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Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 21!

Another early morning; another Christmas tea. This one had a gently spiced marzipan flavor during the first steep, but the second steep is pure spice with maaaybe a hint of citrus—all the marzipan notes are gone.

Fairly generic, but the first steep was pretty nice.

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 7!

As I mentioned in a previous tasting note, this Monday Monday-ed pretty hard! So I made sure to carve out some time after logging off from work to savor this tea while diving into the latest installment in one of my favorite series.

I’m not quite getting custard, but I am getting a gently creamy blackberry layered on top of a slightly grassy green. There’s also a vaguely floral note, which I enjoy. Overall it’s tasty and comforting and calming, and it provided a few moments of quiet before Monday decided to Monday again and we discovered that our not-even-two-year-old hot water heater is not, in fact, heating water. Sigh!

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 20!

The tea bag smells delightful—sweet and fruity—so I was really looking forward to trying this one. Alas, I’m not getting any rhubarb in my cup. It’s just… weak rooibos with a mildly creamy undertone that might be custard if I metaphorically squint. It’s not actively bad, but I also wouldn’t say it’s actively good.

I shouldn’t be surprised, though, because this Monday has been royally annoying. Just a series of irksome happenings one after the other. Blah!

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 6!

In one of my recent reviews, I mentioned my distaste for bananas. What I did not mention is that every few months, I convince myself my tastes have changed, buy a bunch of bananas, and try to force myself to eat them. The end result is usually me retching after eating one or two bites—I just cannot handle the texture! I might use the rest of the bunch in smoothies, but inevitably I end up with a whole bunch of very mushy bananas… and they usually wind up in the freezer.

Last night I raided my freezer banana stash and made banana bread, which I enjoyed hot and slathered with vegan butter. So I was quite tickled when I saw today’s blend from 52Teas!

And, wow! I’m definitely getting full-bodied baked breadiness beneath the (wholly inoffensive!) banana flavor, crowned with a note of butter. I don’t think a banana-flavored tea is ever going to be my favorite, but I actually quite enjoyed this one.

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 19!

I didn’t get much chocolate flavor in Snowball yesterday, but I got a hint of it here. This one does remind me of digestive biscuits; there’s a breadiness to it that grounds the flavor for me. I think I prefer the creamy coconut aspect of Snowball, but this one is tasty too. I actually added a little oat milk on a hunch and really enjoyed it that way.

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 5!

I’m a day late reviewing this one and thus don’t have all the sensory details top of mind. I quite enjoyed it, though—it’s a refreshing departure from generic warming holiday spice blends, yet the cranberry keeps it seasonally appropriate. I wanted a bit more tartness from the cranberries, but maybe I just didn’t get enough of them in my scoop.

The base was light and fruity and exceedingly drinkable… quite cozy overall!

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 18!

Creamy coconut on a muted black tea base. I don’t get much chocolate, but that’s OK with me. This was nice and tasty without being cloyingly coconutty, and it didn’t lose flavor even after it cooled off in my KeepCup. I would’ve liked to sit and savor it a little more, but I’m getting an oil change for my trusty steed (read: 14-year-old Prius) this morning and wanted to get out the door on time.

I have no complaints about this easy drinker.

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 4!

I don’t know what kind of olfactory alchemy is at play here, but goodness—every tea in the holiday box has smelled incredible! They also manage to avoid perfume-y artificiality, which is quite a feat.

This one reminds me of a creamsicle… a very welcome reminder indeed. Brewed up, it’s got a lovely creamy mouthfeel that I can just about convince myself is reminiscent of marshmallows. I’m not quite sure whether I’m getting tangerine rather than a more generic orange, but regardless, it’s lovely.

This one definitely benefits from a few minutes of cooling before taking a sip. I thought I had over-steeped it because I wasn’t getting much flavor at first, but now that it’s cooled just a bit, it’s quite lovely and rich. I just love flavorful black tea blends, and this is a new favorite. So delightfully cozy!

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 17!

Mince pies always remind me of my paternal grandfather. He lived clear across the country from us and we didn’t see him terribly often, for a number of complicated family reasons. But I remember him spending one Christmas with us and requesting mince pies. I’d never had one before and didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up enjoying it. It’s a shame mince pies aren’t more common in the U.S.!

The tea bag didn’t smell like much to me, but the brewed cup is giving off a pleasant almond pastry scent. Those are the most powerful flavors, too: marzipan, buttery pastry, and a hint of warming spices. I could do with a bit more spice and more forward fruity notes; they only come through as it cools. (Maybe the Ceylon base is covering them up?) As it is, though, I’m actually quite enjoying this one. It’s putting me in mind of stollen more than mince pie, but that’s OK.

All in all, an enjoyable morning cuppa. Plus, it sent me down memory lane thinking of my grandfather. He passed away last year around this time, actually a couple days before I got my cancer diagnosis. It’s tough to mourn someone who lived far away and was not a part of your daily (or weekly, or really monthly!) life, especially when that death happens in the middle of other, more pressing upheavals. So I appreciate the little reminder of him today.

52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 3!

The scent of this tea is just * chef’s kiss * delightful! I didn’t end up drinking it until the evening, while I was on a weekly video chat with friends, so I didn’t get to savor it quite as much as I’d intended. (The day got away from me, and then before I knew it I was rushing to bake some cookies before the video call began.) It was creamy and fruity and lovely, although I found myself wanting something *more*—like more depth of flavor, or a fuller mouthfeel, or something. I think a spot of oat milk would help and I’m excited to try it that way.

Overall, though, another winner from the holiday box!