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Cameron B. drank English Breakfast Glam by Kiani Tea

4313 tasting notes

Kiani Tea Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 1

Yay, I’m so excited to have a mostly unflavored advent this year! I know Kiani Tea isn’t really known around these parts, but she’s fairly popular with some of my Instagram tea friends as a purveyor of mostly single origin straight teas. And this is her first year offering an advent calendar!

Starting off with a bang on day one with this sparkly breakfast blend. It’s the same as the regular breakfast blend she offers, just with some added pixie dust! This blend is made up of Assam and Darjeeling teas.

I quite like it! I can taste the Assam and yet it’s quite mellow and smooth for a breakfast blend. The raisiny goodness and caramelized brown sugar notes are there, as is a smooth bready quality from what I assume is a second flush Darjeeling. Flavorful yet very smooth and easy to drink. The glitter is pretty for the holiday season, but not something I would want on a regular basis. Very slight astringency at the end of the sip, but not in an unpleasant way. It adds a bit of dimension really.

Flavors: Astringent, Bread, Brown Sugar, Caramelized Sugar, Dried Fruit, Grain, Hay, Malt, Raisins, Smooth

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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3 comments

Crowkettle
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Oh, pretty! Reminds me of a fancier “Glitter & Gold” (old DT).

Cameron B.
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I’m not really a fan of gimmicky things like glittery tea, but it’s nice every so often! Especially for the holiday season!

Crowkettle
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Gimmicky things are nice as a one off, but yeah… With the old G&G, it used to be my preferred travel mug tea – where the effect was completely lost. It still smelled nice though?

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Comments

Crowkettle
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Oh, pretty! Reminds me of a fancier “Glitter & Gold” (old DT).

Cameron B.
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I’m not really a fan of gimmicky things like glittery tea, but it’s nice every so often! Especially for the holiday season!

Crowkettle
Delete

Gimmicky things are nice as a one off, but yeah… With the old G&G, it used to be my preferred travel mug tea – where the effect was completely lost. It still smelled nice though?

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 28
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 28

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing