Pancake Breakfast Black Tea

I bought this as one of the teas for the participants in the 12 days of Christmas swap.
I had tried this mixed with the maple bacon tea. it was unique.
today I brewed it up on it’s own. my first sip tasted just like pancake, but not any pancake, you know when there is slightly too much butter in the pan & the edges of a pancake are almost deep fried? Crunchy, buttery & bakey yummy yum yum
if you’ve never had a pancake like this, go, now & make some. My grandmother use to make all pancakes this way.
it’s strange the flavour throughout didn’t come through the rest of my mug.
I got a mostly black tea flavour with maple & occasionally some pancake flavour.

Aw man, another let down. Obviously I’m in the minority here, but I didn’t really dig this one. It’s my second tea from 52teas and the first one was rather disappointing too (caramel pumpkin cheesecake). There could be a few reasons for this:

1) I expect miracles. With dessert teas I mean. I expect it is both realistic and possible for someone to bottle up the pure essence of pancakes and syrup (or cookies, pie, brownies, cake, etc) and make a tea out of it.
2) I love sweets so much that no pale liquid imitation will ever satisfy me.
3) I had high hopes for this therefore I set myself up for disappointment.
4) I’m such a tea newb that I still can’t properly pinpoint different tasting notes in a cup of tea.

I really thought it would be more mapley. I can’t taste any maple at all!!
It doesn’t taste like anything to me, just a slightly sweet blend of black tea with a flavour I cannot put my finger on. I find Oh Canada by Davidstea tastes more like pancakes and syrup to me and I don’t even love that one on account of the rooibos.

I did find this more flavourful as it cooled down, but who wants to drink lukewarm tea for breakfast??

I am glad I got to try it, I still have some for a couple more cups so perhaps as my tea tastes mature I will be able to appreciate the subtlety in this. Thanks to Jackie T for the swap!!

EDIT March 30/13

So I had about 3 big spoonfuls of this left, decided just to throw it all in the strainer of one of my Davidstea Perfect Mugs and just go all the way. I figured if I don’t get any pancake flavour out of this massive quantity of tea then I’m not crazy. It was strong. I left it like 5 minutes and it was a lot of tea. Honestly I was just trying to get rid of it, so I guess that makes this a sipdown.

If I concentrate really hard, tongue out, nose wrinkled, eyes squinched shut I can ALMOST taste something vaguely resembling a pancake. But if you put that tea in front of me, even perfectly brewed and said “tell me what flavour this is”, I wouldn’t be able to. I’m still really just getting some sort of unrecognizable flavoured black tea.

I still have some left for a second (less strong) steep later, and will do so, but it wasn’t even worth drinking to me, I’m going out and I thought to myself “Self, do you want to finish drinking this potent tea that you don’t even enjoy right before you leave the house and then have to pee the whole time you’re gone??” (TMI perhaps)… the answer, anyway, was no.

I don’t even notice any maple in this, maybe it if were super mapley I’d be more on board. Ah well, that’s what swaps are for, right!? I have to lower my rating, because I feel I’ve tried enough delicious and spot-on flavoured teas since originally drinking this almost a month ago to fairly rate it lower, based on my own tastes.

A Steepster regular, I’ve long been exposed to rave reviews of 52teas blends. I’m just getting to taste some of them myself. To be honest, I prefer Della Terra blends, so far, but I’m keeping an open mind and giving each new-to-me blend a blank slate. I know everyone’s tastes are different, but it’s so, so, so hard not to feel at least a little disappointed when I can’t share in everyone’s enthusiasm. This, I feel, is the curse of reading tasting notes and buying into the hype. Not that I’ll stop doing either, of course, so I’m just resigning myself to it. =)

Here, the dry leaf smells very sweet. Blindfolded, I likely would have guessed maple syrup, but not pancakes. It is instinct for me to stick my nose in the packet, and I really have to stop doing this. It creates a false notion of how the tea is supposed to smell and taste. For example, when I put a teaspoon into my infuser and smelled that, the maple fragrance was there but a lot less prominent—more modest and more realistic. Had I stuck with that, I would’ve been better prepared for what, in the end, was not a very bold flavour. The brewed tea muted the maple fragrance even further, and smelled mostly like black tea to me.

The flavour is quite accurate, just not very strong. There is a good balance of black tea, maple, and pancakes here (like others, I’ve no idea how 52teas managed to capture that, but there you have it). Perhaps I didn’t use enough leaf? I can try some more next time, I just wanted to avoid the 52teas black tea blend curse of bitterness (at which I was successful, by the way). I have also read, several times, that 52teas blends need to be left alone for a bit and are much more flavourful after some time. The only thing is that I don’t know how long I am supposed to wait. It has been about two months, is that enough?

I do love the tea, but I was expecting to be in love with it. Perhaps that’ll come, in time, but it’s okay if it doesn’t. I am looking forward to playing with the preparation in the future; maybe there’s another way that I will find yummier.

Tea amount: 1 tsp/~4.75g
Water amount: 6oz/~175mL
Additives: 1 tsp maple syrup

Aside: I got to use my new spill-proof, smaller-than-16oz mug! It’s this one, in case you’re interested: http://oxo.com/p-1133-single-serve-liquiseal-travel-mug.aspx. I am a little bit annoyed with myself: I was so excited to find a mug close in size to what I wanted (6-8oz) that I didn’t consider anything else, like how frustrating that lid will be to clean when the tea has milk in it. Oh well, I’ll just have to make sure I don’t get lazy and at least soak it in hot water straightaway. Other than that little niggle, it’s pretty much perfect.

Wow. Just wow. This is freakin’ delicious. It is my first 52teas, and won’t be my last. The dry tea smells wonderful. Just like pancakes. I stood there in the kitchen with my nose buried in the bag just smelling it. Yummy. The brewed tea lives up to the hype of the scent. The pour smells vaguely like maple syrup, and the taste of the tea really is pancake-y, but not in a fake, nasty way. The drink is smooth and overall delightful. I bought this from Ashley here on Steepster, and I’m definitely going to be buying more of this when I run out. Seriously get yourself some of this tea. Its worth it.

On an unrelated note, I just figured out on a comment how to bold something. Watch out! I might bold everything in sight (web stuff, other than surfing, is not my strong suit, as you may have guessed).

ETA: Ack! This isn’t in the permanent collection? Noooooooooo! That means I’ll have to ration it!

I can’t believe that this arrived so soon! Yippee!

Dry leaf smells just like pancakes dripping with butter and maple syrup. YUM! Maple-y goodness with a hint of butter. Sweet but not too sweet. I can taste the pancake too, although it does take a few sips to develop.

Yummy and delightfully different.

I received this sample from Camiah. Thank you so much for sharing!

What a fun tea! The warm, rich smell, the bready taste of the pancake, the hint of butter, the sweetness of the syrup – it is all delicious. I did two steepings from my sample, and they were both great. The first had more of the pancake flavor with the syrup begin most pronounced at the end of the sip. With the second cup the sweetness of the syrup was not as strong, but it was there at the beginning of the sip and constant throughout. Both cups were thoroughly enjoyed!

Finally caught up on the 12 teas of Christmas! I have been drinking down my whole package of this, though I haven’t been writing tasting notes every time I drink it. It is really just as good every time I brew it.

I was really happy to see this be included! I hope a bunch of people will get to try it out and pounce on what is left of the stock of it so Frank will decide to add it to the permanent collection! ; )

I have learned through trial and error that this is best when really sweet, much like pancakes are best smothered in maple syrup! (I feel like I have mentioned this previously).

Happy with my 5th day of 52teas Christmas!

I am wonder what mystical powers Frank has, or what magical process he submits his teas to, but this tea is spot on. Maple sweet and doughy. I’ve having my breakfast in the evening, and it’s so much fun! I’m having it unsweetened, but it is so pancake-y that it is actually as satisfying for my sweet tooth, as having the sugary item itself.

Backlog from this morning
Jackie T very generously gave a sample of this. I’ve been wanting to try it, but didnt want to buy it as I don’t like pancakes in general. But for some reason the tea sounds very appealing.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like it much. I couldn’t really taste anything out of it. But I do have a bit of a cold, so maybe that’s the culprit. I still have a bit left of my sample so I’ll try the rest when I’m cold free.

I have been wanting to try this tea for forever, and KittyLovesTea was nice enough to send a sample with our swap (thank you!) The dry leaves smell strongly of butter and maple syrup, yum! I’m wondering if having this tea right before breakfast will make me want to whip up some pancakes for my morning meal? Ohh, this is good! There’s a nice bready/cake-like flavor mixed in with the black tea, and then a rich syrupy finish. And with all of that a thick, buttery smooth consistency. I’m not sure how all of that is possible in one little cup of tea, but there it is. This one definitely has me craving some fluffy pancakes now!

-Dry blend has medium black tea leaves and twigs with yellow petals.
-Dry leaves smell strongly of butter and maple syrup. Tea liquor aroma is of sugary maple syrup.
-Tea liquor is a clear dark brown color.
-Pastry and bready black tea flavor with a rich maple syrup finish. Buttery mouthfeel.
-Best with sweetener. Milk optional.
-Excellent tea. Reminiscent of warm buttery pancakes and maple syrup.

From 52 Teas’ 2011 Xmas sampler, the first time I had this tea I remember getting a general sweet that I could think about and maybe get maple. I didn’t see what all the fuss was and didn’t think it tasted like pancake breakfast.

Last night, I decided that I wanted to have this tea again in the morning when I was looking through what I had left still from the Xmas sampler. I woke up this morning and steeped up a cup. Both the dry leaf and the steeped tea smelled of maple syrup, the dry leaf smelling more so. Sipping, I got the maple right away but I had to hunt for any hint of pancake and I’m still not sure I found it. As the tea cool, it hit its sweet spot and I started to enjoy the cup quite a bit. I think I’ll want to drink this one again instead of putting the rest away thinking of it as something I have to finish off at some time. I think I have about 2 servings left.

I had the second steep a few hours later and it was lightly maple and lightly tea but still drinkable.

2nd steep: 6 min 30 sec.

Eggs, potatoes o’brien and a delicious pot of pancake breakfast tea this morning. All that was missing was the bacon.

Had the tea sweetened with real maple syrup and made it even better!

I very rarely care for flavored teas. And when I do, I have to indulge in them in serious moderation. While the vague concept of moderation will still be required with this tea, I think I finally found the exception to the rule.

I have been hearing about this tea for a while and finally had the opportunity to try it during a tea party with FyreTyde and another friend.

I was so eager to taste the brewed tea that it fell out of my mind to smell the dry leaf, so I’ll have to skip that part just this time. My first impression of this tea was maple syrup. It was pretty remarkable, really. Just the aroma of the liquor was enough to set my mouth to watering.

My first sip was pretty magnificent. The flavor of the black tea was clearly present and simple melded with the flavors that conjured the magical image of a plate heaping with pancakes. It wasn’t until I added a bit of dark brown sugar that the maple syrup really came into play. I know part of that was the brown sugar itself, but I’ve also found that if you use a minimal amount of sweetener (as I did in this case) that the natural sweetness is simply brought to the fore.

This is definitely a flavored tea I plan to order for myself sometime so I won’t have to meet up with FyreTyde each time I want a cuppa!

I’m on my second cup of the day now and this stuff is magical. It tastes like warm buttery pancakes dripping in maple syrup.

I’ve never really gotten the butter note in Franks other blends but it’s really strong here and goes well with the “cakeyness” of the pancakes and the sweetness of the maple. Even after sipping on this all evening I’m still amazed by how realistic it is. The balance between the flavoring and the tea is perfect.

So happy that Frank decided to reblend this one. Super excited to get my hands on a pack of this tea.

The dry tea is very strongly maple syrup. I did get a bit of an alcohol smell, like alcohol swab. But I had previously read some posts and comments on this and other 52 teas blends, and this seems to be the norm. Alcohol is used to help perfuse flavours in the blends.

After brewing, the tea mostly just smelled like a black tea. But as is started to cool I got a delicious pankcake and maple syrup smell.

The tea tastes like black tea with a base of sweet, slightly buttery maple syrup. There may be notes of a pastry or cake type base. I would definitely say it does taste like a pancake breakfast, but overall the taste is very light.

It tastes more and more pancake as it cools.

I only brewed this for 2 minutes, as is my norm for most black teas. I see that many other people brewed for 3 minutes or longer. I will try that next time to see if it brings out more flavour.

After toying with what to to brew up I settled on this one. I figured all oolong is best saved for the day when you have a chance to resteep. Today will not be that day. Then it came down to this or tamarind pop. I want to try something new. Mostly because I have tea samples exploding over my shelf and I believe this is one I’ve had a while. I think I got it from Awkward soul. I could be wrong.
This is my first from 52 teas. I wasn’t expecting this. I was expecting a clever name for a cup of maple tea. Not a big ol’ cup a pancakes. Somehow, they pulled it off. It’s sweet and refreshing and definitely tastes like pancakes. Well done!

Thanks so much to Will Work for Tea for this sample. It tastes so much like pancakes. I have no idea how this is achieved. Reminds me of Eggo syrup. Mmmm <3.

Squeeeeeeeel! Okay, I haven’t tried this one yet because I’m saving it for tomorrow morning. BUT I had to share that I just received TWO 52teas orders that I’ve been anxiously awaiting. My cup runneth over with foodie tea goodness. I have six new teas to try! Life is good :)

P.S. I’m not complaining about the wait, and I hope Frank is feeling much better.

I love the idea of pancake tea and I love the execution of the idea even more. I love that this tastes like pancakes and not just like a maple teas. I also love that the flavor doesn’t overwhelm the cup. Some flavors were meant to be in your face and others were meant to be subtle and in my opinion maple is one of those flavors.

I vote for more pancake teas (chocolate, blueberry, etc)! Anyone else with me on this one?

Longer review here: http://apurpledress.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/52-teas-a-six-part-series-5/

maybe i was too Into Watching MTV news and watching the final of the cast of Twilights breaking dawn getting together… laughing as stupid jokes and staring Blankly at rob thinking * if only* that I tend to taste a little bit of maple in this but no pancake… I will have to try again when my mind is not being overtaken by twilight and tiredness lol but i do like it !

Thanks you Rachel Sincere For this tea I promise i will try it when i am not distracted!