Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
For this week’s tea, he created a natural oatmeal flavoring, which I had been dreaming about for a while, so I could introduce you to this week’s tea of the week: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, with rolled oats, plump raisins and natural flavors including oatmeal and touches of brown sugar, raisin, and butter (and yes, it’s all vegan, for our vegan friends).
I don’t want to toot my own horn too much here, but I think this is going to knock your socks off. It is truly stunning. Get yours while they last.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little worried about trying this tea after reading all of the feedback on Steepster regarding this tea. I noticed one reoccurring theme amongst those tasting notes: this tea tastes like grape.
For the most part, I do not care for grape flavored things. Stuff like grape flavored candies or ice pops or soft drinks, as I rule I generally avoid them. That being said, I do like the actual fruit. And I do, on occasion enjoy grape juice or even a very rare glass of wine. And I love Darjeeling teas that possess that all-important muscatel grape note. I think I’ve even encountered a grape flavored tea or two that I’ve enjoyed.
But I worried that this may end up tasting like that artificial grape taste that goes into the ice pops and candy, and not end up tasting like the true fruit… or even tasting like raisin, which is what it should taste like.
The verdict: Well, this does taste like grape, especially with the first few sips. But it doesn’t taste like that grape flavor that I tend to avoid. It tastes more like a wine-y grape. With the first few sips, I didn’t notice much of anything that tasted like oatmeal, raisin, or cookie. Sure, there were hints here and there that suggested those flavors, but, nothing that really screamed out: OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE.
Right now, I’m imagining the Cookie Monster taking a drink of this and saying “where’s the cookie?” … think Wendy’s commercial from the 80’s.
Now that I’m more than half-way through my cup, I am noticing the flavors are developing. It still tastes more like grape than Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, but, I am noticing the flavors build. I taste more raisin. I can taste a hint of brown sugar and butter, and even a little bit of caramelized sugar taste that you’d find on the bottom of a cookie. And the Oatmeal taste is beginning to emerge.
This is a really tasty tea, so I don’t want you to read this and think that I dislike it. I’m enjoying it. I’m just wishing for a little more of an obvious Oatmeal Raisin Cookie taste, and a little less of a grape-y taste. I think that the overall flavor could be improved with a tad more of that butter flavor that 52Teas does so amazingly well, as well as a touch of cinnamon and maybe even some nutmeg. A bit of walnut would be nice too.
An enjoyable tea, but I don’t think that the Cookie Monster would give his stamp of approval on it.
