52teas

it was eh. i dont really like the aftertaste. but it smells so lovely!

SO SPICEY!

WOOOOOOW!

I love it. I add rooster sauce to almost anything edible, and this tea reminds me why I love intense spice that makes the back of my neck sweat.

When I first saw the name of this, I was kind of like mehhhh I don’t know. But my stomach has been really mad at me. Like, if my stomach was a cat it’s one that doesn’t know when to just stop meowing. I don’t know why I am using a cat metaphor here.

So I remembered I had this tea and thought it would probably be really comforting. Just the smell of the leaves made me feel better.

The lemon flavor is stronger than the cinnamon, and I still taste the floral flavors of the base. It’s really light and refreshing, despite having these flavors. I can’t believe how fast I am drinking it.

So really, don’t let the name mislead you. This is a nice blend of flavors, sweet and citrusy, with just a little tasty kick of cinnamon.

I’m trying to drink up more old teas before I open new ones (except Weeping Angel, I’m almost to the Doctor Who episode they first appear in and I’m having a cup with it), and I completely forgot about this tea so it was exciting to find it…it seems like I only drank it once, which is sad.

I’ve got the radio up pretty loud cause the guy above me was vacuuming, and for some reason this turned Sebastian into a chatterbox. So here he is: http://youtu.be/pcf0kO3vonI He’s quiet now but he was really getting into it.

I just got distracted realizing if I do well next semester, I can graduate next fall. Here I was thinking I had to go until spring 2014 because I wasn’t going to get the C in health econ. YISSSSS.

This is so tasty still. I love the nuttiness of genmaicha mixed with tart cherry and tangy cheesecake. I also like that it’s not too sweet to have right now, because I haven’t had dinner yet.

Seriously though I have to definitely try what I mentioned in my only other tasting note on this tea. Infuse this in some butter for a cheesecake crust, that would be so good. But I almost don’t want to lose out on that tea for drinking!

As soon as I saw the post about this I was excited to get it. I really was not expecting my month of teas to come today but since I slipped twice while walking to get the mail I will so take it!

Even before I even let this just let the flavors meld in the package for a couple of weeks, it is SO good. I don’t think it tops the marshmallow treat genmaicha but it’s up there. The cherry flavor tastes like cherries, and I get just the right cheesecake tang. It’s like a cheesecake with a toasty crust, topped with tons of cherries. This will make an excellent dessert tea….or an afternoon tea because you’re too excited to wait.

Final thought: Whoa. What if you infused butter with this tea and made a cheesecake crust? I did get a springform pan for Christmas!

My second time trying this… it leaves a big tart aftertaste which I am not really loving. I’d be glad to swap for some of this… I am sensitive to tart things due to stomach problems but I’d imagine it’s fine for most people.

Ah evidently I am the first person on Steepster to log this particular blend.

My track record with roobois tisanes has definitely been a mixed bag so I wasn’t sure what exactly I would make of this one. :)

I ended up steeping it in an infuser mug for 5 minutes @ 208F. I think I like roobois blends a little bit better when the other ingredients drown out the flavor – lol. I am getting both cranberry and blackberry in this which is very nice. It does have a bit of tartness that comes from the cranberry element but not overwhemingly so. This is a very “juicy” blend with only a touch of cherry cough syrup -ha!

I liked this pretty well when it was hot and then I decided to throw it over some ice and I added a bit of sugar to it. I’ve never had an iced roobois before and I’m not sure that’s really my “thing” but it was ok. I preferred it hot.

This was good enough for even a roobois malcontent like me but I’m not sure I would buy it again.

The smell of the dry leaves was a little weird. But as it is sitting here brewing, let me tell you, it is starting to smell good.
It has been a few more minutes….such a good chocolaty smell. It is like I am baking something chocolaty on my coffee table (er, tea table).
Took a sip and it is a little sweet and has a subtle chocolate malt flavor. I think with some training, I could drink this as is (I am working on not adding so much sweetener to my teas).
I added a splash of Coldstone Sweet Cream creamer (which tastes like melted coldstone ice cream on its own). It actually did not make it better. It kinda killed the deliciousness of the tea. Tomorrow I will try it with a little sugar and milk.

Enjoyed this at a tea party on Saturday with Dinahsaur. She only had dark brown sugar, so we used that. Even better! Yum

mmmm. 192 water, just about two minutes, spot of brown sugar. Delish. About to try resteeping the bag. Will update in a few.

Getting to finally taste this tea was a nightmare. Day one, I used boiling water and steeped it waaaay to long (about 7 or 8 minutes). It was god awful. It was bitter and disgusting. Adding sugar did nothing.
Day two, I made a fresh teabag, not wanting to even mess with the over steeped grossness from the day before. I popped it into my cup, put it under my Keurig at 192* and hit brew. Out comes pouring French Roast Coffee all over my teabag! SOB! I fished it out as quickly as possible and rinsed it off. I dumped and cleaned the cup…then tried again.
I brewed it with 192* for 2-3 minutes. Did not want to oversteep this time. Took a sip, not to bad. Nothing real magical either. I added some brown sugar, just a bit. Holy yum. Delicious. Really enjoyed it. One of my favorite teas in my collection, if not my current favorite. Hope they restock soon because I could slurp down this bag within the month, but either way, glad I snagged the last bag so I could at least taste it

I actually really like this one!
I’m not always the biggest fan of mate- I don’t think it tastes like coffee and tend not to appreciate blends that try to convince me that it does. I’ve been confused about the whole “mate latte” trend at coffee/tea houses.

But now I want someone who’s good at making lattes to make me one with this- because it’s just screaming for foamed milk.
My first cup I just had with water, but I’m trying it now with some steamed vanilla soy milk (I think I used too much and made it too weak- oops)
Anyway, vanilla and mint are a great combination, and while mate doesn’t have a stimulating affect on me, it’s pleasant enough in this blend that, well, I don’t mind that it’s there. Keeps this from being an (after dinner) dessert tea though- I don’t want to risk being stimulated right before bedtime.

I think all tea shops should stock this one to make me lattes with. Yumyum.

YUM!

I definitely had my doubts about this tea. If I were to visit a bakery and see a strawberry orange scone I probably would pass on it in favor of a lemon scone or something else. The combination of strawberry and orange simply does not appeal to me. I don’t know why.

But it didn’t take long for me to change my mind about the flavor combination because it really tastes amazing. The orange dominates this cup and it tastes sweet yet tangy, and even a little bitter. Normally, I don’t really like that bitter orange pith taste, but, somehow, in this cup, it works. The strawberry is more of an undertone compared to the strength of the orange, but it is nice and sweet, and it is really noticeable in the aftertaste, with that little bit of berry tingle that tickles the tongue.

The pastry flavor of the scone is there too. I do wish there was more of that buttery element to this – Frank manages to do butter flavors so well! I find that this misses butter, or perhaps clotted cream, so I think that this tea is even better with a splash of milk to it to tie it all together and finish the scone flavor for me.

It’s really, really delicious.

I’m going to the movies…going to the movies…go…darn it I’m still at work. Thank you Brandy for this one. There is a yummy aroma that wafts from the dry leaf. I see some nice raisin pieces as well. The trouble I’m struggling with in the “chocolate tea” realm is that some of them don’t taste like real chocolate. There is a chocolate essence that is nice but I don’t know if I would say it’s really chocolate. Maybe I’m crazy here. I’m liking this one pretty well though. There’s a nice chocolate flavor but I’m not sure if I’m getting the raisin. This reminds me more of a chocolate oatmeal raisin cookie. Which I like because oatmeal raisin are my favorite! I like it. I continually admire Frank’s creativity. I could keep my nose in the pouch for days :)

I bought this awhile back. It took me a couple of times to get it tasting the way I wanted. So make sure to have plenty of leaf and a short steep time. Honestly even with sugar with it being really warm the flavors were faint but when I let it cool this started to get pretty good orange,some lime abit of raspberry and a hint of vanilla with the black tea. This is pretty good cool and the flavors are nice and natural and refreshing. I really need to ice this.

ok I swear I reviewed this earlier… but where did my review go?!? I scoured the pages twice! Hmph.
Anyhow, I just used up the last of my sample and gave some to Dad. He likes his tea cold, so I’ll find out in the morning what he thinks.
More importantly though, I think this is superb!!!! SO tasty. It really hits the nail on cinnamon rolls. I get that bakey taste too. A touch of agave brings it up to the perfect place.
I get a hint of artificial flavour, but I typically get that in actual rolls as well so I suppose that is to be expected!
Thank you so much for sending me the sample Jenn!! xx
If I was to ever order a 52Teas batch, this would be one of them, most definitely

So far I think this is really tasty. I’ve had 2 pours and like others before me I can say this is nice and strawberry flavored with creamy vanilla. No bitterness. It is best to add some sweetening and cream to make a good round rich desert. I’m not overwhelmingly blown away. I tried to enhance with some ground pink peppercorns but didn’t add enough. Will try again and get back with the results. I just think it needs some pop or punch. I like flavor that goes into more than 2 levels and this tea seems to stop at 2.

I’ve been spending way too much money on tea lately. My cupboard is so full of tea that it’s overflowing. Literally. I can’t even fit it all in the cupboard, and there are three (I kid you not, THREE) boxes of tea sitting on top of the refrigerator. And when I say boxes, I don’t mean one little tin. I mean a box with five or six pouches of teas in it. From my calculations, it could take at least 6-8 months to drink this much tea! Phew! I guess I’d better get started!

I am super excited for this tea. Why? One word: oatmeal. I don’t know why, but I’ve been craving some kind of oatmeal tea. I’ve been playing around with combinations to suggest to Frank, and oatmeal something was at the top of my list! I’m thinking…maple pecan granola!! Yeah!!

But seeing that Frank had never done oatmeal, I thought maybe it can’t be done. Or maybe that means it needed to be done! Either way, I was ecstatic to see a blend with oatmeal from 52teas. The second I read the e-mail, I promptly bought a pouch thinking it would sell out in less than 24 hours (which is known to happen with Frank’s blends).

The dry leaf aroma is tantalizing! It smells remarkably like an oatmeal raisin cookie. Finally, it’s time to have some of this tea! First sip…hmmm. Second sip…hmmmm. I’m not getting the overwhelming grape flavor that others have complained about. It’s definitely not grape lollipop, although I can detect grape in the brewed tea aroma.

But honestly, this does taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie to me (or at least as close to it as tea can get). What others identify as grape, I definitely identify as raisin. They’re similar smells and tastes, but not quite the same. I like it a lot without additions, which is rare for me and black teas. With milk and sugar, its flavor is enhanced. Now I really like this tea!

I’m not quite at love. I wish the oatmeal were stronger and more discernible. But this is definitely a very enjoyable tea from 52teas. I’m a happy customer!

I’m finishing up this sample from the 12 Teas of Christmas 2011 box.

I took my first small sip of this and paused to let the flavors melt on my tongue. Yum, this has a very different black tea base than the Cherry Joy Black Tea from Ovation I just had. And then POW!!! The aftertaste was like someone shoved a warm doughy chocolate chip cookie hot from the oven directly into my mouth!! WOW!! This is insane!!

Oh man, this is to die for amazing. I don’t know why I didn’t have this experience the first go around in December. Maybe it’s because I had tried it first without additions. This time I added milk and a pinch of Truvia right away. But this is exquisite now. Truly, it tastes exactly like chocolate chip cookies!!! AHHH!! And now there’s no more!! *Begins wailing in despair.

At least I get to experience this one last time. Make some more chocolate chip cookie tea, Frank!! Or how about chocolate chip pancake tea? Or chocolate chip scone tea? Or chocolate chip anything tea!! Oh, how will I survive without this?! Upping the rating from 80 to 97. This tea is perfection. Minus three points for being extinct. :P

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2011 – Day 12

A month after Christmas and I’m finally getting around to finishing off this sampler. I haven’t even logged into Steepster for two weeks! I kind of cheated on tea a bit of late. The fiancé and I bought a really nice espresso maker, so my morning tea has been subsumed by coffee. I’m sorry tea! But I’m back now!

Anyway, on to the much anticipated Milk & Cookies! (I say “much anticipated” because I saw it on their site a couple weeks back and deduced that this must be the 12th day of Christmas tea). The pouches have already sold out, so this is my one and only chance to try it.

I’d say it’s mildly disappointing without additions. It tastes like a tannic chocolate black tea. But with some added milk and sugar, BAM! I’m drinking milk and cookies! Now it could be entirely my imagination, but I think I’m detecting some notes of butter and dough. Yum! I like this tea a lot, and I’m really glad I got to try it.

This has been one excellent tea adventure! Thanks, Frank, for creating such a wonderful and fun sampler!!

I’m reading the “So what’d you think?” prompt for this tasting note over and over while trying to finish the now cold cup of this tea.

I was sooo excited about this one! I looove oatmeal cookies. But mine are spicy (cinnamon and nutmeg), and by no means taste like grape lollipop… That being said I am incredibly sad that I didn’t like this tea.

The dry tea looked promising. It had little pieces of dry oatmeal in it as well as raisins. I was so excited to try it! I waited until I was home from work and took my time opening and preparing it. First off, the smell that was exuding from the package was grape candy. I shook my head and must have looked like a confused dog with a cocked head and all. Sniffed again, and grape it was! I have never known of grape oatmeal cookies… I had high hopes that it was only the smell.

Two tsp, 12oz and 3 minutes later I had a steaming cup of tea smelling overwhelmingly of grape lollipop. No doubt… Grape lollipop steaming from my teacup. Well, maybe the oatmeal cookie is int he actual taste.

Sip one= grape lollipop + bitterness. Sugar added. Sip two= grape lollipop + sweet + a little bit bitter. Milk Added. Sip three= grape lollipop + milky + something vaguely resembling dough….

No. I do not like it Sam I am… I do not like in a box or with a fox… Hahaha…

I feel like somehow the grape flavor that was used by Frank sneaked itself into this brew. Maybe try again with spices instead of grape? I love your teas Frank, in fact a few of 52teas have quickly become my favorites, but this one missed its mark.

Now off to read a good book with Pancake tea which really makes me smile…. …And will surely make me forget the grape!

EDIT- As an afterthought, as a grape tea it isn’t bad, just not oatmeal cookie. Removing numerical rating…

I brewed this last night to serve as iced tea today… and it is SO good iced.

I will miss this one…