100

On the first day of Christmas, 52Teas gave to me…Cotton Candy!

I opened this after a long, hard, totally tea-deficient day at work. It smells amazing — that’s the first thing I have to say. I’ve never tried any 52Teas before, but it’s truly out of this world. Sweet, sugary, maybe slightly alcoholic smelling. I’m at the fair already. The next thing I’m struck by is how pretty it is. The flower petals are blue, pink and yellow among the tea leaves, and it looks so adorable.

Now, to brew. Since it’s my first experience with one of these, I gave it 2.5 minutes in boiling water. It seems to brew slowly, and takes a while to colour. At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d want milk in it, but I added a splash in the end.

Last — and most important — the taste. I’ve been looking for a flavoured black tea that lives up to the promise of its name for a long time. Finally, I’ve found it. This is the fairground in a cup. It actually tastes exactly like cotton candy, and just as it smells. The black base doesn’t at all overpower the flavour, but just makes it so I know I’m drinking something substantial.

I was becoming a little disillusioned with flavoured blacks, but I might have just found my nirvana, Goodness, how great. This tea is truly something else. If they’re all this good, it really will feel like christmas every day!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

People who liked this

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

Location

Norfolk, UK

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer