REVIEW: Fortnum & Mason Tea Lover's Advent Calendar

 

I bought the Fortnum & Mason Tea Lover's Advent Calendar in September with the hopes of holding onto it until December to count down the days to Christmas. A week later, at the end of September, I opened up the first door and have been slowly making my way through the advent calendar since.

There is a debate online about how to go about opening advent calendars. I usually start at 1 and match the calendar dates. Other people say they begin with 24 and countdown the days to Christmas. Which group do you belong to?

I thought I would list some of my favorite teas included in the Advent Calendar, the ones that surprised me, the ones I will buy in the future and my ultimate favourite.

The One That Surprised Me: Vanilla Nougat Flavour Black Tea

Description: A naturally sweet and nutty black tea that tastes almost as good as the real thing.

I am usually not a fan of nougat in my tea, but with this one I was pleasantly surprised. The vanilla comes through strong as well.

The One I Was Most Looking Forward To: Gin & Tonic Flavour Green Tea

Description: A refreshing green tea inspired by Fortnum's classic Gin & Tonic, made with Juniper berries and a finishing twist of lime zest.

Although the one I was most looking forward to, I didn't particularly like this tea. It was too spicy for me. 

Best Fruit Tea: Apricot, Honey & Lavender Infusion

Description: Made with Fortnum's own wildflower-rich Salisbury Plain Honey, this light, floral and mellow infusion combines sweet notes of fruity apricot and honey with calming lavender.

This tea was calming and pleasantly sweet. I will definitely buy this in the future!

Best Black Tea: Countess Grey

Description: A twist on the traditional Bergamot-infused blend, Countess Grey combines well-twisted orange pekoe tea with classic bergamot and notes of orange.

I love most of the "Grey" teas, for lack of a better term. 

Best Tea Overall: Royal Blend

Description: First blended for Edward VII in the summer of 1902, Royal Blend has been popular ever since for its smooth, almost honey-like flavour.

The Royal Blend has a rich black tea flavour without the bitterness I find from other black teas. This I will definitely purchase in the future!

You can still get your Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar this year by visiting www.fortnumandmason.com/christmas-advent-calendars. They do ship most of their items globally. 

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