78

Another sample from Mandy! There are a few pieces of dodgy-looking coconut mixed in with the honeybush. They almost look (and feel) like paper… weird. I do smell coconut, but it also has that alcoholic flavoring smell that I’ve been finding in so many flavored teas lately. I did a 5 minute steep in boiling water, and used a little over a teaspoon of tea.

The brewed tea smells lightly of coconut, and heavily of vanilla pudding! :O Exciting! Meh… Taste-wise, the flavor is a bit weak for me, I think in the future I’ll use two teaspoons. The flavor this is there is rather good, though! Very creamy and vanilla pudding-ish, with plenty of coconut. I get something resembling crust in the aftertaste, probably just as a result of the honeybush base and not the flavoring.

Overall, this is quite good! I find it to be mostly accurate to coconut cream pie, it definitely has the coconut and the cream down if not the crust as much. Reminds me of pudding, yum! I won’t have any trouble drinking the rest of my sample. :D

Edit: I think the actual coconut pieces in here might be past their expiration… I’m getting a weird sour taste on the tail end of some sips. I’ll remove them and try again another time.

Flavors: Coconut, Cream, Custard, Pastries, Vanilla

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Mandy

Wow seemed we had vastly different experiences with this. This is one of the only times that I’ve had a tea that smelled like alcohol. And unfortunately it’s also the only tea that steeped up and still tasted like straight alcohol to me. Hot liquor.

Cameron B.

Gross! I’ve noticed the alcohol smell (in dry leaf) a lot with flavored teas lately, even with Stacy’s tea. Obviously, it was gone after steeping. I just kind of assumed that it’s a common byproduct of using flavorings. :P

Lariel of Lórien

I’ve gotten the alcohol smell in their chocolate rooibos.

Mandy

I’ve never noticed the alcohol smell in any other teas except another 52teas Honeybush, which is why it’s so weird to me. Like even other 52teas smell like things even if it’s artificial smelling. I was very disappointed.

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Comments

Mandy

Wow seemed we had vastly different experiences with this. This is one of the only times that I’ve had a tea that smelled like alcohol. And unfortunately it’s also the only tea that steeped up and still tasted like straight alcohol to me. Hot liquor.

Cameron B.

Gross! I’ve noticed the alcohol smell (in dry leaf) a lot with flavored teas lately, even with Stacy’s tea. Obviously, it was gone after steeping. I just kind of assumed that it’s a common byproduct of using flavorings. :P

Lariel of Lórien

I’ve gotten the alcohol smell in their chocolate rooibos.

Mandy

I’ve never noticed the alcohol smell in any other teas except another 52teas Honeybush, which is why it’s so weird to me. Like even other 52teas smell like things even if it’s artificial smelling. I was very disappointed.

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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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