Tea and Me

So the final window on the advent calendar has been opened and it’s another tea bag —  the extremely festive-sounding Christmas Cake . Ingredients: Ceylon black tea, vanilla pieces, almond pieces, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, spruce needles, snowflake sprinkles (sugar, rice flour, hardened peanut oil, potato starch, flavour, gum arabic (E414), potassium sorbate (E202), colours (E171)), flavour. They describe it thus: Holding its own for the title of best Christmas tea of all time, this blend tastes like cake, contains real life actual Christmas tree (spruce needles!) and, as if that wasn't enough, it has little candy snowflakes. Still not impressed? Well brew it up and watch it glitter like icicles!  In the same way that I don’t like mince pies and Christmas pudding, I don’t like Christmas cake — not the fruit ones, anyway — I used to like the chocolate topping, the frosting and the marzipan fruit on a Tunis cake but not the actual cake itself as it was

It’s the second to last day of the calendar and we’ve returned to the matcha  —  Gingernut Matcha to be precise. Ingredients: Japanese matcha green tea, ginger, cinnamon, natural flavour granules, chilli They describe it thus: Our limited edition Gingernut biscuit matcha blend is so moreish with milk! Get your matcha kicks with a ginger tingle this Autumn - Winter season!  I have to admit that I was extremely pleased to discover that today’s tea was matcha as it meant I didn’t have to drink and review it straight away. Now, that might sound a bit harsh, but there is a good reason for it. Unfortunately, Father Christmas has visited my house a few days early and left a not-so-nice present for me, one for which the following are required, and as I opened the calendar door I have to admit I was praying for matcha, while all the while wishing I could go back to bed (I couldn't as I have a hairdresser's appointment, and my hair takes many hours to

It’s the final of Bluebird’s ghosts and another Christmas Future  —  Mrs Claus' Raspberry Prosecco . Ingredients: First Flush Darjeeling black tea, apple pieces, rosehip, hibiscus, Siberian ginseng, freeze-dried raspberry, orange peel, natural flavouring. They describe it thus: First Flush Darjeeling, the champagne of black teas, and real raspberry chunks; this light + classy fruity flute is perfect for toasting special occasions (or just after a long day out on the sleigh!). It is a not-so-secret that all would grind to a halt at Christmas time without the help of the fabulous Mrs Claus so she sure deserves this tea treat! I was expecting to really like this as I have tried and enjoyed several raspberry-flavoured teas ( Adagio’s Veritaserum from the Magic Potions sampler is one of my favourites, as is the Blue Raspberry from Bluebird) and raspberries are one of my favourite fruits so I’m willing to try just about anything they appear in. Unfortunat

It’s another ghost of Christmas Future  —  Spiced Clementine . Ingredients: Hibiscus, cloves, apple pieces, ginger, star anise, orange flowers, rosehip, orange peel, natural flavour. They describe it thus: Remember when you were young and you got to decorate clementines with cloves? Remember how amazing and Christmassy it smelt? We're bringing you back with this delicious tangy but sweet Christmas blend! The perfect stocking filler or the best accompaniment for your Christmas pud! This is actually a far more subtle blend than I was expecting although it is a very nice tea. It smells lovely and orangey and spicy and tastes just like Christmas with the cinnamon offsetting the orange flavour perfectly. I left it to brew for about 7 minutes to bring out the flavour a bit more. Next time I’ll probably leave it for 10. Whilst this is a tea I could have drunk it without sugar as ever, for me, the addition of a teaspoon of demerara enhanced the flavours a

The third ghost is apparently of Christmas Future  —  Mince Pie. Ingredients: Sri Lankan black tea, cinnamon, almond pieces, orange peel, pomegranate flowers, natural flavouring. They describe it thus: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without homemade mince pies- surely the staple of the festive season? (and everyone knows puff pastry is the best!). Guilt-free, gently spiced + deliciously sweet, great with or without milk! So curl up in a warm duvet and sip on this inspired blend, before Santa gets his hands on it!  I have to admit that I don’t like mince pies but as this tea bag contains no ingredients I dislike I will be trying it as it sounds far nicer than its namesake. However, as it’s black tea, I can’t drink it in the evening otherwise I won’t get any sleep. I was intending to try it today at work, but unfortunately, I was extremely busy so didn’t get the chance. Therefore, I shall have to return with a review for this tomorrow. I presume the fact

It’s the second ghost of Christmas Past  —   White Christmas . Ingredients: Chinese white tea, Apple pieces, cranberry,  Hibiscus, Rosehip, orange peel, Cocoa shells, Morello cherries, Rose petals, Flavour. They describe it thus: Apparently everyone is dreaming of a white Christmas… One full of white tea, white chocolate and Morello cherries by any chance? No?! Well, you sure will be once you've tried this brand new limited edition Christmas blend. Packed full of juicy cherries + white chocolate chunks, this tea is sure to be top of your Xmas gift list!  Just as the Mulled Wine was brought back for the day yesterday, so Bluebird have resurrected White Christmas for one day only and made it the advent calendar tea bag of the day. The first thing to say about this tea is that it smells absolutely fantastic, with the most mouth-watering cherry smell that transfers in colour to the mug. This isn’t a particularly strong flavoured tea though, nor does i

It’s apparently a ghost of Christmas Past  - it’s the Mulled Wine tea bag. Ingredients: Hibiscus, rosehip, apple pieces, lemon pieces, orange peel, orange flowers, cloves, cinnamon. They describe it thus: A steaming mug of mulled wine on a frosty winter's eve is just about our favourite part of the chilly Christmas season. Brew up a Bluebird Mulled Wine and delicious scents of clove, cinnamon and orange will waft you right into a winter wonderland! You can also add to red wine on the stove for the real deal. So, today’s tea is classified as a 'ghost of Christmas past', but as luck would have it, this week Bluebird are reviving five of their ghosts, each for one day only.  Today’s 'ghost' is the same Mulled Wine as the advent calendar tea bag and you have until midnight to get it if you want it (and better still there’s still free delivery until then as well). This is a really tasty fruit tea, full-bodied and full of flavour with all those

In a flashback to Summer – today it’s Ice Cream Matcha. Ingredients: Japanese matcha green tea, carob powder, natural flavouring. They describe it thus: Everybody's favourite summer treat - Enjoy a creamy, moreish ice cream matcha cone in the afternoon sun! Try me iced or hot and I'm awesome with milk! Oh look, another matcha, and this time it’s the Summer-inspired Ice Cream flavour. The packets really are building up now, aren’t they? I’ve been seeing other people’s pictures of their advent drinks on Bluebird’s Instagram page and I have to say none of the matcha’s look particularly appealing to me whether they’re made with water or milk. However, I took advantage of the free posting offer that they’re doing at the moment (finishes at midnight tonight) and bought a latte shaker, so I at least when I do finally get round to trying them (sometime over Christmas, I promise) I will be able to make the latte bit properly. Review to follow. 

It’s Bluebird’s take on a British classic – it's the Great British Cuppa . Ingredients: Indian Assam black tea, Ceylon black tea, Chinese Yunnan tea. They describe it thus: We've been around the world in 80 teas with this one! On a mission to get our nation of tea lovers, THE BEST cuppa. Good news... Mission accomplished! Fantastic with your fry up, perfect with a Paddington (marmalade on toast, obviously!) The Great British Cuppa is right here! It’s normal tea! Well, sort of. This is the closest you’ll get to a ‘normal’ tea bag on the Bluebird site, and it’s actually pretty good. I have to admit that as normal tea goes, I’m a big fan of builders tea (think M&S Extra Strong or Yorkshire Gold left to stew for a bit) and I have to have it with milk and 2 sugars (how very British of me). This tea isn’t that strong, but it’s also not bitter so can stand a longer brewing time to give it a bit more oomph. It is packed full of flavour though an

It's day 15 and there's something unusual in the tea advent calendar — Guarana Chai Solid Perfume.    Ingredients: Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Oil, Beeswax, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene, Cinnamal, Geronial, Citral They describe it thus: This South American-inspired fragrance is the perfect tropical treat, jam-packed with spicy and exotic notes to keep you smelling hot in the summer heat!  So, today's gift was completely unexpected. Tea-flavoured perfume in a cute little tin was not what I was expecting. I have to admit that when I first saw it I was a little underwhelmed and wasn't sure why anyone would want a perfume that smells like tea, but then I tried it and I actually quite like it. Bluebird offer 3 different perfumes (and also do them as a set) — Guarana Chai, Earl Gray Creme and Honey Bee Beautiful. I suspect that of the 3, I will only like the one I received today and that's because it has the sort of spicy aroma that I really like in a

The perfect tea bag for the time of year (if you like that sort of thing) — it’s Jack Frost . Ingredients: Spearmint, eucalyptus, desiccated coconut, aniseed, sprinkles (sugar, rice flour, hardened peanut oil, potato starch, flavour, gum arabic (E414), potassium sorbate (E202), colours (E410)), pine needles, blue cornflowers. They describe it thus: The mischevious Jack Frost is a crisp, cool cuppa. With icy spearmint, frosty coconut + snowflake sprinkles, Jack Frost will sure nip your nose + toes! Today’s tea bag is the Limited Edition herbal infusion, Jack Frost. It would appear that the tea bags were either so popular that they sold out or were produced specifically for their special gifts like the advent calendar as they are not available on the website except as part of the build it yourself cracker kit. As you will have spotted this tea bag contains coconut so it’s a no-go for me, sadly, as otherwise, it sounded really interesting. I will be pass

Oh look, it’s another matcha — this time it’s Salted Caramel Ingredients: Japanese matcha green tea, cocoa powder, natural flavouring granules. They describe it thus: Nothing beats a dollop of homemade salted caramel that melts away in your mouth! Insider scoop - founder Krisi said this is her favourite matcha creation yet because it is the perfect balance of sweet and oh so smooth!  So, the Bible says something along the lines of ‘ask and you shall receive’ and it appears that in this case it is right. Having mentioned the other day how I would have included Salted Caramel in the advent calendar, it is today’s tea. I have to admit that part of me would prefer it to be a tea bag rather than yet more matcha, but at least this one has a flavour that I’m actually interested in so I’m sort of looking forward to trying it — probably at the weekend once I find my latte frother. The review will follow once I’ve tried it. 

Today’s tea bag is a twist on an old classic — it’s Earl Grey Creme Ingredients: Ceylon black tea, vanilla, cornflowers, bergamot oil. They describe it thus: Don't we wish prime ministers today were as good as the ones in the good old days? Take PM Earl Grey, he was the cream of the crop. Not only did he help abolish slavery and reform the House of Commons, he also invented the legendary Earl Grey tea! So we've created this creamy tribute just for you old chap! I’m sure you’ll be unsurprised to hear that I’ve never been particularly keen on Earl Grey tea as it’s far too flowery for my liking and I’m not a lover of bergamot either. But as this was today’s tea bag I knew I had to give it a try, even though I wouldn’t normally drink black tea this late in the day. This is actually quite a delicate-tasting tea so the usual flower/bergamot flavours aren’t particularly forceful as in most Earl Greys or perhaps the addition of the vanilla masks the fl

Today it's another matcha — this time it's Mixology Matcha . Ingredients: Ground green tea, ground white tea. They describe it thus:  Bluebird's Mixology Matcha contains rare and unique white matcha, grown at higher elevations to ensure an antioxidant boosted, even more nutrient rich cup.  The white tea in this blend is grown in Kenya and has 3 times the normal antioxidant levels of Japanese matcha. You still get the traditional Japanese ocean taste and grass green colour, but the antioxidant levels are significantly boosted. So, it's another matcha. I have to admit that with the quite impressive selection of flavoured matchas available at Bluebird I'm disappointed with what has been put in the advent calendar so far. Obviously, this is personal taste and I don't know what is still to come, but if I was doing it I would have put things like cocoa, salted caramel and gingernut in as they're slightly more festive — and might even

It’s an oldie — it’s Honey Bee Beautiful . This tea is extremely popular with Bluebird customers but it contains chamomile, which is not one of my favourite flavours, and as I have already reviewed it previously, I’m directing you to that review instead of trying it again. Instead, I spent the day drinking Christmas tea by Adagio, which I was using to try to put me in the mood for festivities — i.e. putting up the Christmas tree (I also tried overdosing on Christmas movies), in the face of the snow that was coming down outside (my dislike of snow is as legendary as my dislike of coconut and is always guaranteed to put me in a bad mood). I failed miserably on all counts and the Christmas tree will have to wait until another day, but I did enjoy the tea and may or may not have shed a tear or two over the films. Ingredients: Black Tea, Cinnamon Bark, Orange Peels, Natural Spice Flavour, Cardamom, Cloves, Ginger Root, Natural Ginger Flavour And Natu

The weather is getting colder and today's tea reflects that - it's the Snowball tea bag. I ngredients: Ceylon black tea, coconut pieces, cacao bean, cocoa shells, desiccated coconut, mini marshmallows (glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, gelatine, maize starch, flavouring, colour (E162)), chocolate chips (sugar, cacao , emulsifier soya lecithin), red cornflowers, flavour. They describe it thus: The chocolatey, marshmallow, coconut goodness of a gooey Snowball is one of the best sweet treats of Christmas and this year it is award-winning too! Our most famous Christmas tea blend scooped a Great Taste Award this year for its chocolate chips in plenty, coconut flakes in tons and a sprinkle of mini marshmallows to finish it off- The perfect Christmas Snowball.  This tea is one of Bluebird's Limited Edition Christmas teas and they also do a vegan version of it for those of you who can't have the marshmallows in this version. As you'll be aware b