390 Tasting Notes

75
drank Sugar Cookies by 52teas
390 tasting notes

Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 23

I was a little underwhelmed by this one when I first had it a while back, but tonight I enjoyed it! I forgot about my cup while packing for our drive tomorrow, and when I sipped it cold, I got the legit sugar cookie notes I’d missed the first time around! I actually enjoy it a lot better this way, and I’m bumping up my rating accordingly.

Flavors: Cookie, Sugar, Vanilla

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82

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 10

I really loved this one the first time I had it a few years back, so I was happy to see it again. This time around, I didn’t get a ton of of those soft, pillowy, marshmallow notes, but there was a little vanilla creaminess layered on top of the sharp citrus. Such a nice combination!

Flavors: Citrus, Creamy, Orange, Tangerine, Vanilla

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75
drank EggNaughTea by The NecessiTeas
390 tasting notes

Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 24

AJRimmer had already removed the marshmallows from this blend since neither of us eats gelatin, so I cheekily added a few vegan marshmallows to the blend while steeping!

I can’t decide if this is eggnoggy or not. It’s reading as custard to me, with notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. It does have a decent amount of body, too, which is appropriate for a nog!

Flavors: Cinnamon, Creamy, Custard, Nutmeg

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78

Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 22

Yum! This is smooth and subtle but very pleasant, like a gently spiced cinnamon roll with the intimation of a rich frosting and a hint of orange. (Though to be fair, I didn’t look too closely at the leaf when I measured it out, so maybe I didn’t get (m)any orange bits in my cup!)

Enjoying a cup of this alongside a book before rousing myself to do the last of my holiday baking. I’m going to tackle Nigella Lawson’s vegan gingerbread recipe this morning, with medjool dates instead of prunes (?!). Should be a fun bake, and hopefully a delicious one!

Happy Christmas Eve if you celebrate! :D

Flavors: Cinnamon, Frosting, Orange, Smooth

gmathis

This one is extremely tasty!

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90

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 9

Wow, this is so good! It’s got a super fresh pear flavor, laced with just-sweet-enough maple and a smidge of cinnamon. There are some round, creamy vanilla custard notes, too.

One of my favorites of the advent season so far!

Flavors: Cinnamon, Custard, Maple, Pear, Round

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82

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 8

Love this flavor profile! This is a super fresh, tart, and crisp blend that’ll get ya going. I don’t really get any cookie elements, but that’s OK!

Flavors: Brisk, Crisp, Lemon, Raspberry, Tart

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Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 22

Gah, I got distracted doing some holiday baking and oversteeped this one! And unfortunately it’s now quite bitter. But I don’t think I’d love it anyway… there’s an artificial vanilla custard-y note that is a bit jarring alongside the fruitiness. It kind of smells like a hand lotion, actually…

Not gonna rate it since I massacred the steep!

Flavors: Artificial, Custard, Drying, Fruity, Vanilla

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drank Breakfast in Bed by 52teas
390 tasting notes

Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 19

A cozy floral tea! I actually didn’t get a ton of rose in my cup and, frankly, I could’ve done with more! I probably didn’t shake/mix the blend well enough, and I think I was pretty distracted while drinking this one. Glad there’s another cup’s worth in the bag!

Flavors: Cinnamon, Rose, Vanilla

AJRimmer

I didn’t taste too much floral flavor either, which for me was a positive!

Kelmishka

Haha, I got that sense from your note! :D

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80
drank Banana Eggnog Oolong by 52teas
390 tasting notes

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 7

Banana teas are really growing on me. I enjoyed this one a lot, so much so that I’ve got to increase the rating. It’s almost more of a creamy banana custard than banana eggnog, but still a lovely flavor profile!

Flavors: Banana, Creamy, Custard

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75
drank Mayan Chocolate Chai by 52teas
390 tasting notes

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 6

I was holding off on drinking this one until I was in the mood for spice! The level of heat is actually really nice, enough that you get a tingle but your mouth isn’t on fire. The chocolate comes through as it cools, as do some of the other spices.

A fun one for sure!

Flavors: Black Pepper, Chili, Chocolate, Ginger, Spicy

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Profile

Bio

(she/her)

I was an anxious child who didn’t like change, so when my parents flew across the country for my grandfather’s wedding and left us kids with my aunt and uncle, I was a nervous wreck. Our first night at their house was tough. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and padded into the kitchen, where my aunt was puttering around. She could tell I was distressed and offered to make me a cup of tea. It was just Celestial Seasonings’ peppermint tea, but it was exactly what I needed. The tea itself, the comfort it represented, the ritual of making it… I was enchanted. I’ve loved tea ever since.

I’m partial to strong, intense flavors and prefer loose-leaf to bagged, but I also appreciate the convenience of bags and sachets. I mostly drink my tea straight but once in a blue moon I’ll add a little plant-based milk, generally oat.

I live in Maryland, USA, with my partner, three dogs, and one cat. I’ve actually been a Steepster reader for years and years, but only started posting in late 2021. :)

When I’m not drinking tea (or sometimes WHILE I’m drinking tea!) I’m reading, rewatching comfort shows, going for a run, knitting, embroidering, hiking, or puttering in the garden. You can find me on Instagram at @kelmishka. (My account is private, but feel free to send a request!)

Favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Maple (all-time fave flavor!), vanilla, caramel, and all things dessert-y

Jasmine, lavender, violet, and most floral flavors

Most spices, although I go through phases and sometimes get bored of generic-feeling winter spice blends

Most fruity flavors

Matcha and other vegetal flavors

Not-so-favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Bergamot (…although it’s been growing on me lately!)

Hibiscus

Overly artificial flavors (banana, coconut, mango)

Overly herbacious blends, although this varies!

Stevia, monkfruit, and other sugar-alternative sweeteners — blech

Chocolate — it’s hard to get it right in tea, though I love real chocolate!

Animal products, including honey (long-time vegan checking in!)

My ratings

90-100: The best! Will almost definitely repurchase.

75-90: Really good, and potentially worthy of a restock.

60-75: Decent, if not terribly memorable.

50-60: In the “meh” range, but possibly for personal taste reasons.

35-50: I’m not a fan, and this is not very good tea.

20-35: Varying degrees of bad.

1-20: Actively bad. Like really bad. I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing.

Location

Maryland, USA

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