Christmas Cake

This is a tea I’ve been wanting to try for a while, so I was happy to pick some up during the last sale. The flavor is quite festive. I enjoy it a little more with milk and extra sugar. I’d say it’s a moderately spiced black tea, though I wouldn’t say there’s much cakey about it. The main flavors are clove and maybe light orange? I guess I expected this one to be more flavorful and special. It’s all right, but there are many superior teas in its category.

Another tea I got in the Bird and Blend Boxing Day sale. I’ve had it about 3 separate times at this point, and I’m very sad I only got 50g. It’s very similar to B&B’s Mince Pie, but not quite as heavy on the marzipan flavor. My preference is Mince Pie, but this one is still wonderful. Rich, dark fruits, and a bit of almond. I can’t really taste the pine needles, but they make the blend look quite festive.

sample from VariaTEA. it ended up getting a little cold for most of me drinking it – i can’t even explain the stupidity that i’m surrounded with at work. it’s painful how bad it’s gotten recently. It’s probably a good thing i’m going on Mat leave or i’m sure i’d be getting in to trouble at some point over the year with my inability to suffer through it anymore lol

This one surprised me – i’m not sure what i was expecting but i think something a little more clove-y and christmas spice y? Instead it was a really nice cup of cinnamon, orange, vanilla spice tea without being your traditional “french christmas tea, that i’m soooo very over” I don’t need to stock this in my cupboard but i wouldn’t pass up another cup of this in future.

The scent of the bag is very mild.

Oh wow! It’s like fruitcake but good! :)

This has cinnamon and orange in it, but it’s not that cinnamon-orange combo. I can taste a lot of spices, nicely balanced, including vanilla, marzipan, cookie, and malt. I’m sure there are others, but it’s a well-attended party of spices in there. I’m glad to be invited.

It’s not overpowering, just the right balance.

Holiday Tea-son! This was my Bird & Blend advent calendar tea today, and I’m glad I put this one off, since I had a small amount that I got from a cupboard sale of tea-sipper’s last January, and I planned to finally try it this month (I know, I am the worst of the worst when it comes to tea hoarding!) I can’t remember if I actually got this tea from the cupboard sale or if it was a sampler tea-sipper included because she is awesome, but thank you tea-sipper! So I just cut open my sachet from the advent calendar and put the leaf with what I already had, so I could make a nice pot this morning with my breakfast.

The dry leaf probably has been the most enticing to me yet, with a very nice clove scent, and this underlying fresh aroma of orange citrus and pine. The steeped tea smells even more decadent, as all the little sugar snowflakes have melted and it has a scent and nutty aroma mixed with the spice and citrus. I’m looking forward to this one!

It is no secret I brew my blacks on the more mild side, and this has come out very mild and smooth as far as the base is concerned; the flavor is very citrus-forward, with orange notes and even just a hint of lemon playing on my tongue, and a very mild astringency left after the sip. The pine is a very subtle background note and blends well with the citrus, so it doesn’t come off as tasting like cleaner. There is a lot of spice present in the sip, but it is a gentle, sweet, warming spice; it does leave an aftertaste on the tongue, but it is not a heated, burning, or unpleasant sensation. I can make out both a sweet cinnamon flavor, but the clove is a more dominant flavor note, and pairs nicely with the orange. As much as I could smell a nutty aroma, and I’ve tasted that sweet marzipan-like flavor in many of B&B’s teas this month, I’m actually not getting that in the flavor here; there is a very subtle nuttiness to the taste, which is more roasty/woody than sweet, while the sweetness is more of dash of vanilla that, when paired with the strong orange citrus, comes out as a subtle creamsicle flavor.

This has probably been my favorite black tea featured so far (with Great British Cuppa and Mrs. Claus’ Raspberry Prosecco being my runner’s up).

Eggnog Latte Sipdown (289)

This tea is an interesting spice cake flavor. I wish I waited a little longer to try it because I am getting that spice flavor cutting through the eggnog and I think if my tastebuds were 100% back to normal, I would really enjoy it. At the same time, there is something more than spice cutting through. Something sweet and fruity. I just can’t put my finger on it. I also think I can get some of the pine which is an interesting ingredient that works here.

Thanks for the pouch of this Tea-Sipper! Also This is a Sip down.
First tea I’ve ever had from Bluebird which was definitely exciting!

Prep: So I realized finally that the best way to get the right amount of leaf for this is to use a perfect spoon(I use the Teavana one) because it seems smaller than Davids Tea’s which I use for iced teas. I steeped it for about 4-5 minutes and used boiling water.

Taste wise this tea has a Very rich creaminess to it which dominates the entire cup. It reminds me a lot of homemade whipped cream. There are some subtle warm Christmas spices like clove and sweet cinnamon. The pine needles don’t come through flavor wise at all which was disappointing. This tea definitely nails the dessert aspect perfectly but doesn’t scream Christmas to me. When I think of Christmas teas I think of bold flavors and or spice. I think this tea would be more fitting for Christmas if it had some stronger notes of orange, candied ginger or even some amaretto perhaps. I still think this tea is amazing but wish it had more pops of flavor that come through. The re steeped cup has a strong sweet and spicy cinnamon flavor very similar to Trader Joe’s Winter Wake Up tea. I would happily invite it into my cupboard again.

Adventaggedon Day 12 – Tea 5/6

Apparently I’ve had this one in the past but I don’t really remember anything about it. I was intrigued by it this morning when I saw pine on the ingredients list, and then again after opening up the sachet and the loose leaf actually smelling pretty distinctly of pine…

However, I’m not loving the taste – it’s pretty harsh and a bit bitter and there’s a quality to it that feels almost chemical or like some sort of cleaning agent. It might, actually, be the pine. That’s a little sad to me, because the idea of a tea that tastes like a Christmas tree is excited to me. Aside from that, there’s a gentle spice not and a bit of an orange and custard flavour as well. It just feels like a lot going on, and I think there have been much better teas from B&B in the advent so far.

Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIrJJjIAnq9/

Here’s Hoping TTB

Ooo, I like this one! Like the last Bluebird tea I sampled, this one has a beautiful dry leaf with cute little sprinkles…but this one brews up GLITTERY! A total gimmick, but still fun. And the flavor was surprisingly complex: vanilla, spice cake (I actually got a cake flavor, not just spices), and orange peel predominating.

I was enchanted to try this tea due to its lovely snowflake sprinkles and the festive name. I was craving something warm and sweet and spicy to put me in the holiday spirit. This tea had all the winning pieces in the ingredients lists, cloves, orange peel, almond and vanilla, even spruce needles!

When I opened the bag of this loose leaf, I was a little surprised when I was hit with a strong waft of almond liqueur and amaretto. I suppose I was imagining more of a “coffee” Christmas cake for this flavor, with a focus on cinnamon and spice. Instead, this tea is definitely meant to emulate the alcohol-heavy fruitcakes of the season. When brewed, the liqueur flavor becomes more subdued, and notes of vanilla and marzipan come forward. The cloves, orange, and spruce are very minimal.

This blend has grown on me the more I’ve brewed it— now that I’m in the mindset and mood for a gently-spiced amaretto brew. It’s definitely unique, I haven’t had another tea quite like it! Christmas Cake is perfectly festive for this time of year in look and flavor, and it’s a limited edition blend, so it’s worth a try before the season changes.