52teas

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60

Today’s cold brew of choice, which accompanied me to work. Last time I drank this iced, I was pretty happy with it. I don’t know whether it’s lost something in the meantime, but this time I’m just not getting much from it. It seems perverse to say it, but I actually prefer this hot. It has more flavour all round than the fairly uninspiring drink I’m faced with at the moment. I’m all the more surprised because I used a generous three tablespoons of leaf to just under 2 litres of water, and left it a good 12 hours overnight. It smells of cola, and it’s coloured strongly enough, but it just doesn’t taste of anything particularly. There’s a hint of very weak cola flavour lurking around in the background, but none of the cherry or vanilla amazingness I used to love. It’s been stored for a while, which I guess might have something to do with it…or maybe it just needs sugar to help it along? Too late now, either way! I’m not going to lower my rating just yet, because my memory of this tea is much better. I’m a bit disappointed, though — I was looking forward to a delicious treat to sip on all day :(

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more

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60

I was in a soda tea mood last night, so I picked out one I’ve tried before and one I haven’t to round out the evening. This one I’ve tried before, although possibly only once or twice. The idea of hot soda-inspired tea is an odd one to me still, although I like soda (and particularly cola) flavoured things in general. This time, I liked this one a whole lot more than I have previously. I used a bigger cup than normal, 1.5 tsp of leaf, a piece of crystal sugar, and about a 3 minute brew time. I don’t know whether I was just particularly receptive to this kind of tea tonight, or whether everything just came together and worked, but it was an especially yummy cup.

I could taste cola, first off. Flat, supermarket brand cola, but cola all the same. Like a cola bottle. I could also taste cherry AND vanilla. Maybe the sugar helped with that. I’ll probably drink most of this pouch iced in the summer, but I need to remember how nice it can actually be when brewed hot. It takes a minute for my brain to compute what I’m tasting, but IT WAS GOOD. Really pleased with this one today.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

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60

Second cola tea to try hot. This one works better than Cuba Libre, I think. Perhaps because cherry and vanilla are more conducive to heat than lime and rum. Either way, it tastes more plausible hot than Cuba Libre did.

The cherry and vanilla come out very clearly, perhaps slightly more so than they did when I drank this iced. The cola, on the other hand, is more muted. It’s there, more noticably as the tea cools, but it’s second fiddle to the cherry and vanilla. That’s fine with me — I think that’s actually what I wanted anyway, thinking about it.

Like Cuba Libre, I definitely prefer this cold. I was curious to try it hot, though, and it’s more successful than I thought it might be. I might even drink it hot again, if the mood strikes me. If it doesn’t, I can always look forward to finishing it off iced next summer! Either way,as a cherry coke fan, this one scores points with me.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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60

I like cherry coke, so it’s probably not a big stretch to say that I like this tea. It makes a refreshing iced tea, and it’s certainly better for me than drinking the real thing would be. As with Cuba Libre, I think I underleafed, or didn’t leave it for long enough, as it’s a tad weak. That’s something I can maybe remedy with a bit of experimentation, though. It might just be that I’m expecting too much – I mean, it’s tea and not cola, and I guess I can’t expect it to be flavoured as strongly as I might want. It certainly smells spot on dry, though, so I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to squeeze a bit more out of it. I think I’m getting a cold, though, so that might have something to do with it.

Ultimately, I’m pretty happy with the way this tastes. I’m definitely getting cola and cherry, not so much vanilla. I can’t choose a favourite between this one and Cuba Libre – I like cola flavoured things, and they’re both pretty amazing. I need to experiment a bit more with both, so maybe that’ll make things clearer. For now, just yum, really.

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more

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30
drank Red Velvet Cake Mate by 52teas
2238 tasting notes

I managed quite a few sipdowns this week, this among them, so I’ve basically spent most of this afternoon buying more tea. Naughty, as I still have more than enough to be going on with, but I couldn’t resist. It’s a treat after my hard week, that’s what I’m telling myself.

I wasn’t all that impressed with this tea in terms of flavour. It’s a perfectly nice chocolate mate, but I couldn’t get anything cakey or cream cheesy out of it, no matter hard I tried. If I’m in the market for a chocolate mate, I’d choose malted chocomate over this. It’s not a bad tea, I just wanted more from it. Good to have tried all the same, though.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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30
drank Red Velvet Cake Mate by 52teas
2238 tasting notes

Disappointed. I brought this with me when I returned to work yesterday, as I got kind of used to my morning mate, but wanted to try another flavour before opening my second packet of Malted ChocoMate. Sadly, I can’t taste anything even vaguely reminiscent of cake, never mind specifically red velvet, here. I wanted this to be a cakey, cream cheesy, chocolatey wonder, but it’s just…not. I can taste chocolate, but it’s very mild and a bit lacking. Really speaking, this just tastes like slightly sweetened, roasted mate to me. It’s pleasant enough, but it’s not a patch on Malted ChocoMate either in terms of flavour, or in living up to its name. I’ll happily drink the rest of the packet, because it’s not bad, just a bit lacking. Meh.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Fjellrev

Bleh, I had a feeling the mate would interfere with any potential Red Velvet flavours in this. Sorry it didn’t work out.

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85

Sipdown! Finished this one at work a couple of days ago, but never seemed to get around to logging it. It’s been a lovely tea for summer, and I’ll miss it, but I guess it’s time to start thinking about autumn/winter teas now. Hopefully there are some equally nice teas ahead!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 15 sec
Sil

yay for sipdowns!

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85

Still really enjoying this one at work, especially since it’s been hot these past few days. Beautiful, creamy white tea base, and the sweet, delicate flavours of mango and cucumber. It’s wonderfully light, and just made for days like this. I can’t praise it enough!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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85

This one intrigued me when I first saw it on the 52teas site. It seemed such a unique combination that I knew I’d have to try it. As it turned out, this was my after lunch tea at work today. I treated it much as I would a plain white tea – about 2 minutes in water left to cool a little, which is as close to “180” as I can get without a thermometer. It’s certainly interesting – I wasn’t sure whether I liked it at first, but after a couple of sips I’m pretty sure I do.

Dry, it just smells odd. I can’t even describe what I’m smelling, I don’t think. Brewed, it’s sort of generically sweet, with a hint of fruitiness about it. To taste, the mango comes out most clearly. It’s juicy and slightly peppery, almost a perfect recreation of the real thing. I can just about taste the cucumber, but it comes out as a sweet and cleansing “fresh” flavour in the aftertaste more than anything. The combination is really striking, and the white base seems perfectly matched to the flavours. The thing I like most about this at the moment is that it smells beautiful as it starts to cool. Definitely one to try cold-brewed before the summer is over.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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80
drank Cuba Libre Black Tea by 52teas
2238 tasting notes

Sipdown! I used up the last of the leaf for today’s cold brew, which has actually worked out better than I expected. I had a scant tablespoon left, and I was fairly convinced I wouldn’t get much flavour from it, but it’s managed to surprise me! I gave it longer in the fridge than I usually would — I guess about 15 hours, maybe a little more. I used a litle less water than usual, too — just enough to fill the bottle I take to work. I can taste cola, and the faintest hint of rum, and it’s actually beautifully light and refreshing on this hot day. I like the flavour of cola, so it’s a perfect compromise between flavour and the fizzy sweetness of the real thing. In the end, this one was more of a hit with me than 52 Teas Cherry Vanilla Cola. If I had the choice between the two again, this is the one I’d choose. It’s going to be a fond farewell.

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more

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80
drank Cuba Libre Black Tea by 52teas
2238 tasting notes

This is today’s cold brew of choice. It’s much, much better cold. The cola flavouring is still fairly subtle, and then rum subtler still. It’s very refreshing and easy to drink, though, and that’s an important consideration when it comes to iced tea. I’m surprised how mild the base stays, given that it was in the fridge for around 12 hours overnight, and I used two generous tablespoons for just under two litres of water.

It’s not my favourite cola flavoured tea, or my favourite 52 Teas tea, but it’s eminently drinkable all the same. On the whole, though, I think I prefer 52 Teas Cherry Vanilla Cola, or the cola flavoured SBTs. This is okay, but not quite up to those.

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more
TeaBrat

ugh, sounds like my morning :)

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80
drank Cuba Libre Black Tea by 52teas
2238 tasting notes

I pulled this out to cold brew last night, and decided to have a cup hot at the same time. I probably don’t have enough leaf left to cold brew in bulk again, so it seemed a sensible option at the time. Predictably enough, though, this isn’t all that great hot. There’s just a fundamental wrongness about hot soda flavoured things, somehow. It’s not that it’s bad — I can taste a mild cola flavour and a hint of rum — it’s just weird. The base seems too prominent when this is brewed hot, too. Bitter and slightly astringent. I think I’ve tried this hot with sugar previously, and it’s better like that, but I’m trying to avoid using too much sugar if I can help it. Probably that means I should stick to cold brewing this one!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 45 sec 1 tsp

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80
drank Cuba Libre Black Tea by 52teas
2238 tasting notes

I’ve been drinking this iced pretty often this summer, but it’s getting a bit cold for that now. Part of me wanted to try it hot, so I decided to give it a go while there’s still some left. 3 minutes in boiling water, no milk.

It’s actually not as odd as I thought it’d be. It tastes of cola – albeit flat – with a twist of lime, and maybe something rum-like hanging about in the background. It’s a tiny bit astringent, but nothing terrible. It smells pretty spot-on, too.

I definitely prefer this cold, and that’s probably how I’ll finish the pouch. It’s not bad hot, though, just a bit strange. The flavour comes out better as it starts to cool, as you might expect. Worth a try, but nowhere near as good as it is iced.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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80
drank Cuba Libre Black Tea by 52teas
2238 tasting notes

Cold-brewed tea of choice for my first day back at work. I think I may have underleafed a touch on this, as it’s a little weak tasting. Not bad for a first attempt, though. I can taste cola, a hint of lime, and maybe the slightest touch of rum. It certainly smells the part dry. When I first opened the packet it was overwhelmingly strong, so I’m pleased it’s not quite so pungent brewed. There’s just enough flavour to keep me happy, but I’ll attempt a bit more leaf and maybe slightly longer in the fridge next time. A perverse part of me would actually like to try this hot, but I think it’s really meant to be cold. Maybe in the winter (or maybe not, if I see sense before then!). It’s a perfect iced tea for the summer, though. I’d never cold-brewed a black tea before today, so I’m pleased with how this worked out. I did wonder if it would become astringent after 8 hours or so in the fridge, but it hasn’t at all. It’s smooth, and actually a pretty perfect base for the flavours. Definitely one I’ll be drinking again very soon!

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more

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82

cold brewed this overnight. Was excellent iced tea! Needed no sweetener.

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more

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51
drank Earl Pink by 52teas
788 tasting notes

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Water: ~500ml at 212°F
Tool: make your own paper teabag
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes https://www.teaity.com/
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: strong berry
Steeped Tea Smell: wood, berry
Flavor: sweet, berry, a little woody finish
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: citrus
Liquor: not sure in this blue cup

I like the way this melds together

Rating: 2/4 leaves

Blog http://amazonv.teatra.de/2013/08/28/52teas-loose-leaf-rooibos-tisane-earl-pink/

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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78
drank Citrus PILEDRIVER by 52teas
615 tasting notes

I figured now that I’m on a huge tea drinking kick and accustomed to being well-caffeinated, this would be a great time to burn through as many samples as I can.

So thanks to momo for this one!

There’s a lovely earthy grassiness here from the mix of mates and guayasa. It’s very fresh and lemony without being chemical or tasting like cleaning agents. The lemon also a nice sweetness (I guess I’d call it lemon bar sweetness) from the mrytle… and is that pineapple I’m picking up? The aftertaste is very much guayasa-heavy and I’m getting hints of peach.

I’m excited to see how this stands up to cold steeping.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec

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Mixed feelings here. I’m glad I’m going through my obscene amounts of tea, but it sucks when I come to an end of a tea that I am going to miss. I dumped the rest of this tea in a mason jar with some sugar and let it cold brew in the fridge for a few days. SO. DAMN. GOOD. It was a little grainy since all the dust from the bottom of the bag was in the jar and didn’t filter out, but I don’t care. I get the gemaicha taste very clearly, but the cherry is a little hard to pick out as cherry in this cup. It is definitely a fruity flavor, but the distinction of cherry is escaping me today. Genmaicha is amazingly refreshing cold! Kinda blows my mind.

Stephanie

I’ve never tried iced genmaicha…I guess I should :)

Dustin

Yes, yes you should!

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I tried steeping this in hot water and pouring it over ice because I was too impatient to cold steep and it was quite a fail. It tasted genmaicha like, but there was no cherry or cheesecake and it was quite sad. Cold steeping and planning ahead is the way to go with this tea. I’m going to put some in the fridge right now and do it right!

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I have been drinking this stuff cold brewed in a mason jar and it is fantastic! I try to let it sit for a few days before I drink it, but the wait is difficult. The genmaicha is surprisingly refreshing when cold. I have been sweetening it lightly and it really goes well with the cherry. I still have a hard time picking out the cheesecake aspect of cheesecake flavored teas. Is it just a creaminess to it I wonder? Either way, I need to slow down on this so I don’t plow through the whole bag in one week.

Preparation
Iced
tea-sipper

I’ll have to try this one iced!

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86
drank Smaug Tea by 52teas
1113 tasting notes

Smaug again this afternoon. Still good but I may have needed a little bit more caffeine….Zzzzz…

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86
drank Smaug Tea by 52teas
1113 tasting notes

Yay! I finally got to try Smaug! Thanks RogersCK :D

I’ve been sampling a lot of cinnamon teas lately, it seems. This is the very first green tea with cinnamon though! I really appreciate the uniqueness of it. Everyone else’s tasting notes made me expect it to be a lot spicier than it actually is. So, if you haven’t tried it yet, don’t be scared! He’s a pretty friendly dragon :)

Even though I’ve been tasting a lot of FANCY cinnamon teas lately I think my favorite is still Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice! That stuff is IN YOUR FACE cinnamon! This is a refreshing change though. I love the hint of cayenne in it.

RogersCK

Glad you liked it! I love the cinnamon and cayenne pepper mix.

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82

This smells of berries, and citrus. Oh, there’s rum? The rum isn’t gone, it’s in my tea. I don’t usually have my cocktails this warm, but this is good. There is a nice daquiri flavour, and I like the strawbeery.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec
RogersCK

You have to try that iced as well, it’s pretty good. :) Glad you’re enjoying it.

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