point in the future! XD

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Comments

tea-sipper
Delete

I’m glad someone grabbed the B&B advent, AND you were actually able to visit their store.

Kelmishka
Delete

Yes! I wish I’d had more room to take things home, but I do carry-on only and I basically had to stuff all the advents in a bag as my personal item. XD

AJRimmer
Delete

Ha that’s relatable. When I visited Toronto last year, I came home with so many hot sauces and books that I had to carry a plastic bag of dirty laundry as my personal item..

Kelmishka
Delete

That’s a brilliant and unhinged idea I will probably end up using at some point in the future! XD

Profile

Bio

(she/her)

I was an anxious child who didn’t like change, so when my parents flew across the country for my grandfather’s wedding and left us kids with my aunt and uncle, I was a nervous wreck. Our first night at their house was tough. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and padded into the kitchen, where my aunt was puttering around. She could tell I was distressed and offered to make me a cup of tea. It was just Celestial Seasonings’ peppermint tea, but it was exactly what I needed. The tea itself, the comfort it represented, the ritual of making it… I was enchanted. I’ve loved tea ever since.

I’m partial to strong, intense flavors and prefer loose-leaf to bagged, but I also appreciate the convenience of bags and sachets. I mostly drink my tea straight but once in a blue moon I’ll add a little plant-based milk, generally oat.

I live in Maryland, USA, with my partner, three dogs, and one cat. I’ve actually been a Steepster reader for years and years, but only started posting in late 2021. :)

When I’m not drinking tea (or sometimes WHILE I’m drinking tea!) I’m reading, rewatching comfort shows, going for a run, knitting, embroidering, hiking, or puttering in the garden. You can find me on Instagram at @kelmishka. (My account is private, but feel free to send a request!)

Favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Maple (all-time fave flavor!), vanilla, caramel, and all things dessert-y

Jasmine, lavender, violet, and most floral flavors

Most spices, although I go through phases and sometimes get bored of generic-feeling winter spice blends

Most fruity flavors

Matcha and other vegetal flavors

Not-so-favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Bergamot (…although it’s been growing on me lately!)

Hibiscus

Overly artificial flavors (banana, coconut, mango)

Overly herbacious blends, although this varies!

Stevia, monkfruit, and other sugar-alternative sweeteners — blech

Chocolate — it’s hard to get it right in tea, though I love real chocolate!

Animal products, including honey (long-time vegan checking in!)

My ratings

90-100: The best! Will almost definitely repurchase.

75-90: Really good, and potentially worthy of a restock.

60-75: Decent, if not terribly memorable.

50-60: In the “meh” range, but possibly for personal taste reasons.

35-50: I’m not a fan, and this is not very good tea.

20-35: Varying degrees of bad.

1-20: Actively bad. Like really bad. I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing.

Location

Maryland, USA

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