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Yay, Steepster is fixed!

Just an update to note that this is back in my cupboard once again. My husband has gone from someone who thought tea tasted like creekwater to drinking earl grey every day. We’ve begun keeping a pitcher of it in the fridge. Perfect for when you wake up sluggish and thirsty.

Still the best earl grey I’ve ever had.

I love every word in the title of this tea. This one was a no-brainer.

I’ve tried so many coconut teas over the years, but 52Teas’ are always the best. So creamy and real. A tiny bit of coconut oil always ends up floating on top of the brew. I’m not sure I’ve seen that anywhere else.

However, coconut is not the dominant flavor of this tea. Even with the generous, thick coconut shavings mixed in. The sweet maple leads this tea, followed by cardamom. I was a little afraid that the cardamon would be too much, especially with the whole pods, but it isn’t. It simply compliments the syrupy goodness. I also think I taste cinnamon and a bit of creamy caramel. This is absolutely delicious. I’m really tempted to go back and buy the Large size before it gets away.

Caramel teas are another huge weakness of mine. When I ritualistically opened the package for the first sniff before steeping, I was greeted with such a rich, sweet aroma. It smelled so creamy and buttery. Like faintly caramelized brown sugar and something tangy. Just decadent.

The black tea, as I’ve mentioned before, is higher quality than what most tea companies make flavored blends with. As far as the cheesecake flavor goes, it is mild and kind of reminds me of flan. There is definitely more buttery caramel payoff in the smell of the tea than the actual taste. Which is kind of disappointing to me. While this is nice and will make a wonderful breakfast tea, it’s not exactly what I was looking for.

EDIT: I want to note that the tasty caramel flavor gets stronger as my tea approaches lukewarm. I’m thinking this might be awesome iced. Gonna try that tomorrow.

This is the tea that called out to me and convinced me to place my most recent order. Vanilla teas have been my obsession for the past few years. So, I was not about to let one by 52Teas get by without trying it.

As I measured out the leaves, I was reminded why 52Teas is a little more pricey than the bigger tea companies. It’s because they use such quality teas as bases. Instead of using cheap, lower-grade Ceylons or whatever, they blended this using long, dark Assam leaves. All nearly whole and high quality, mixed with off-white pieces of marshmallow root. They have a more fruity than vanilla aroma.

That said, while this is a very tasty Assam, that’s kind of all I taste. The vanilla is so subtle. It’s mostly in the exhale. Very mild. The focus is definitely on the base, not the flavorings. While that’s not exactly the experience I was looking for, there’s something very comforting about it. It’s satisfying in a way. I’m glad I have the rest of this sample to go through. Maybe I’ll see what it’s like with a splash of milk next time.

Adagio can be kind of hit-or-miss with their flavored teas, and this one was unfortunately a miss.

This tea isn’t bad by any means, but I would not recognize it as Thai tea. Even if I used sweetened condensed milk instead of 2%. It has a vaguely coconutty, vaguely cardamom-like spice note that’s really hard to place. And why are there apple pieces in this? I worked in a noodle house for years and we never put any kind of fruit in the Thai tea.

Anyway, what I’m saying is that I’m used to the bottled, orange stuff. Or the stuff you make out of powder. This tea seems very all-natural and just doesn’t capture the flavor of the cheap, oversweetened stuff you’d get at the Asian markets.

I got this as a free sample in Republic of Tea’s seasonal catalog. Aww yiss, winter blends.

This is reminiscent of eggnog, heavy with vanilla. But instead of nutmeg, as one would find in eggnog, they used cardamom. It has a creamy, sweet note that makes me put this in the dessert tea category. The raspberry leaves give it a bit of a dryness that balances that out somewhat. Others have said they tasted caramel, but I don’t.

There is just something missing here in this blend. Clove? Cinnamon? Ginger? I don’t know. It’s an ok cup, but I’m not into it.

My coworker gave me a pouch of this to try! I love Thai tea. I know it’s terrible for you and full of orange food coloring. But I order it pretty much any time the opportunity arises.

First of all, this smells wonderful! I emptied the light orange powder into a mug and the whole kitchen filled up with a creamy, vanilla frosting scent. Once dissolved, the finished cup is bright orange. It’s very, very heavy on the vanilla flavor. It’s not exactly like what you’d get in a restaurant, but it makes a tasty dessert. It tastes like vanilla pudding that has marshmallows melted into it. Is there any tea in this at all?

Also, this is crazy-sweet. It’s basically like a liquid cupcake. I have no idea how this passes as Thai tea, but it’s yummy?

I got this for Christmas in Tea Forte’s Noir sampler. Now, I’m always conflicted about this company. Everything I’ve tried by them has been wonderful. However, to me, they seem really overpriced for the quantity you get. So I only buy something from them every few years. Or if I can find it on sale. It’s a special treat.

About these single-steep pouches, I’d say they’re actually two if you’re using a standard size mug. There’s a little over two teaspoons in each.

Now, this is one incredibly fragrant tea. The peach aroma is sweet, bright, and realistic. Very natural and juicy! As it steeps, calendula petals and pieces of dried fruit rise to the top. As for the flavor, I love it. The brulee aspect is milder than the peach, but still present. It adds a rich layer of creaminess. But it’s definitely subtle, as is the black tea base. It’s only a touch astringent, but it mostly fades into the background. Also, I see this contains coconut too, but I can’t really taste it. That said, this is probably the best peach tea I’ve ever had.

I realize I’ve never reviewed this because I always go to bed as soon as I’m done drinking it. Makes sense.

Anyway, I love valerian teas. Sure, valerian smells like gym socks, but it gets the job done. Tea Leaf Co did a good job covering that up. The dry tea is a nice mix of chamomile blossoms, spearmint, lavender, and lemon balm. All very soothing, sleepy herbs. I can definitely smell the valerian as I measure out my teaspoons, but it doesn’t translate into the steeped tea. No, the final product tastes mostly of spearmint and chamomile with a touch of lavender. Pleasant and inoffensive.

I can’t say that this is something I’d want to drink just for the taste, but it’s perfect to sip if you need to go to bed early. Or if you’re sick and out of NyQuil. The best part, aside from making you comfy and heavy and ready for bed, is the fact that there’s no grogginess the next day. You don’t feel the effects when you wake up, which makes this a winner.

Ok, so here’s a combination I wouldn’t have thought of. Campfire, peach, and butterscotch.

The loose leaf has chunks of dried peach that plump up during steeping. There are also some straw-colored flower petals. The aroma reminds me so much of an old fashioned! Something about the smokiness plus burnt sugar and bright, fruity peach smells like a winter cocktail to me. So interesting!

Steeped, the leathery smoke’s note is in the forefront. I’m actually getting kinda meaty notes from it. Like smoked bacon. It’s followed closely by the cheery peach, with the butterscotch flavors kind of faint and in the exhale. The flavors don’t clash, oddly, but this is certainly not something I’d crave when I’m making my first tea of the day. I’ll chalk this one up to curiosity, finish the sample, and move on.