The big day is almost here. Just two days left to shop for it!
Today’s artistic inspiration comes from another 12 Days of Christmas swap. This ornament was created by Autumn. (Sorry, Autumn, I didn’t take note of your last name!) This is really a cool ornament. It’s difficult to tell from the photo (and the photo isn’t the greatest anyway!) but the base of the ornament is a juice concentrate lid. You know, the stuff you get in the freezer section of the grocery store in the cardboard cylinders with metal ends? Autumn took the metal ends and made ornaments! Really cool!
It’s not only a beautiful ornament that adds a lot of sparkle to my tree, but I love that it was made out of something upcycled – something that was otherwise destined for the landfill! 
Here is an up close view of the ornament…
Like I said, very cool.
I love doing the 12 days of Christmas mail art swaps for things like this – I find it very inspiring to see what other artists are doing with everyday “throwaway” items like juice can lids! Pieces like this really get the creative juices flowing!
Today’s teas is one of my favorites thus far. This is one tea I’m likely to buy again from Teanzo, because I suspect I’ll be wanting more of it soon!
Earl Grey Green Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
If you love Earl Grey Tea, then try our Earl Grey Green Tea. You get all the health benefits of green tea, with that familiar Earl Grey flavor that you already love. A perfect gift for Earl Grey lovers!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve reviewed quite a few Earl Grey black teas (an understatement!) but significantly less Earl Grey green teas. There are a couple of reasons for this: the first is that there are far fewer Earl Grey green teas available out there. With just about any tea company out there, you’re likely to find an Earl Grey black. Most tea companies has at least one black variety of Earl Grey. But, only a fraction of those actually carry an Earl Grey green tea.
The second reason is that as much as I love an Earl Grey black tea, I’ve not found a lot of Earl Grey green teas that I’ve enjoyed as much. I’ve enjoyed a few, but if it came down to a choice between an Earl Grey black and an Earl Grey green, I’d choose the black version every time. Bergamot just seems to meld better with the flavor of black tea better than the green tea.
BUT!
I think I may have found an Earl Grey green tea that I enjoy as much as I enjoy some of my favorite Earl Grey blacks. Maybe not as much as those Earl Grey black teas that are at the very top of my list, but, this Earl Grey green even when placed among the black teas would be somewhere in the top ten. Yep. I said it. This is a GOOD Earl Grey green. Really good!
I’m not sure what makes this one so much better than the other Earl Grey green teas that I’ve tried. The bergamot? Perhaps. This is a flavorful bergamot, tangy with just a little contrasting sweetness, it’s bright and invigorating. A nice, sunny citrus note that isn’t overly floral or perfume-y, but still very distinctly bergamot.
Perhaps it’s the tea itself? The green tea here looks like large gunpowder pellets and it has a pleasantly sweet flavor. It’s not overly vegetative. It’s a little earthy, it has hints of buttery notes. It’s a mild tasting green tea and it blends in a very agreeable way with the notes of bergamot. It has a slight creaminess to it that softens some of the sharper notes of the bergamot.
Together, this is a delightful match. The tea resteeps nicely too, I find that the bergamot notes soften somewhat in the second infusion but the softer notes are quite pleasant too.
This tea was one of the most pleasant of surprises discovered in this Advent Calender from Teanzo!
Karigane #22 from Tea Wing
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Wing
Tea Description:
A blend of stems and leaves which are shaded 20 days prior to harvest. This kabuse is naturally sweet and bright with a beautiful aroma. The shaded leaves are a deep green and the steeped liquor yield has an almost “chewy” mouthfeel. Lots of flavor.
Read other Steepster thoughts on this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Karigane #22 from Tea Wing represents the third of the five teas that I’m tasting from the inaugural Steepster Select box. (Well, it’s the first after a year plus hiatus, anyway!)
The aroma of the dry leaf is grassy, evocative of freshly cut grass. I noticed a lot of stems and finely cut leaves, looking as though both have been finely shredded, reminding me of a Japanese Sencha. The brewed tea smells very vegetative … and tastes vegetative too.
The flavor tastes of sweet grass and lightly buttered vegetables. It is a strong vegetal taste, so if you’re one who tends to shy away from green teas with that strong leafy taste, this tea might not be the one for you. Me, I like it. It has a very clean and pure kind of flavor, and it’s pleasantly invigorating.
As the tea cools slightly, I am picking up on some creamy notes, and I find that these creamy notes develop as I continue to sip. Maybe slightly buttery, but also … tasting of sweet cream.
The finish is agreeably sweet, and it’s a sweetness that reminds me of agave nectar! At first I thought that maybe, somehow … I had added some agave nectar to the cup, but, since there isn’t any agave nectar in the house at the moment, I don’t know how that would have happened.
A very enjoyable cup of tea with a thick, brothy mouthfeel that complements the vegetal, creamy taste of the tea. Another WIN from Steepster Select! If you haven’t yet signed up for it, why not? You should get yourself here and sign up as soon as possible! You’ll be happy you did!
