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Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 21

Realizing I never logged this one! AJRimmer included two generous cups’ worth in the baggie; I made one on the actual advent day and one last night. It feels quite thrilling and naughty to have something so coffee-esque at like, 11 p.m.!

I continue to enjoy the Teeccino base, though the flavor profile here is not my favorite — there’s just something a little slick and on the verrry verge of cloying that doesn’t quite work for me. It’s not overpowering, at least.

Honestly it’s probably because I love coffee but drink it black (unless I’m getting a really fancy latte), so a sweet version of a black coffee dupe is jarring to me. Glad to try this one, though!

Tea Thoughts Winter Countdown: Day 18

Playing catch-up with some of my advent teas!

It’s cold and blustery outside, with a bit of snow on the ground and more to come, so I decided to have a lil gong fu session. I’m thinking it’s way past time to pick up a gaiwan. I try to keep my teaware/drinkingware collection minimal, since my house is not huge and I don’t like clutter, but I do think I’d appreciate and use a gaiwan. Bitterleaf and Yunnan Sourcing both have some really pretty ones, but I’d love to hear y’all’s favorites and/or purchasing tips for a first-timer!

Anyway… the tea. First steep was light, yet unctuous, with a wisp of leather. Second steep brought out more leather, plus heavy notes of roasty charcoal and on-the-verge-of-bitter citrus rind. I reduced the temp for a few more steeps to get rid of the bitterness, which mostly worked. The rest of the steeps were predominantly leather with a bit of woodsiness. I didn’t find the flavor profile super enjoyable, to be honest!

Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 25

The final tea in our advent swap, and one I’ve wanted to try!

I’m 99% sure I’ve never had this tea before, yet it tastes SO familiar to me. Either H&S is totally nailing the flavor and I’m just thinking it’s familiar because it reminds me of real gingerbread, or another company has a dupe/twin/doppelganger available.

Regardless, it’s really nice! Super cozy, with a great balance of spices… no overwhelming clove here. Personally, I find it a smidge on the sweet side, and I would prefer a stronger base, but those are minor quibbles. I could see this being a great tea to bring to a holiday gathering!

On the topic of gingerbread, I made Nigella Lawson’s Luscious Vegan Gingerbread this year and it was AMAZING. I subbed chopped medjool dates for the prunes and added some chopped candied ginger, but otherwise I followed the recipe as written. It’s super complex and delicious and will be my go-to gingerbread recipe going forward!

Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 24

I actually ordered 4 oz. of this tea when I purchased the S&V advent, so I’d tried it before it showed up in the calendar. I really enjoyed it! There’s something very satisfying and cozy about it, like a big messy chocolate cupcake with gobs of buttercream frosting and berry swirls. I could do with a bit more tang from the cranberry, but overall it’s a fun one!

Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 23

Catching up on tasting notes after disconnecting for the holidays — hope everyone has had a lovely and restful holiday season!

Urgh, the stevia here is criminal. I couldn’t drink this one without grimacing (although I can be a bit dramatic, so…) and feeling like my mouth was coated in slippery-sweet stevia. :(

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.

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!

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!

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

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!