Today’s tea from my Tea Advent Calendar is Kentucky Bourbon. This looks fantastic, especially since I like whiskey. The tea contains black tee, keemun concerto tea, rose hips, cocoa nibs, lapsang souchong tea, whiskey flavor, blue cornflowers, natural candy apple flavor, and natural vanilla flavor. It actually did have that smokey, woody whiskey smell when I opened the packet, but it also smelled sweet. I steeped it for 3 minutes in 8 ounces of 212ºF hot water. Unsweetened, I could really smell the whiskey scent but without the alcohol! But it didn’t taste like much beyond black tea with whiskey. So I added almond milk and sugar, and I could taste more of the spices. It reminded me faintly of mulled apple cider, but not as sweet or spicy, mixed with the warm black tea flavor, and with a shot of whiskey in it. It was a really nice cup of tea, although I felt like drinking it after lunch was a bit early in the day. :)

Today’s tea from my Tea Advent Calendar is Spiced Green tea. I’ve never tried this one but it looks very wintery. The tea contains green tea, orange, natural spice flavor, cinnamon, and ginger. When I opened the packet, it reminded me of mulled wine spices, which you can steep in hot apple cider or wine or a combination. The green tea looks like Chinese green tea. I steeped it for 2 minutes in 8 ounces of 180ºF hot water. The leaves unfurl really beautifully as it steeps. Unsweetened, I can taste more orange peel than anything else. I added some sugar, and suddenly it tasted almost exactly like when I simmered mulling spices in hot apple cider. It was so delicious! A nice balance of ginger and orange and cinnamon. A really wonderful tea for Christmas!

Today’s tea from my Tea Advent Calendar is Arabica Mocha. I tried this tea before, and I think I liked it. The arabica is coffee leaves, which if I remember correctly does have a little bit of caffeine. The tea contains arabica tea, toasted mate tea, chicory, cocoa nibs, natural chocolate flavor, natural hazelnut flavor, and safflower. I think that the mate tea contains caffeine, so this is definitely not a low caffeine tea. I could smell the chocolate and hazelnut as soon as I opened the packet, and it smelled like Nutella. I steeped it for 5 minutes in 8 ounces of 212ºF hot water. Unsweetened, it tasted to me just like toasted tea, maybe with a hint of cocoa. I added almond milk and sugar and it tasted delicious. Either it’s the arabica or the mate or the chicory, but there’s a faint grassiness to it, however I mostly taste the toasted flavor with the faint hint of chocolate and hazelnut. A nice, warming cup of tea.

Today’s tea from my Tea Advent Calendar is White Pear. I’ve tried this before, and it’s delicate and tasty. The tea contains white tea, apple pieces, and natural pear flavor. I could smell the sweet pear scent as soon as I opened the packet. I steeped it for 3 minutes in 8 ounces of 180ºF hot water. While steeping, I couldn’t smell the pear scent as much and instead smelled the grassy scent of the white tea. The pear flavor is SO good! It compliments the white tea flavor quite well. I liked it unsweetened, but added a little sugar also to bring out the sweetness of the pear more. This would make a fantastic iced tea, too.

「ひとり寿司」をブログに連載します！ ひとり寿司 寿司シリーズの第一作 キャミー・タング 西島美幸 訳 スポーツ狂のレックス・坂井 —— いとこのマリコが数ヶ月後に結婚することにより、「いとこの中で一番年上の独身女性」という内輪の肩書を「勝ち取る」ことについては、あまり気にしていない。コントロールフリークの祖母を無視するのは容易だ —— しかし、祖母は最終通告を出した —— マリコの結婚式までにデート相手を見つけなければ、無慈悲な祖母は、レックスがコーチをしている女子バレーボールチームへの資金供給を切ると言う。 ダグアウトにいる選手全員とデートに出かけるほど絶望的なわけではない。レックスは、バイブルスタディで読んだ「エペソの手紙」をもとに「最高の男性」の条件の厳しいリストを作った。バレーボールではいつも勝つ —— ゲームを有利に進めれば、必ず成功するはずだ。 そのとき兄は、クリスチャンではなく、アスリートでもなく、一見何の魅力もないエイデンを彼女に引き合わせる。 エイデンは、クリスチャンではないという理由で離れていったトリッシュという女の子から受けた痛手から立ち直ろうとしている。そして、レックスが（１）彼に全く興味がないこと、（２）クリスチャンであること、（３）トリッシュのいとこであることを知る。あの狂った家族とまた付き合うのはごめんだ。まして、偽善的なクリスチャンの女の子など、お断り。彼はマゾヒストじゃない。 レックスは時間がなくなってきた。いくら頑張っても、いい人は現れない。それに、どこへ行ってもエイデンに遭遇する。あのリストはどんどん長くなっていくばかり —— 過去に掲載済みのストーリーのリンクはこちらです。 *** ９ リチャードは死んだも同然。彼の死は、百パーセント確実だ。 レックスは鍵を鍵穴に押し込み、家の中へ入った。何か大きな音を立てて壊したい衝動に駆られたが、父親が眠っていた。 「おかえり、レックス」 「あれ、お父さん？ まだ起きてた？」レックスはドアを閉め、バッグをソファの上に落とした。 父は、リクライニングチェアの中で上半身を起こそうと、もがいている。「デートはどうだった？」 レックスは、スタイロフォームの持ち帰りボックスをにらんだ。「残りをテイクアウトしてきた」他に言...

Today’s tea from my Tea Advent Calendar is Rooibos Pecan Turtle, which sounds scrumptious! I’m not overly fond of rooibos, but many of the rooibos teas I’ve tried from Adagio have been rather tasty, so I’m looking forward to this one. (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the packet.) The tea is made of rooibos tea, apple pieces, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, dark chocolate chips, chicory, pecan flavor, caramel flavor, chocolate flavor, and marigold flowers. It smelled like caramel when I opened the packet, with a hint of nuts. I steeped it for 5 minutes in 8 ounces of 212ºF hot water. The tea tastes delicious unsweetened. There’s a hint of sweetness from the tea itself, and I could totally see how this would be a good tea to drink with dessert like pecan pie. :) I almost didn’t add milk and sugar, but decided to do so anyway. WOW that made it taste fantastic! It was like a caramel steamer (a latte without the coffee). The nutty flavor is there but subtle and rounds out the sweet car...

Today’s tea from my Tea Advent Calendar is Raja Oolong Chai, which I’ve never tried before. I’ve liked most of the other chai teas from Adagio, so I’m expecting this one to be good, too. The ingredients are oolong tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, chicory, cocoa nibs, natural spicy cinnamon flavor, black peppercorn, and cloves. I’m not exactly sure how it differs from regular chai tea, but when I opened the packet, it smelled similar to regular chai tea, but with a slightly woody scent that was different. I steeped it for 5 minutes in 8 ounces of 212ºF hot water. It actually tasted quite nice unsweetened. The cinnamon flavor is strong and it reminds me of the orange cinnamon tea from Hobee’s restaurant. With sugar and almond milk, the cinnamon flavor is a little toned down, but still strong and delicious. I think I might buy a few teabags of this for Captain Caffeine, who loves cinnamon tea and has been disappointed that the original flavor Good Earth Tea changed its recipe and ...