Monkey Fart

Backlogging from last night. I have been eyeing this tea but did not want to order it. My history with banana teas has not been very positive. The only banana tea that I have liked has been DTs banana oolong. So anyway, I thought I should try a sample. Thank so much to tattooed_tea for this sample that I have finally gotten around to!

This smells wonderful. Wow, sweet, natural banana. Much to my suprise, this is delicious. I think the honeybush really brings out the natural sweetness in this tea. I might have to order this sometime in the future!

I resteeped this tea for 10 minutes and it was a little weak, but it was still ok.

I also put my second cup of this steep in the fridge to chill for today. It is still really good, and sweet, but I think I like it better hot.

The smell is quite strong but if that doesn’t bother you than on to the taste. It tastes like banana flavoured milk… or laffy taffy. If you haven’t had either of those it also tastes like the medicine they give kids when they have an ear infection :D The tea is underneath it all and pops up every now and then to say hi but quickly leaves again :)

Steep Information:
Amount: ~3 tsp
Water: 12oz ~160°F hot spigot water
Tool: kati loose tea system (my Review here.)
Steep Time: 8+ minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: laffy taffy banana
Steeped Tea Smell: honeybush
Flavor: banana runts
Body: Full
Aftertaste: sweet
Liquor: opaque dark brown

Post-Steep Additives: 1 packet white sugar

Resteep: weak, but drinkable, I left it in for so long I lost track of time!

I love banana laffy, I love banana runts, I LOVE this tea. I will be very sad when it is gone.

Sorry I do not have pictures of the brewed tea, it disappears from my cup very quickly!

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/08/52teas-loose-leaf-honeybush-tea-monkey.html

Despite my misgivings about the name – I decided to buy this one. I have loved the previous banana flavored teas that I’ve tasted from Frank, and I was certain I’d love this one too.

And I was not disappointed. The banana flavor is very a-peal-ing (pardon the pun). Sweet and fruity. I really like the honeybush/banana combination… perhaps even better than the rooibos/banana combination – hey Frank – maybe you should rework the Chocolate Banana Rooibos and make it chocolate banana honeybush – but DO NOT call it chocolate monkey fart, please.

Been wanting to try this one for awhile as I LOVE banana, but I usually drink tea when I’m in need of caffeine, and as this does not have any, so I haven’t pulled this out of my sample box yet. (Also, I’m not sure from whom I got this tea…. Baggy and blue marker for the name? Thanks whoever you were!)

At first, the banana wasn’t as prominent as other reviewers have said, which disappoints me because I want the crazy laffy taffy banana flavor! It could be because this tea isn’t brand new in my sample box so I really don’t know how old it is…

The longer I let it cool, the more the banana flavor comes out, though! I hope when it gets to the perfect temperature, the banana comes out of the cup and slaps me in the face!

P.s. My dog apparently wanted to add this to the review: “\p-0o”

Boy has Canada Post ever been good to me this week! Samples from Design A Tea, Teavivre, and Den’s Tea, my swap package from Amanda, and now my awesomely huge box of samples from LiberTEAS!!! I figure I shouldn’t have to buy tea for about 5 years now (and there are still things on the way! Oy vey. Talk about things getting out of hand fast…)

A big thanks to LiberTEAS for this sample – one of the 52teas on my list to try-before-I-buy!

I was expecting chunks of dried banana in the tea (like DavidsTea’s Banana Oolong), and was surprised not to see any… but upon opening the bag it is clear that they’re in there! Or… something is! The banana aroma is sweet and delicious – it actually smells like a real, ripe banana. Awesome!

Once steeped, that lovely banana aroma is still there, and quite strong too!

Wow, tastes like hot banana in a cup. There’s a hint of something else there too, perhaps it’s something from the honeybush? Almost… a mintiness? I’m not sure. But it’s good! And very smooth and delicious. Also, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to give me heartburn, which was another of yesterday’s big problems, and the reason I opted to go with a caffeine-free not-really-tea this morning.

Quite impressed with this tea, I must say. So glad I got to try it! Thanks again LiberTEAS!

ETA: Second steep is pretty good too, but that’s as far as I went, since the wet honeybush no longer had much smell.

amandajo sent me a sample of this tea…I pulled it out of the mailbox this morning and have been waiting to try it ever since!!

Scent of the brewed cup is amazing!! Banana flavored runts exactly. I almost don’t want to taste it, I am enjoying the scent that much. I just have it sitting in front of me, with my nose hovering over it, inhaling the fumes…

Wow. This is fantastic. Sweet, candy-banana taste with this amazing honeybush base. Yum. My inner evil monkey is very happy right now.

working on this sample, woot!

And it is way too hot to have hot tea today – I’m having this as an iced latte with honey! Pretty good, tastes like banana milk to me! I didn’t add much sweetener as I have dinner coming up, but this came out pretty sweet like candy. I see others say it tastes like “banana runts” however I think it tastes a little better, as I dislike banana runts! When I was a kid, I used them to throw at people, or fed them to my dad LOL!

EDIT: tea hating husband took a sip – he said it tastes “okay” ! Woooot progress!

Although the vulgar appellation given to this tea shocked me to the deepest core of my refined sensibilities, I was obligated to but try some, as it was a gift from my granddaughter who is alas too young to appreciate that which is finer in life than “monkey farts.” The mere act of typing out those two heinous words causes me to go cold inside.

But yea, I am deeply moved by this tea! So moved in fact, that only the Immortal Bard himself could adequately describe what I feel for this tea! What deep and full flavour! How truthful it is to that of succulent, creamy banana!

Of this ambrosial brew shall I never tire!

JENN! thank you for sharing this delicious treat be with me! I love it!
Not something I would have often, but boy is it tasty. Just like the other reviews say, banana runts!! It has a distinct banana essence, and a certain tartness to it that brings me back to childhood.
I did have to add some agave though, to bring out the sweet-tart flavour.
No matter, I am super impressed!!!
The rooibos seems to really play up the flavours here. Frank is a genius!
and for the record, the only reason I don’t feel right giving this a higher rating is that I would want this tea on special occasions or when I have kids in the house. Otherwise, it’s perfect!

I can’t repeat the name of this tea – I almost couldn’t type it! But I can certainly drink it, because it is the most delicious banana tisane I’ve ever had!!! I am going to cal it Dreamy Banana Cream Pie Heaven!

First, I want to say “Thank You, LiberTeas” for sending me this sample some time ago now. Unfortunately, I am a mood based tea drinker and if I am not in the mood to try a specific tea I will not be able to properly appreciate it. That being said my mood drove me to try this wonderful concoction. The bananas taste fresh and juicy. It is light and remenisant of a traditional old fashioned Banana Cream Pie. Yummy!

The name of this tea was the main reason I bought it. And being banana flavoured sure helped that out.
I’ve had this tea in my cupboard for weeks now & only finally got around to tasting it.
The dry notes are amazing. Just like banana… or candy banana. Once steeped it develops another smell (I’m guessing honeybush), one I’m not crazy about & I feared the tea would taste like it smelt. Fortunetly once iced it did taste a bit like honeybush, but mostly banana.
This tea followed nicely with my brownies I was eating. YUM!
My burps even taste like banana.

I think as a hot tea this would be delicious with a touch of milk or cream for creamy-ness. And either some chocolate melted in or alongside a chunk of dark chocolate.

Backlog from yesterday evening…..

This one is really fun. It reminds me of banana taffy. Such a great treat!

12 oz mug, 2 tsp honeybush, freshly boiled water, 7 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Received this as a sample when I ordered some iced teas. I had been curious about this one. Thanks Frank! I love honeybush, especially since I need to watch my caffeine and oxalate intake.
I steeped 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 ounces at 205 degrees for 10 minutes.
Added a bit of brown sugar and a splash of coconut milk.
This is pretty good! Candy banana flavor, reminiscent of those banana shaped candies and banana cream pie, (especially with the creamy coconut milk.)
The banana flavor is becoming more prominent as it cools. Don’t know if I’d want to drink this all the time but it’s not bad!
It does make me miss Hot Buttered Banana Bread. Wish that was a permanent!

Edit
Don’t know if I’ll be drinking this anymore.. I notice it makes my throat tickly, I’m never allergic to anything.. but I just might be slightly allergic to a flavor component in this blend! :/

Maybe its just my taste buds being off today, who knows, but I didn’t feel the love with this one like everybody else did. So, I’m going to hold off a few days and try again then rate it. . It does smell soo very good. Here’s to trying again next week!

Oh how I loathe banana flavoured things, so I knew I sadly wouldn’t enjoy this blend! It tastes like a creamier version of those banana lollies you’d get in $1 mixed bags that I would always pick out and give to my friends. My fellow banana-flavour-loving friends (who I gave the tea to) assure its deliciousness!

Thank you Jenn for this awesome sample!

I shared it with a friend who loves banana syrup, banana runts, banana medicine, candy-banana-anything. Anyways, he loved it!

I wouldn’t drink this tisane every day, but wow it is delicious and everything it promises to be! Held up to a second steep, and was liquid sweet gold with a touch of white sugar in it (yep, I’m guilty).

Wow I am bananas over this one! Heehee couldn’t resist! Anyways I have to say that I am sold on honeybush since it doesn’t have caffeine.
Opened this package up and you can smell the bananas the almost smell like a banana that is not quite ripe( which is the way I like them). Brewed it up and added just a touch of sugar because that is how I drink it, and wow people were right it smells just like banana runts or laffy taffy. yum yum yum…

The taste is just the same as the smell… if you want a bit more banana wait and let it cool off more and it will taste even more like a banana. I think that i might mix this with some others and see what kind of fruit combinations I can come up with!

All I could think of at first was Laffy Taffy banana. I made this tea iced, so I have not tried it hot. I do find a little goes along way! It’s sweet so I did not need to add much sugar (if any). The banana flavor comes through well and keeps even when thinned out with my melting ice cubes. I think the tea would do well mixed with some other teas…a caramel tea perhaps. Banana foster anyone?