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Day 6 of Around the World Advent Calendar 2023 features this tea.

Notes from box: Experience the craftsmanship of family-owned Jun Chiyabari tea garden with this vibrant tea from the high mountains of Nepal’s Hile-Dhankutu.

My notes: This tea has a floral and vegetal smell, like a deliciously fresh meadow perfume. The liquor produced is light and crisply grassy and highly drinkable, but not very memorable. However, this does not bother me. It could be that my palate is just not refined enough to truly appreciate it, and drinking it was a fine way to spend an hour in the afternoon. For me, enjoyable and forgettable in equal measures.

Day 10 of Around the World Advent Calendar 2023 features this tea.

Notes from box: Take in the oh so cool & refreshing & minty taste of the Pacific Northwest with every sip.

My notes: Lovely peppermint tea. I always oversteep a bit with peppermint, so my tea was caramel-colored by the time I drank it. I’m not sure that I’m feeling any special “amour” from this tea, and again, the leaves were pretty dried and grey (as seems to be the sad trend for the 2023 Around the World Advent Calendar), but it was delicious and minty smooth.

Day 7 of Around the World Advent Calendar 2023 features this tea.

Notes from box: Straight from the heart of sunny & scenic Croatia comes this aromatic, caffeine-free treat for you to love.

My notes: This is a bunch of lovely hay-scented flowers with an intoxicatingly calm aroma. They are a mustard yellow color and, if I have to be critical, look a little dusty and over-dry. The tea is mild and buttery and light and everything chamomile should be. If you are looking for something stronger, move along. This will not do it for you.

Day 8 of Around the World Advent Calendar 2023 features this tea.

Notes from box: Travel across the globe with this black tea featuring Saigon cinnamon that’s best served with condensed milk, hot or iced.

My notes: I brewed this tea strong (went past the 5-minute mark) because I find Davids Tea black teas to be very light and mild. It made a caramel-red liquor that was smooth and rich. However, for a chai, this was not spicy at all. There was a slight warming after swallowing that was very ginger-forward. After waiting for about 8-10 minutes of steeping, the tea was a tad bit spicier (which was enjoyable) but no longer hot. The flavorings are mild here and, unusually for me, I appreciated the cream flavoring, as it added a dairy note that was pleasant. Adding any real dairy to the tea, as suggested on the box note, would have dulled any flavor and created a cup of white, mild nothing. I did not finish my cold cup.

Day 2 of Around the World Advent Calendar 2023 features this tea.

Notes from box: Sip this creamy black tea and imagine a Parisian stroll alongside romantic tea shops with the smell of fresh rose petals in the air.

My notes: My first impression upon opening is that the rose petals are quite dry, curled and whitish like a poorly preserved corsage from 1992…that is to say, not at all as vibrant as pictured on the box. The tea brews a thin caramel liquid that, in my opinion, does not stand up to cream, so I drank it unadulterated. In the mouth, there is a balanced mix of butter and rose. I enjoyed my first few sips, but quickly found that the cream flavoring is decidedly unnatural and not to my liking. (I wish this tea maker had experimented with using nuts or small bits of confectionery to achieve the creaminess instead.) The smell became somewhat medicinal and soapy due to the flavoring. I did not finish my cup.

Day 1 of Around the World Advent Calendar 2023 features this tea.

Notes from box: Breathe in the high altitude of Nepalese mountains with this white tea’s crisp and light floral aroma grown in the Shangri-La Tea Estate.

My notes: Very mildly buttery in the mouth with hints of dry grass upon swallowing. Light wildflower and meadow grass aroma with very little floral on the palate. Very subtle, like a light bamboo-fiber cardigan that goes with everything in your closet. Would be good with many types of food. Enjoyable but not memorable.