Elderflower

The Tea Practitioner Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 1

And we’re at the last advent tea for Day 1! To me, this is an odd choice for the first day of an advent calendar. I would think you would want to start off strong and this doesn’t strike me as something that would be a crowd pleaser. I happen to love elderflower and herbal tisanes in general, but I know a lot of people don’t.

Anyway! This is a lovely elderflower tisane, soft and airy and lovely as a nighttime cuppa. The description mentions fennel, which is not at all how I would describe it ha ha. Shredded wheat though, yes. There’s a definite grainy note to it that’s very comforting. To me, it’s closer to oats, but either way it’s delicious. There’s also a mild fruitiness, perhaps apple, along with hay and mellow honey. And then, at the end of the sip especially, I get that effervescent quality that always comes to mind first when I think of elderflower. Perhaps the tiniest hint of licorice in the finish?

Super tasty elderflower, and I’ll enjoy sipping through the rest of the small pouch. :)

Adventaggedon Day One – Tea 4/5

I think the best surprise out of all the tea companies that released advents this year was when Sierra said The Tea Practioner would be doing one – I pounced on that preorder so fast. I have such a special place in my heart for The Tea Practioner. They’re truly one of my absolute favourite discoveries to come out of the pandemic.

What’s really cool is that Sierra is going to be doing the advent along with everyone on Instagram, and in doing that it was really neat to get a lot more back story on this tisane. I never would have guessed that it would have been Canadian grown and the farm in Ontario that it comes from just sounded so lovely! I made it as a mug earlier today – it was quite different from anything I’ve gotten not just in today’s advent teas but really in any advent I’ve ever done. I’ve also not had straight elderflower in years. I’m so, so used to consuming it in blends. It’s a beautiful floral though! This mug had a bit of a sourness to the top notes, and then the body was a bit more sweet and lush.

Years and year’s ago DT carried a white tea called Elderflower Spritz – it was one of my favourite floral teas that DT has ever carried, even though it wasn’t very popular to other people at the time. It was sweet, floral, and fruity in a way that reminded me of the pink off brand jellybeans that my Grandmother used to buy around Easter that came in these giant bags mixed with yellow and baby blue jelly beans too. Just, the tea was not as artificial/cloying. Ever since that tea, elderflower always reminds me of pink Easter jelly beans.

So, I guess what I’m saying it that after that initial slight sourness in the top notes this tastes faintly like jelly beans to me but with a more overly floral finish. Maybe just a bit yeast-y too? A good kind of yeast, though!

Today’s Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/ClpC3C9OZ7i/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TOUJwrIKoM