Coconut Cream Pie Honeybush

June 2020 Reblend

Honeybush isn’t usually my thing and I have so much coconut right now, but I have to admit that this was a delicious evening cup last night. Just really nice coconut flesh, coconut cream, and honey/sweet syrup flavours that are both decadent and smooth. I like this a lot better then the poorly remembered black tea version of Frank’s, which I recall liking a lot even so (yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve had one of Coconut Cream Pies).

Advent Calendar Day 13

I love that it took almost 2 full weeks for me to run across a tea in Amanda’s calendar that I’d tried before! Even better, it’s one I tried and really liked, so I’m delighted to have it back in my cupboard. Just as creamy and coconutty as I remembered and I LOVE that it’s on a honeybush base. Why are there so many more rooibos blends out there than honeybush? Honeybush is so much more delicious, in my opinion at least!

There are so many different 52Teas coconut blends I didn’t realize this was different from Coconut Cheesecake honeybush. So this is a new one for me, even though I know I love the old version of Coconut Cream Pie black. (Just to note: All of my 52Teas blends are still Frank’s blends – no new ones yet!) And oh boy there is coconut flavor in this one! Plenty of flavor with a nice tanginess to balance it out. (Shouldn’t more tangy be found in the cheesecake blend though?) The coconut is the big flakey type – my favorite dried coconut in a tea. I really need to enjoy this one before the coconut goes bad, but I think this type of coconut lasts longer in tea than others though. Coconut blends are my first priority, I guess! I always appreciated that 52Teas was really the only shop with flavored honeybush.
Steep #1 // heaping teaspoon // few minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 2-3 min

Blind pick number 4. First impression of dry leaf scent is coconut rum. Yup smells just like it. Steeped it still smells quite a bit like alcohol but more coconutty(not even a word but I like it).
Taste is all coconut with just the barest thought of alcohol.
Overall it is good but probably not a repurchase.

Backlog:

While I do prefer the black tea version of the coconut cream pie, I did enjoy this honeybush version. 52Teas makes a killer coconut cream pie tea! I do like how the natural nutty notes and honey sweetness goes with the coconut-y, creamy, pastry-like flavors. It’s also nice that it’s caffeine free so it’s a nice way to indulge late at night without worrying about the coconut cream pie going to the thighs.

It gets a thumbs up from me.

I was feeling rather dissatisfied with my caffeine free beverage options this evening until I remembered that I had this deliciously creamy coconut-y treat in my cupboard. Win! Tonight I’m even getting a hint of pastry as the tea cools which adds a fun twist to the tea. It does taste a little bit like coconut cream pie. I kind of want to add cream to my cup, but I’m afraid I’ll lose the pastry, and possibly some of the coconut, flavor that way. That would be a shame, so I’ll just sit here and enjoy this one just the way it is.

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.

This is my first honeybush. The dry leaf smells very strongly of alcohol, like I’m sniffing a liquor and not a tea. Upon sipping, the first thing I taste is alcohol. Even with sweetening it tastes like I should be getting a buzz. There’s also a subtle sort of woodsy note, that I’m assuming is the honeybush. But definitely no coconut, no cream, and no pie. Not even a coconut rum cake sort of effect. Just alcohol. I don’t know if I got a bad bag or what, but I’m disappointed.