4572 Tasting Notes
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 11
Theme: An underappreciated song
Song: Gaudete by The Mediaeval Baebes
Wasn’t too excited by the thought of two flavors I don’t always enjoy in tea (almond and coconut) together. However, similar to the Snowflake from Murchie’s that I recently tried, they seem better together. This is described as tasting like wedding cake, and I can see that, though the flavoring was quite mild to my tastebuds. It did have a butteriness that called to mind cake or buttercream. Very mellow overall, but a pleasant cup.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=INAdvWqPsIo&si=0EW8agUdT48QdBVJ
Flavors: Almond, Buttery, Cake, Frosting, Soft, Sweet
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 10
Theme: Winter Wonderland
Song: Winter Wonderland by Elvis Presley
I greatly enjoy silver needle, and this was no exception. Very smooth and creamy with notes of hay and oats, and then soft hints of wildflowers, honey, cucumber, and milk. A lovely tea for relaxing in the evening. And this Elvis rendition was a fun pick, I’d never heard it before!
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ClT5HqaiAUI&si=EZT26pi6Kiq5yGuB
Flavors: Creamy, Cucumber, Grain, Hay, Honey, Milk, Oats, Smooth, Sweet, Wildflowers
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 9
Theme: An old favorite
Song: The Holly & The Ivy by Loreena McKennitt
Forgot to post this yesterday. I’ve been wanting to try this one for a while, so how cool that Marjorie chose it for our swap advent! It was delightful, woodsy but light with a subtle natural sweetness. Its mellow flavor made it a perfect tea for the evening, and since I love woodsy teas, I adored this one.
Also, I’ve decided to pause all of my other advents for the time being, due to a combination of feeling burnt out and just overall a bit crappy these past few days, and I’ll also be away from home for the rest of the month starting on Saturday. I’m planning to take Marjorie’s advent with me, but the rest I’ll just finish in January when I’m back home.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=GTG0VPLAFkU&si=O_UHj1Qq9W3sci9i
Flavors: Cooling, Evergreen, Fir, Fresh, Herbaceous, Soft, Sweet, Woodsy
Preparation
I’ve always loved that song by Loreena McKennitt! I look forward to reading your notes whenever you get around to them. At this rate, I’ll still be posting notes for the Compagnie & Co teas in January as well.
Sorry you feel burnt out! I hope you get some refreshing rest soon!
No reason to burn yourself out and not enjoy yourself — hope you can rest up!
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 8
Theme: Angels We Have Heard on High
Song: Angels We Have Heard on High by Cambridge Singers
Two Forever Nuts type blends on the same day! This one is closer to the original – sweet and nutty with a light butteriness and a sprinkling of cinnamon. The acidity of the apple helps keep it from being overly rich. This flavor profile just isn’t a favorite of mine, but nice to have every once in a while!
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=7dxq6mmKKc4&si=eBeIbnRV6QdtOT0Q
Flavors: Apple, Buttery, Cinnamon, Nuts, Sweet
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 8
This reminds me of Forever Frosty, I think? It’s a Forever Nuts type blend, but then it has orange and some light spicing. It doesn’t list any flavoring, but definitely tastes like there is some sort of desserty flavor. Honey or vanilla maybe? Overall, it’s quite buttery but the tang of the apple and orange helps to cut through the richness. The spice is barely noticeable, just a bit of an anise note. I don’t notice the cardamom. It’s nice and cozy but not something I would want on a regular basis.
Flavors: Anise, Apple, Buttery, Citrus, Fruity, Honey, Nutty, Orange, Sweet, Tangy
Preparation
Stash Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 8
Strawberry Snowman Crisp
So this is a red rooibos base with hibiscus and strawberry, caramel, and vanilla flavors. I wasn’t expecting much since I’m not always a fan of fruit paired with rooibos, but this is delightful! They really got the balance of the rooibos and hibiscus spot on, the hibiscus adds tang and makes the strawberry taste more real, and the rooibos is just enough to give a nutty crisp topping-like note. It does end up tasting a bit like a strawberry crumble or crisp! I do find it amusing that they threw “snowman” in there to try to make a summer flavor into a holiday one… XD
Rating: 80
Flavors: Fruity, Jam, Nutty, Pastries, Red Rooibos, Smooth, Strawberry, Sweet, Tangy, Tart, Vanilla, Woody
Preparation
knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 8 (my pick)
Theme: Angels We Have Heard on High
Song: Angels We Have Heard on High by Josh Groban
Another one that I finished off after sending the advent, like a dummy. I chose this because angels make me think of glowing golden halos and warm light, and this tea is perfect for that! Not only in the name, but the bright lemony flavor is very sunny and happy. Too bad I didn’t leave myself any! (sigh…)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=bXMxZl_m9Ww&si=ify5BgMJ9mdV1uxF
Casting Whimsy Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 8
Mockingbird
This is a maple pecan black tea. As I would expect, it’s not for me. It tastes very artificial, as nut flavors often can, and that combined with the maple flavoring is just quite cloying. It ends up tasting a bit generically desserty instead of specifically maple or pecan. It reminds me a bit of hazelnut coffee creamer, which is not a flavor I enjoy. Oh well!
Rating: 55
Flavors: Artificial, Buttery, Hazelnut, Maple, Nutty, Rich, Sweet
Preparation
Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 8
I added these chai bags myself, as the sampler only had 20 bags originally (and I also removed a couple that were not exciting, ahem). I bought the sampler set on a whim when I was ordering something else (autumn teas?), and they had been hanging out on my tea counter for a bit.
Anyway! This is quite mild, but delightful. More of a black tea with a touch of spice than a chai, I would say. I really like it though, there’s a honey-like note to the Assam that’s really pleasant with the ginger, which is earthy yet mellow. I taste quite a bit of cardamom as well – I checked the bag and it lists ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and laurel. The cinnamon is giving a touch of sweetness I think. Regardless, really enjoying it as my first tea of the day!
For jam, today it’s White Nectarine Peach Lemon Verbena Spread (what a mouthful!). I definitely remember this one from previous years. To me, the verbena is a little weird, as it ends up tasting like eucalyptus or a very brisk peppermint to me. Which isn’t necessarily a bad combination with the stonefruit, it just takes it in a very different direction. Still tasty, just not what I would necessarily expect? It’s not super noticeable once it’s on toast though, anyway.
Flavors: Brisk, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Earthy, Ginger, Honey, Malty, Spices, Sweet, Warm
Preparation
So farm the plum has been my favorite! I saved the Caramel Coffee one for Superanna because she has been looking forward to it and is sad they don’t sell it year round! Similarly there is one day that will be saved for my son, ha ha! So we will have two days of foraging other jam, and that’s okay because we have plenty of jam!
The plum and the apple cinnamon are my faves so far!
Advent Calendar 2025 – Day 7
Whew, last one! I haven’t had this tea in a while, I remember many years ago I bought it thinking it was osmanthus scented, which it is not. However, it’s a very pleasant lightly roasted oolong. There’s a gentle toastiness combined with mineral, green, and subtle dried fruit and floral notes. Some kind of stonefruit perhaps, especially in the finish. It has a nice, gentle honeyed sweetness to it as well. A very pleasant cozy tea for the evening!
Flavors: Dried Fruit, Floral, Green, Honey, Mineral, Roasted, Smooth, Soft, Spring Water, Stonefruit, Sweet, Toasty, Woody
