whosbradpitt Send Message

Nio Tea Advent Day 1

I wanted to have something different in my arsenal of holiday teas, but I’m also intimidated by the very idea of making notes on these, so we’ll see how it goes. I feel like apologizing for these before I even start.

Even at 2 minutes there was a distinct bitterness in the end of the steep, but the second round at 20 seconds was perfect. Warming, grassy, and vegetal; this was an excellent way to break up a series of black teas for day 1.

Adagio Advent Day 1

This one was fun and festive. Right after the brew it was stronger in mint and ginger with a general creaminess I wouldn’t have identified as chocolate (though the smell gave more mint cocoa). As it cooled I lost the ginger, but it became a clearer mint chocolate with an excellent balance. Both versions were tasty.

Plum Deluxe No Caffeine Advent Day 1

I grabbed this one bundled with the caffeine advent version because it can be nice to know I have a no caffeine choice available after a lot of other advent teas. I also expected it to steer fairly far away from black tea, so this was a surprise (and not one I was too excited about).

It is a good vanilla tea – sweet, creamy, likely good with some milk. I’d prefer a little spice or something to kick it up a bit, since it’s somewhat flat to me. Decaf black isn’t a choice I’d typically make, nor is vanilla, but I did enjoy this one. Just not something I feel the need to have on hand.

Simpson & Vail Advent Day 1

I’ve become more fond of earl greys over time, and this was a good cup. It felt balanced. I prefer stronger flavoring overall, but this one hit an interesting middle ground – I could have gone stronger, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything just the way it was either. I added nothing, though would consider milk or a latte for it next time.

Plum Deluxe Advent Day 1

Given that I typically come to Plum Deluxe for their flavored tea, I was surprised to enjoy this as much as I did. I found it smooth and mellow, not too acidic, with just a hint of bitterness at the end. I added some apricot infused honey, which brightened it up a bit and took the hint of bitterness away completely.

With the second packet I made iced tea and found it excellent.

A risky buy given my feelings on red rooibos, but it paid off this time. While I am getting some of the woodiness from the rooibos, the spices are strong and give me an excellent cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and cardamom blend. The banana is stronger in the scent than the taste, but the flavor is still there. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find nuts in the ingredients with the scent either. A solid choice for a little morning sweetness and spice.

I had a hard time with this particular sample – I didn’t really feel either of the namesake ingredients came through. Lavender isn’t my favorite anyway, so I didn’t necessarily miss it, but it did make me wonder if the sample itself was unbalanced or if that’s just the tea.

This one just felt like the winner for a quick cup before trick-or-treating and other Halloween shenanigans.

After the last two struggles with oversteeping I stuck with the short end of the suggested window and I loved this cup. The tea itself was light but it wasn’t used as an excuse to skip out on the spices. The ginger was dominant. I’m not a big coconut fan, but this just added smoothness without an overwhelming coconut flavor. It tasted like a spice cookie with a little cream.

Probably a brew that would benefit from more careful attention on the timer, with a steep closer to the beginning of the recommended time. Even so, I enjoyed this one. While the bitterness was forward (hence the steeping note), it mellows into a pleasant and even sweet toffee profile that lingers.

I’m not giving this a number just yet, because I would not be charitable to this particular cup and I think I need to try again with a lighter hand. This round was acid and bitterness and only the slightest caramel finish. So note to self – experiment with less tea, shorter than recommended steeping time, etc.