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So I have to caveat this tasting note with the fact that any tea that contains ginger, cinnamon or a combination thereof, I am a sucker for. Add to the mix that this is a 52teas blend and I know I am in for a treat and will buy insane quantities of it. This is no exception to this rule. The choice of green tea base is very smart as the strong pungent base holds up against the bold ginger and cinnamon spices in the blend. What you end up with is a wonderfully balanced tea that tastes like liquid gingerbread – and I mean the REAL gingerbread flavor. If you enjoy spice teas this will be one you will continue to go back to as you will appreciate it more with each subsequent cup.

This is one tea where you will want to try adjusting brew temperatures and times with. Given the wonderful layers in this tea, subtle adjustments changed the character of the brew and experience. After a bit of steep time experimentation I found that nearly doubling the recommended time was perfect for me. The green tea base is light in nature and as such the extended steep allowed me to appreciate and bring out more of the subtle notes. This also results in a stronger, more dominate ginger flavor that is followed by the sweet strawberry notes at the back of the palate. Overall, this is more of a delicate tea that I found which made it perfect for unwinding with in the afternoon or evening.

This tea is absolutely amazing and will be a new staple for me! I did not add any sweetener to this blend but found there really was no need. The flavoring was very reminiscent of vanilla cake and was incredibly smooth. The depth and body of flavors grew with every sip and was a delight! For anyone looking for a nice herbal blend that has some added health benefits (or not), this is one definitely worth trying! *As a special note, I wanted to mention how lovely Stacey was to send this in advance of the web release and to include a nice birthday greeting. :)

I finally got around to trying this one and WOW I have been missing out. I initially thought that the mix of fennel and chili would be odd but it’s an excellent match. This tea starts with a nice sweet black licorice flavor with the heat and chili building at the end with each sip. This tea is wonderful in the evening given the stomach soothing properties of fennel and the lack of caffeine – but would be great anytime.

I was looking forward to trying this new blend as good grape teas are hard to come by. The aroma of the dry tea screams both grape and banana and really speaks to the quality of the blend. Once brewed both these flavors continue to have a strong presence but work very well together and almost make a bubble gum or cotton candy like flavoring. Using the Shou Mei as a base was a great touch as it adds another fruitiness layer to the brew while cutting through some of the sweetness. The overall result is a wonderfully refreshing fruity tea that is great both hot and over ice. (… and I am so glad I snapped up a few extra pouches as this one is not going to last long in my house)

I have to confess to not being a fan of Mate teas, but this tea does make me reevaluate this stance. The dried leaf smells exactly like black licorice with the remaining flavors coming through in the background. Once brewed the nutty almond flavor melds with the mate base with the blend taking on more of a creamy minty flavoring. The licorice is still noticeable in the brew but is not as dominating of a flavor as one would suspect based on the dried leaf. Overall, I was pleasantly surprise by all the depth of flavors and actually liking a mate tea … for a change.

I was overjoyed to see Lu An Gua Pian used in a tea blend. Given that this tea is wonderful on its own, I was intrigued as to what Frank could do with it. Pairing the subtle floral sweetness from this base with watermelon was a clever play on the tea’s namesake and works well. The result is an earthy, velvety sweet natural watermelon tea. The description is apt as this is definitely a luxury tea given the depth of flavors and smooth finish. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on this one you can’t help but appreciate how indulgent this blend is.

Another wonderful Genmaicha blend from 52teas. The natural cherry flavoring is rather delicate but is not overwhelmed by the roasted nutty goodness of the genmaicha base. At first sip, you don’t get a very strong cherry taste but it really comes through at the end for a well rounded blend. I did find that the flavors really blossomed as the tea cooled to just above room temperature and was best enjoyed at that point.

I wouldn’t have thought to combine cucumber and mango but boy does it work! This clever pairing is supported by a wonderful Shou Mei base that adds a strong but smooth profile to the blend. Both the cucumber and mango notes are definitely apparent but the mango is at the forefront with the cucumber lingering at the end to entwine all the layers. This tea is absolutely outstanding both warm and over ice – but I give the edge to warm brewed. All in all, if you are looking for a nice refreshing blend for the summer is this one tea you will want to check out!

I am more than partial to Chai blends and when I saw this new creation I knew it would be a winner. The initial dry leaves have a wonderful crisp and creamy lemon scent with the aromatic spice blend in the background. Once brewed, the Chai spice is at the forefront with an incredible creamy lemon finish at the back of the palate. The pairing of the savory, spicy Chai against the bright lemon flavor works incredibly well and makes for an indulgent cup. With every sip the flavors seemed to bloom and develop even more layers came through. It’s fortunate that I snapped up a few pouches of this one when it came out as I am already half way through my first pouch. :) In short, if you are a fan of Chai or spice teas you then you can’t go wrong with this tea.