4460 Tasting Notes
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #20
I tried this one in the holiday sampler box before. I remember I didn’t love it very much, even though it seemed VERY much like it should be my thing. There is real vanilla bean in this, so the ingredients list tells me, and that should alone make me a fan. It’s okay here today. Not sure why rooibos is ever added to black tea, but it really isn’t that noticeable here. The black tea has enough depth to it. I also love the tiny little flowers they have in the blend. Otherwise it’s vanilla and it’s mint, sharing the stage.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 21 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #19
Another I have never tried before. It was looking like a typhoon out there today, so I could definitely use a cup of whatever “cozy comfort” is. This was just okay and inoffensive. Light on the cinnamon, a little bit nutty, as it’s supposed to be black walnut. I have probably never had a black walnut tea. The cinnamon was enough just to make it slightly noticeable. Not bad, not fantastic. The black tea wasn’t too weak, which leads me to believe they haven’t altered the base on this blend…yet…
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 21 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 6 minute steep
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #18
Another that I have never tried yet. An interesting herbal blend… I do miss fresh tulsi blends. Here it is subtle, but so is the resulting flavor from all the other ingredients. Mildly citrusy and tart. Fruity, naturally sweet. A bit of that green bean flavor from the tulsi. The hibiscus was NOT noticeable, so grateful for that anyway… Not bad, but nothing fantastic. An oddly small amount was in this advent sample, I personally would have used at least half a teaspoon more, so maybe that is why the flavor is lighter here.
Steep #1 // 1 heaping teaspoon for a full mug // 23 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 6 minute steep
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – December 2025 Tea #2 - A single origin tea
Time for a sipdown of this one! It was a good green. That is all. Really wish I wrote a note when it was fresh. It deserved a fresher note. sigh. I am trying to do a year end crunch time and try to have one sipdown a day, along with enjoying one holiday tea a day (separate from the advent). We will see how it goes….
2025 Sipdown total: 83
2025 unique tea sipdowns: 66
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #17
YAYYYYY — I was hoping this one would make it into the advent. It’s one of my favorites. Always up for steeping up a cup of this. Except…. it looks like S&V has altered the base of this one again, like they have of so many of my favorite flavored black teas. It’s much lighter now than it used to be… the flavors are the same, but the light black tea is just bad bad bad. No weak black tea for me. Am I just complaining about these teas?
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 19 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 6 minute steep
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #16
Another that I have enjoyed over the years. It’s a good one! Somehow the blackberry leaf here is never too cloying or horrible. I don’t know how, as normally it would be. Maybe it’s the combination with the other flavors here. Just glad it doesn’t have stevia in it. It still makes it a classic dessert in a mug. I’m not quite sure though, if now it would be a rating as high as 98 for me though.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 19 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 8 minute steep
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #15
This looks like it will be tasting note 4,444 for me here. And I am the only one on Steepster to have written a note for this particular tea. Sad, as it’s a good one. A brisk and bright tea, perfect for this frigid day. Finally, an advent tea with some heft. I have tried this tea before, in S&V’s author box. But I was glad to see it today. A tasty mix of black teas, with a great flavored bergamot. I’d probably like this tea without the bergamot too, but this is good bergamot, so I’m glad it’s in the cup. Raising the rating from 82.
Steep #1 // 1 3/4 teaspoons for a full mug // 22 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #14
Another I haven’t tried, probably because I know I would rather just steep up S&V’s Apple French Toast Every Single Time. But this is good too! Classic apple flavor, on a mild base. More like an apple pie flavored tea than a fresh apple. I don’t think I noticed the sage. Like at all. It might have been a unique blend if the sage was actually noticeable, but without, it’s only okay. It was a pleasant tea for the day — in the morning I had it with some pancakes topped with homemade applesauce, so it followed right along…
Steep #1 // 1 1/3 teaspoons for a full mug // 19 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #13
Another that I have never tried, if only because I am usually pretty satisfied with Harney’s hot cinnamon spice teas. And I think I was right in that assumption. This one is like the Harney, but with MUCH less flavor overall. I love the blast of flavor from Harney’s candy cinnamon. Where is the cinnamon sugar bomb? Not here. But it’s a little bit more like Harney’s in the second steep, with a REALLLLY long steep time. Just not enough. And then there is an odd mouth drying quality.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 22 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // many minute steep
Simpson & Vail Advent 2025 – Day #12
Oh now here is one I have wanted to try! I love a good raspberry tea and this one is quite delicious. I also don’t think it’s labeled as another blend that S&V sells. This is strictly a National Park blend. However, S&V also has some other great raspberry teas. The raspberry takes over here, and I really can’t taste much of the sage which is a shame. Maybe it melds together really well… It tastes very much like one of my favorite raspberry teas from Maya Tea. This just has a lighter base. Was very good paired with the other tea I had today, Mate Java Espresso by Tealyra, which I’m glad to see they are still selling. I also had some cocoa infused pancakes with fresh raspberries and whipped cream today, so it was a very chocolate and raspberry themed day. :)
Steep #1 // 1 1/3 teaspoons for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep
