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AJRimmer Advent Day 21

I don’t drink a lot of matcha, so my preparation could totally have been at fault here. But the latte I made with this blend was disappointingly grainy and bitter, totally lacking in the sweet, creamy “cake” flavor I was hoping for. I picked up on a bit of vanilla, but overall it was disappointing.

AJRimmer Advent Day 20

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! This is my first day home since the holiday craziness, so I have about a week’s worth of tea notes to catch up on. Not going to rate these since I’m writing notes mostly from memory.

This one didn’t stand out for me; it was a fairly brisk, astringent black tea with a bit of a caramel note; probably would have been better as a latte.

AJRimmer Advent Day 19

Ooo, I like this one! As I brewed it, my kitchen smelled like I was peeling an orange. Though I couldn’t smell the honey, that flavor definitely came through along with a very natural, not-too-sweet orange flavor. I didn’t realize there was vanilla in the mix as well, but I’m guessing that’s why the whole thing felt so smooth and cohesive! This is definitely one of my favorites of the calendar so far.

AJRimmer Advent Day 18

I was quite surprised when this green tea brewed up pink! My first sip revealed the culprit: my old enemy hibiscus. I do understand why they would include it here, as it lends a pink color as well as a tart flavor that is appropriate to a grapefruit. But for me personally, it overwhelms the citrus flavor that I can faintly taste in the background and leaves me feeling like I’m pretty much drinking a hibiscus tea.

AJRimmer Advent Day 17

I’ve never tried whiskey, so I really can’t say how well this tea captured that flavor. To me, it tasted of a jammy, baked fruit with hints of cinnamon or some other warming spice. If I were called upon to name it, I might go for something like “baked apple”. Quite a tasty, warming blend and very pleasant on a cold winter morning!

AJRimmer Advent Day 16

This is such an iconic 52Teas blend, I feel like I’ve surely sampled it somewhere along the line! But if I have, I never wrote a tasting note. Today, I found it to be a nice balance of cool mint and warming vanilla with the green tea adding some depth and complexity but (thankfully) no bitterness or astringency. I enjoyed it hot, but I’m guessing it would also be lovely iced or cold brewed.

AJRimmer Advent Day 13

Realized I missed reviewing this one. Oops! Perhaps it was because this wasn’t a terribly memorable tea…from what I can recall, it was a pretty basic black tea base with a very light strawberry flavor. Certainly not unpleasant, but quite forgettable.

AJRimmer Advent Day 15

What a special treat to get to taste AJRimmer’s custom blend designed in partnership with 52Teas! I’m not much of a soda girl, but I definitely get the vibe this blend is going for. The green rooibos seems like a great choice for the base, keeping things light and effervescent. Thanks so much for sharing, AJRimmer!

AJRimmer Advent Day 14

I don’t drink, so this is a tea I probably never would have been drawn to on my own. But I’m glad AJRimmer sent it, because it’s so yummy! Blood orange is a favorite flavor for me and I love how it’s blending with the pineapple in this tea. I also got something I couldn’t really put a name to in the flavor, which I’m assuming is the rum. I enjoyed it hot, but I think it would be even better iced!

AJRimmer Advent Day 12

Mmm, this is delicious! I’m honestly not a big pumpkin spice fan, so I wasn’t disappointed at all to find that the natural, sweet maple syrup predominates in this blend. The roasty toasty hojicha makes the perfect base, adding a nice depth and complexity to the flavor. I get just a hint of the spices coming through in the aftertaste. I’d gladly drink this one again!