I don’t usually buy flavored teas but happened to purchase this on a whim (also this is my first tea from 52 Teas). I love oatmeal raisin cookies and I’m sure the cookie image sold me :)
There are about a teaspoon’s worth of oats and 7 raisins mixed with the tea in my bag. This is clearly just eye candy and doesn’t contribute any flavor.
The aroma straight from the bag is pretty intense. The main thing I smell is grapes?? (and I don’t mean raisin… I mean grape- like artificial grape) and vanilla/cream- maybe a hint of cinnamon. Sweet smelling. It smells like what I would imagine a cheap vanilla-ish or cookie candle would smell like.
The brewed tea looses much of that strong aroma- the grape is still there but it’s subtle as is those vanilla notes. The dominant aroma here is black tea.
Taste: definitely not oatmeal raisin cookie and NOTHING like I was expecting based on the dry leaf aroma. Mainly malty black tea (is the base an assam?). There really isn’t much flavoring that I’m picking up on. After adding milk and sugar, whatever flavorings are in there are a bit more pronounced.
Overall I’m not too impressed.
Adding the milk and sugar bring the tea somewhat closer to a real cookie. Who doesn’t love sugar?? :) But I don’t like the idea that I need to add something to improve it.
Then again… maybe I’m not being fair. Oatmeal raisin cookies DO have sugar in them and they are perfect with a nice glass of milk.
It’s not that it’s not enjoyable… it’s just not anywhere near what I was hoping to experience. Where’s the cookie?!? But as I said, I’m not a flavored tea kind of guy so your experience could vary… and perhaps my expectations are too high… and maybe I’m being a little too harsh.
Although I wouldn’t purchase this blend again, I’m not sworn off on trying anything from 52 Teas in the future. The price is right: $9 for 2oz of tea shipped, not bad to just try something fun out and risk not loving it.
