Backlog from October 7th:
This is such a unique tea. It’s the first banana tea I’ve ever tasted and I was amazed at just how authentic it smells. It’s not as much fresh, ripe banana to me as it is banana pudding. I actually get a sense of the vanilla wafers alongside sliced bananas and creamy pudding.
The blend is made up of tightly coiled tea with large pieces of real banana. Some of the pieces are as big as a butter mint candy. The tea brews up so lovely. It’s a light golden color with a faint banana fragrance. I’m not the biggest fan of oolong in general but this is really nice. The banana flavor is jut barely there but in the right way. It’s refreshing and delicate. Just really something special.
Second Steep
8 ounces water + 180 degrees + 4 minutes
After the first steep, the leaves have unfurled and now look like deep green kale. There are still a couple of chunks of banana holding strong. I’m not sure if the banana flavor is actually from the fruit or the natural flavorings, but it’s nice to see that the fruit hasn’t completely disintegrated in any case. I allowed this cup to rest for 6 minutes after steeping just as I did the first cup. Even with the same steep time, the color was just as dark as my initial cup. The banana flavor is not present for me in this cup. The aroma is more vegetal in both leaf and liquid and there is a bit of astringency now. Still a fine and flavorful cup.
Flavors: Astringent, Banana, Creamy, Vanilla, Vegetal
Banana teas for the win!