52teas

Sipdown! (34 | 443)

Yay banana tea!

Love the banana flavoring here – it’s sweet, rich, and slightly creamy, like a slightly overripe banana. There’s a syrupy sweetness to it that’s almost maple-y. However, I don’t love the base as much. It’s a Ceylon base, and it’s a bit too tannic and metallic for me. The slight sharpness doesn’t mesh well with the creamy smoothness of the banana IMO.

Still a lovely tea, but I feel like maybe a Yunnan base would’ve been nice? Or perhaps a Taiwanese black tea. I’m sure this Ceylon would take milk well, but I don’t tend to add anything to my tea…

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge Tuesday, October 26th: National Pumpkin Day Tea #3

Thanks very much AJRimmer!  I think I was saving this particular sample for pumpkin day.  It sure is earthy tasting, but I’m not really sure “earthy” as in pumpkin flavored. I bet that’s the chicory root.   The rooibos is so deep it almost looks like a black tea – I have never seen that before.  The second steep is much the same – very earthy, not necessarily pumpkin… slightly spicy. I wasn’t even tasting or aware that my beloved marshmallow root was in this blend until Steepster was working again and I could see the ingredients list. So I’m assuming the chicory root kind of took over here, but I have had worse chicory root blends.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 5 minute steep

June 2021 Tea

Sipdown :)

Pretty good cherry-lime rooibos blend with a convincing seltzer “fizz” which lingers. I don’t always love rooibos, but the green stuff is neat and I love lime and soda/cocktail-inspired tea blends. A pretty fun blend overall!

Definitely did not get the butterscotch here that I wanted, but I need to try it again because I don’t know if I was great with the infusion time. My first impression was so-so.

Not a big fan of rooibos in general, but it was actually fine here. I don’t know what a “rickey” is, but this tasted mostly limey, and I couldn’t really pick out any cherry. Bonus that the rooibos didn’t taste like cherry cough syrup, like it sometimes does! Pleasant enough, not a favourite.

It’s a banana black with a decent base and nice realistic banana flavour. Nothing more to say, really. I prefer my banana teas to have other flavours with them, but I mean… can’t fault it for not being something it’s not supposed to be!

Enjoyed this tea, and particularly the flavour from the base. I really like flavoured teas where the base actually shines through – this is a rarity with a lot of companies, so I definitely appreciate when I can taste it! I’m not entirely sure that I would have labelled this “best of Summer” oolong, it’s kind of more like a stewed fruits flavour – which is still pretty tasty, and really complements the base. A yummy cup.

Hmm, this wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. There was something a bit off about the flavour – almost a bit of sourness? I’m not really sure. It mostly smelled and tasted pretty good, a variant of creamy vanilla black, except for that weird note. I’d most likely blame the base tea, but we’ll see how a subsequent cup goes before I give this a rating.

ETA: Also to note, I didn’t carefully pay attention to infusion time, so it’s possible that overleafing/oversteeping is a culprit here.

Bought extra of this tea as I was anticipating liking it – and I certainly do. There’s something more here than just a citrus/EG black – I can’t tell you what, maybe it’s the base tea? Maybe it’s some flavouring ingredient? But either way, the brewed aroma of my first cup was intoxicating with some decadent richness, and the tea was completely delicious. It wasn’t quite as good the second time (I think I may have hit that magical time-temp-leaf:water ratio sweet spot that first time), but I still very much enjoyed it.

All I have to say is, another earl grey win from 52teas and certainly worth trying if you enjoy earl grey variations. The bergamot is also not particularly potent, so those who enjoy citrussy blacks (citrus juice, not bitter/pithy peel!) would probably also enjoy the blend.

September 2021 Tea possibly.. for it is long gone from the webz.

(Pretty sure this is the last month of my sub too – for now. Need to drink down my teas over the course of the fall and winter before renewing.)

We are getting the usual seasonal rain today (we’ve evolved into our final form – RAINCOUVER, lol). With some pretty strong gusts blowing through my region today (up to 80km/h or 50m/h on the strait tonight, wohoo!), it seems like the kind of day to pull out the something, something chai.

First a shout out to the aroma of the dry leaf, which smells like spiced pumpkin cheesecake. Second to the finish, which delivers on the cheesecake flavour. Some mad chemistry with (I think) the lemongrass, makes this creamy, tangy, and bright. I was going to add milk but couldn’t bring myself to do it after tasting the glorious cheesecake finish.

Do I taste the pumpkin here? A little, but the spices (clove, ginger, and woody cinnamon which I’m alright with here) are first and foremost. I wish they were taken down a notch for cheesecake primacy but then this wouldn’t really be a chai, eh? It’s very warming, cozy, and perfect for a day like today.

I admit – it’s the black, oolong, and white teas that I tend to get excited for from 52teas. I’ve never really been big on flavoured greens, and they are often disappointing from any company (and, well, herbal/honeybush/rooibos typically don’t taste great to me regardless of flavour). However, I was in the mood for something different, and this is what I grabbed.

Immediately, my interest was piqued when I opened up the packet, as the aroma was a delicious, tropical, banana-heavy fragrance. A great sign, and somewhat unexpected how tasty it smelled. To my delight – it also ended up being pretty darn tasty once brewed up! The flavours were a bit more muted than the initial aromas, but the banana gave the tea a nice sweetness/creaminess. Bonus, I could taste the flavour of the base tea, which I’ve now forgotten how to describe, but it was very much not metallic, or with any off-flavours that often end up being detractors in a flavoured green. Overall a really pleasant green, and it made me kind of excited to try some of the others in my box!

One of my (many) recent 52teas arrivals!

Didn’t mind this one – it was definitely melony, and the base was ok – but I think I prefer Watermelon Houjicha, and Butiki’s Dark Side of the Melon. I suspect it’s the base moreso than the flavouring. Not a bad tea, though.

Not always a fan of rooibos but this one has some nice flavouring including cherry, lemongrass (citrus), and vanilla. The overall effect is a a surprisingly dense feeling baked cherry custard dessert. The only thing I don’t love is that it’s a little drying. Otherwise, it’s a super nice caffeine-free option for the late evening.

Also, had no clue what clafoutis is but after googling it I think this at least tastes how it looks, for whatever that’s worth!

Edit also made a wonderful cold cup of “overnight tea”. Pleasantly creamy and fruity.

Cat woke me for breakfast much earlier than I was prepared for this particular Saturday morning, and after blearily glazing over my tea spreadsheet after all the things in my sipdown corner didn’t feel “right,” I finally settled on this 2018 tea for my morning tea therapy.

The aroma when I cut open the sealed package was strongly that sort of chocolate liqueur smell I often get with chocolate teas. The brewed tea is that chocolate liqueur taste, too, with perhaps a slight fudgy edge. The toasted rice is also quite promiment, and that nutty, roasted quality pairs nicely with the chocolate.

I seem to be in the minority, as the other reviews on this tea are getting a lot of white chocolate/cream elements and less chocolate, and I’m the opposite… all chocolate, none of the cream. Perhaps it is age, or the luck of what ended up in my 3g brewing portion.

Not a favorite, but not unpleasant, either. Chocolate + toasted rice pair nicely and are comforting on this half-conscious morning.

There’s some light toastiness along with some mild chai spices. This one smells so good, but the flavor is a little milder than I prefer. I liked it a little more with milk. It’s a nice genmaicha, but not quite a strong enough chai. To be honest, I never really tasted any tropical flavors in it either. I was making some homemade key lime pie ice cream and accidentally squirted some lime in the most recent mug of this, and that gave it a fun tropical sendoff.

Sipdown! (27 | 436)

I didn’t really get marshmallow from this one.

I can smell it in the aroma a bit, but I feel like the strong CTC base overpowers it to the point where it’s barely there. It’s mostly a very brisk black base with a touch of savoriness to it. There is perhaps a hint of vanilla there. But then there’s quite a bit of astringency at the tail end of the sip which fights against any creamy or fluffy qualities that may be there.

So not a winner for me. But I’m glad not everything is a winner, as I already have way too much tea as it is! XD

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Okay, this one is really good. I feel like I’m finally getting the marshmallow notes that I’m always looking for in marshmallow treat-inspired teas, but never finding enough of. This tea is straight up a pile of delicately lemony marshmallow fluff. The white tea base has the perfect light and airy flavor to really complete the vision of marshmallow.

Very scrumptious. I’ll have to keep an eye out for the original green tea version as well…

Amidst all this talk of lemon teas and lime teas, I tripped over this yesterday. When I discovered yet another tea cache. Shh, it’s old—don’t tell Anne.

Delicious! It has the same bright lemon flavour that DT’s Citron Oolong has, ie. the lemon myrtle, but here there’s a flash of lime and, I suspect, a puff of marshmallow.

Lovely. I like the kukicha base here too. It’s a good match.

And now, it’s gone!

And it’s a sipdown!

September 2021 Bonus/Reblend Tea

This is the bomb, and it resteeps well too. I enjoyed the original (waaaay back when), but I believe this re-blend tastes richer and smoother. Might do a more detailed note later; for now I only want to express my deep affection for Butterbeer (like butterscotch, cream soda, root beer, malty cream, and magic in a cup).

Steep Count: 3

Oh I may recognize this passion fruit flavor from a different 52teas tea – Blue Star maybe? I really liked that one, so I’m excited to encounter it again. It goes well with the banana and the green base, though the banana could be a little fresher tasting and the green tea a little clearer. I preferred Blue Star, but this one tastes quite fresh and is an interesting new take on this flavor. And I’m drinking it cold instead of warm like the other one, so it’s a different experience. It’s not quite tasty enough that I’d order it again, but it reminded me to request a reblend of that other one sometime!

July 2021 Bonus Tea

I’ve been hoarding this one but decided to bring it out so I could call it my second citrus flavoured Bai Mudan (White Peony) dessert tea blend for the day! While I’m starting to think this combo can’t go wrong, I do prefer this blend to August Uncommon’s more temperamental Know My Heart. This one kind of tastes like creamy lemon custard today (yes, it’s both silky and juicy enough) and that’s always a win in my book.

I don’t know whether I prefer this or Sun and Cloud Mist; both are wonderfully crafted teas with bases I enjoy. Either is welcome in my cupboard anytime!

Admittedly rather poor review on this one – I can tell you that the dry tea smelled quite enticing – delicious berries – but haven’t a clue what the brewed tea tasted like. It was mostly likely one I drank absently while working on Friday. I bought extra of this predicting it would be delicious, so really hoping it is!

This was tasty – a delightfully creamy, lemony white. I think I prefer Sun & Cloud Mist a bit more, because of the flavour the tea base added there, but this is a very nice lemon fluff tea.