Brutaliteas

Day 5 Advent. Damn you, hibiscus!!!! It’s not full of hibiscus, but it’s enough for me to think “blech!!”. The hib bite was too much when it was hot, but now that it’s cooled things are a little more tolerable. I am amused at the naming of a hibiscus tea “Jams” in honor of “Jaws”. It’s perfect because it steeps up like blood in the water. I’m trying hard to taste past the hibiscus, but it’s so dominating that I can’t. It has this weird metallic tang, like blood (now that I have blood in mind with this tea) and a sour finish. This just reaffirms my hibby hate.
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Day 4 of advent. Very rich butterscotch candy scent when dry. I steeped it for just over three minutes, but I think that may have been too much. In addition to a strong butterscotch flavor there was also a tanic bitterness. Adding in cream helps mellow out that bite and blends well with the butterscotch flavor.
I love the wacky names that this company comes up with, but some of them I don’t know the reference for. This is one of them. Is there a band I’m not aware of? A meme that I missed? A horror movie I never heard of?
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Advent day 4! I had a somewhat hectic day, and I’m a bit behind on sipping through my advent offerings. This is a Brutalities flavor I’ve been wanting to try for awhile, so I was happy to see it in the advent. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a miss for me. The butterscotch flavor is far too mild for my taste, and there’s something a bit too astringent/bordering on sour that just isn’t working for me.

Advent day 3! I’m getting cinnamon chocolate chip cookie vibes from this (which makes sense now that I’m looking at the ingredients).The clove is definitely the most prominent note for me, closely followed by the cinnamon. The hazelnut/chocolate notes give it that baked good effect. I can taste the rooibos, which I dislike and could’ve done without. But, the honey bush and toasted mate definitely overpower the rooibos.

Advent day 3! Polterspice, LOL! I love the name! It is full of spices, that’s for sure, but there is a deeper scent like the spices were baked. I can pick out some heat, maybe cinnamon or cayenne? The spices blend together well enough that I can’t pick them out individually. There is something almost, but not quite soapy in the finish. It has a slight sweetness to it, something slightly earthy. I’ve almost consumed the whole cup sipping away and enjoying it! I’d take a second steeping of this!
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Advent day 2! This isn’t a tea I would normally gravitate towards, but I’m actually obsessed with it! I’m mainly hit with a strong strawberry aroma. Flavor-wise, this tastes just like Frankenberry cereal milk! I’m really enjoying the pu’erh/assam combo, it’s rich and earthy, but works perfectly with the hazelnut, strawberry, and creme flavors (all of which I can distinctly taste). I absolutely love this tea, it was a great start to the day.

Day 2 of advent. Dry this smells like chocolate covered red fruit. It has a deep rich scent that I can’t quite put words to. This steeps up dark and reminds me of Lupicia’s Chocolate Strawberry Puer, which is one of my favorites. It smells like puer too. When sipping, I first get the puer taste that I can only describe as musty cave flavor that is toned down from other puers I’ve had. It sounds unflattering, but I don’t mean it that way. There is a red berry flavor in the finish along with something that hints of chocolate. I assume from the name that this must have assam in it. Maybe that is what is toning down the puer with a touch of malt? It was a good cup and I’d say it was like that Lupicia tea with the berry toned down and puer more center stage.
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I’ve been waiting anxiously to dig into these advent calendars and the day is finally here! I drank this tea while going about my day, including a visit to the Dickens Fair. The dominant flavor was a light cinnamon which muted the green tea. I tried to imagine it as carrot cake, but carrot has never been a flavor that translates well in my brain to tea. It was an enjoyable cup, but not something I’d seek out.
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Advent day 1! More of just a mild spice, rather than a carrot cake flavor. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

Thanks to amandastory516 for introducing me to this fun company! This tea has probably the most pleasant apple flavor I’ve tried in a tea. I don’t like teas that are cinnamon apple, which is what I was afraid this would be. Happily, the main flavor is purely red apple. There might be a touch of cinnamon underneath, but it mostly plays a supporting role. I really like this!

My morning cuppa. This had a nice solid flavor, not too strong or too bold. I didn’t taste much in the way of marshmallow, but there was a flavor there I couldn’t place so maybe that’s something. Planning to drink more of this in the coming days because it’s just a really tasty black tea. Thanks for letting me try this one, amandastory516!

Another one of my favorite teas, also from Brutaliteas. Perfect combination of smoky lapsing and sweet marshmallows. Excellent when you want something cozy that isn’t spiced.

I haven’t had a cup of this in awhile, so decided to indulge. It’s just as wonderful as I remember. Perfectly nutty, with a bit of cranberry and the delicious marzipan.

I was very happy to see this in my advent calendar, as it’s a favorite of mine. This cup is very nutty, with just a bit of cranberry and marzipan.

This has become one of my favorite teas. An excellent combination of tart cranberries and sweet marzipan. I can’t taste much of the rose, which is a plus in my book.