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Day 20 of our Advent Tea Swap. From amandastory516.

My numbered packages from our Advent swap are getting less and less as we get closer to Christmas and today I’m starting to feel a little sad about it. I have loved participating in this swap – trying so many new teas and reading everyone else’s Advent tea tasting notes has been a highlight of my recent days. I’ll miss it once Christmas has passed.

Today’s tea is one I’ve seen others post about here on Steepster, so I was excited to open it and make a cup when I recognized the name. My first thought before steeping is that it smells exactly like amaretto. Not strictly almond or cherry, but distinctly amaretto liqueur.

The steep came out lighter than I would have liked so next time I’ll be using two teaspoons of dry leaf instead of just the one. I added some cream and honey even so, and it turned out really nice. My husband says it’s like drinking hot chocolate and I do agree. It’s reminiscent of those dark chocolate muffins with the chocolate chips. So basically chocolate cake. I’m not really picking up on the hazelnut.

I may or may not have added a splash or two of amaretto to bump up the flavor. Feeling very much like a grown-up tonight with my boozy drink and my favorite cat mug. Cue the Christmas music.

Flavors: Alcohol, Chocolate, Dark Chocolate

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

Lifetime student. Lover of books and paper and ink. Kitchen dweller. Aspiring herbalist, excessively proud cat lady, and tea fanatic. Thirty-something elder millennial. She/her.

I love flavored black teas most of all, always with cream and honey. I enjoy floral and fruity teas, as well as flavored or scented ones. I’m not overly fond of green or white teas, but I’ve found a few that I enjoy.

I’m open to tea swaps and/or just sharing what’s in my tea cabinet! Please reach out if you see something I have that you’d like to try. I do my best to update my cupboard regularly.

Favorites
Any and all black teas, smoky teas, raspberry, strawberry, red fruits, bergamot, chai spices, floral teas, caramel/toffee, jasmine, rose, vanilla, peaches, plums, valerian root, cinnamon, cardamom

Not a huge fan
White teas, green teas, artificial sweeteners, sarsaparilla, licorice, lemongrass, lavender, hot hibiscus, hibiscus in black tea blends

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband, James, who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-49: This tea is not good, but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

50-69: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

70-79: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

80-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Updated May 2022.

Location

Alabaster, Alabama

Website

https://www.goodreads.com/sha...

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