Brandon's Snickerdoodle Black Tea

Thanks to silvermage2000 for a bit of this tea!

I had pretty low expectations for this one as it appears to be rather crushed up (I was assuming it would be wicked bitter), but I just took a sip and am pleasantly surprised! I’m tasting kind of a caramelly sweetness mixed with cinnamon. And, shockingly, no bitterness. Ok, a bit. But it’s really not bad!

I could see myself having enjoyed this tea quite a bit when it was first blended. At this point I think it’s pretty old, and crushed up, as I mentioned, but the flavouring seems to be pretty tasty. I can’t really say whether or not it tastes like a snickerdoodle because that’s not a sort of cookie I’ve ever made (I’ve eaten them before but don’t really recall), but yeah. Tasty!

ETA: Left this on my night table overnight, and finishing it off now… I really like this! It really tastes like a cookie in liquid tea form. Mmmm. Gonna find out later if the re-steep is tasty too.

Having such a lazy day today. Bleh. I had wanted to go see Les Miserables by myself but after crying at Doctor Who earlier in the day I did not want more of that. Also lazy. Although how lazy can you be while learning French. Je bois du thé et je mange du pain au fromage.

Thanks again to Kittenna for a sample of this, although I got a bit of a packet of this too now so yay. I quite like it.

The bag makes it sound like it is going to be more like a chai, which had me worried, but it indeed is snickerdoodle cookies.

I only discovered snickerdoodles a couple years ago, so of course I had to make them. My boyfriend LOVES cinnamon, so they were a hit. I even had to make them for him to take into work once. This tea is just like them, a bit of vanilla, a bit of cinnamon sugar, and the black tea does do a pretty excellent job of being reminiscent of baked cookies.

Backlog!
My sample was realllly old, found in a corner of my tea drawer. How has it been sitting there all this time and I never saw it!? Anyhow, thanks to Jenn for the sample! Miss you hun!
I’m not sure how I feel about this. There is a peanut butter sortof taste, and something a tad salty, and kinda sweet. Pleasant, for the most part. Don’t think I’d buy more for myself though as I’m not one for pb in my desserts (except for Reeses cups).

There is just something about the way this tea glimmers in the cup…It’s a dark brown but it’s still fairly translucent. This one I received today from LiberTEAs…thanks girlie!!!

The black tea is definitely the more prominent flavor here and the vanilla and cinnamon a subtle but even in taste. I would say this is one of the more gentle flavored 52 Teas TEAS I have have. It’s pretty good! Very smooth! I like it!

I’m not sure how I feel about this tea yet. I taste the cinnamon, tastes like cinnamon bark rather than sweet cinnamon flavoring. I think I’m getting a bake-y taste in the tea…but I could be imagining it or trying to hard. Might have to try this with cream and sugar to see if that makes it how I thought this tea would be. I just want something more from it that I’m just not getting from the black tea itself.

In case you didn’t know, I’m from Kentucky, and firmly from the portion that considers itself part of the South. Despite being a Southern oddball when it comes to tea (unsweet and hot, please, not iced and sweetened with enough sugar to fuel a marathon), I’m all about my Southern foods: red velvet cake, fried chicken, fried cornbread, and snickerdoodles. It amazes me how many people have never had a true, honest-to-goodness snickerdoodle, and it amazes me even more when I have to explain to people what one is.

Okay, people, if you want a taste of a true, Southern snickerdoodle: drink this tea. It tastes just like my Aunt Della’s snickerdoodles dipped in your cup of black tea. Cinnamon, vanilla, and black tea meld to form a liquid cookie. The only (very minor) flaw I can find is that I can’t drink this in the evenings because of the caffeine. How about a Snickerdoodle rooibos, Frank? Or maybe red velvet cake honeybush?

I didn’t order this one when it was initially introduced, mostly because I thought it was rather ordinary… but after reading a few reviews of it, I was a bit saddened when it sold out before I could order some. When it was reblended, I quickly ordered some of it… and I’m glad I did.

I really like this. I just submitted a review for it for Tea Review Blog, which should publish soon.

I guess if I were to change anything about it, I would add some Assam to the blend because I’m wanting a baked kind of background to it. It is good without the Assam, but I think it would be really good with it!

Backlogging from Sunday.
Since I’ve been drying for snickerdoodles since winter solstice this swap from Meghann really brightened the life sucking past couple of days. I just can’t stand inclemant weather like this for a week straight!
The dry smell is literally intoxicating. The alcohol from the vanilla beans explodes every time I open the pouch. It almost covers the cinnamon and I wondered if the brewed tea would mimic this. Not that I’d mind. I love this vanilla. It’s very fruity and floral and the first time I had vanilla that never lets one forget “I’m an orchid, not an herb!”
But despite the quality of the vanilla and cinnamon I think the igredients are wrong. There has to be star anise in there. I had two cups and both times the smell and taste of star anise is there, if faint. I wish it were as strong as the base; that’s the only flaw for me. The second time I reduced the time a bit and it tucked itself back under the vanilla’s sepals. But then I’m not fond of Indian black.

And I second Jaime’s proposition: red velvet honeybush! That would be amazing!

I think I have got this one figured out. I am bumping it up because it really tastes good to me tonight.

I was surprised to see such an ordinary blend from 52 Teas, but my disappointment was only limited to the lack of crazy – not the flavour! A deliciously strong cinnamon vanilla tea, a cup of this is just begging to be drunk alongside a pile of snickerdoodles fresh from the oven. I refuse to drink it any other way!

I’m sure I’m not the only one wanting to see a blend with gummy bears or more importantly, something along the lines of this: http://twitpic.com/2qf42y. Whaddya say Frank? ;)

The last of my samples of old 52teas blends via iHeartTeas. Like the others, this one has lost most of its added flavors with time. It mostly tastes like a cinnamon black tea. It does taste faintly like a snickerdoodle, but that could be just because I want it to. It’s fairly tannic and not the most enjoyable black tea base I’ve had. But I don’t fault 52teas.

Freshness is paramount with all edible things, so I should not have expected tea to be any different. Alas, so much for thinking I’d get to try out some retired teas. And I thought I was being really clever and sneaky too. :P

I ordered this from iheartteas not long ago and I’m always so impressed with the service! Shipping is prompt and I love the little handwritten notes thanking you for your order. It’s the little things that really count.

On to the tea! I made a huge batch of snickerdoodle cookies to have with this when it came yesterday, but by the time I had finished and they had cooled, it was 8 o’clock and way too late for any black tea. So I consoled myself with a few cookies and waited to have it this morning.

I promise, we are really on to the tea now. Out of the bag, this has that zing of freshly ground cinnamon (one of my favourite scents in the world) but also a hint of vanilla that takes the edge off the cinnamon, and calms it slightly. I’m not really sure what my steeping parameters were, I think I might have used water that was quite a bit too cool for black tea and I got distracted while it was steeping. It smells mostly of cinnamon and it is such a homey, warming scent. I love it.

The taste is predominantly black tea, which I wasn’t expecting from the aroma. The cinnamon and vanilla support the tea, instead of the tea base supporting the flavours. This means it is very smooth and soft. Although this isn’t what I expected, it is still really lovely. (and perfect with my cookies, which, if I may say so, were REALLY good).

I really enjoyed the flavors in this unique, strong blend. First off, the aroma hits you the second you open the package. The aroma reminds me of fresh snickerdoodle cookies cooking in my grandmother’s oven. The taste is very similar – strong cinnamon and vanilla. This is a perfect heavy fall tea – and I can’t wait to try it blended with soy milk and honey. However, plain works just perfect.
I’m intrigued about Brandon’s gummy bear tea – ingenious! When can we expect that?!