So I am only about half a year late but I am getting into the 12 Teas of Christmas. This particular tea, Coconut Flan Genmaicha, was from the 4th night of Christmas and unfortunately that means it is no longer available. However, in case it comes back, I will probably try snatching some more of this up because it is a tasty tea.
I have never had flan personally but my understanding is it is a gelatinous custard with a caramel top (drizzle? coating?). So if I am wrong about what flan is I am sorry but that is what I am basing my interpretation on and based on that, I would say this tea is pretty true to its name.
The first thing I notice is the almost thick and creamy custard quality. A little bit eggy and a little bit sweet. In fact, a caramelized sweetness floats atop the sip. Underneath the custard, the genmaicha – a pop of roastiness to keep everything else in check. It is both desserty and like cereal which makes this tea great as either a nighttime treat or a morning pick-me-up.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for green teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Calico & Black Cat Tea from 52Teas. . . .
On a rainy day where the wind is blowing and the raindrops are as big as golf balls, tea is perfect to curl up with. Sometimes, if you want a little something more, a latte could be what’s needed to hit the spot.
For me, it was a rainy day in May. I just had a consultation with a surgeon regarding my gallstones and got drenched walking back to the car as it poured outside. I got home, freezing, a little bit soggy, and I needed something more. That meant a Calico & Black Cat skim milk latte.
Having had this tea before, I knew how chocolatey this was and thought that it would pair nicely with a more milky base. And having tried the latte I could say I was right about that. With that said, I do think it is worth noting that though this is chocolatey, it is not a creamy milk chocolate sort of flavor. The chocolate of this tea leans more towards the sort of dusty and more unrefined chocolate of cacao husks which may not be enjoyed by all.
There is also a coconut undertone here that I worried might have been lost in the latte. Luckily, it is not as it provides a foil flavor to contrast to the cacao. Sweet and creamy, the coconut is nicely balanced here.
As this is inspired by the delicious Girl Scout Samoas, I will say the caramel component is lacking both in this latte and previous cups I have had. I imagine it may be drowned out by the other flavors though since the chocolate here is strong. That’s not necessarily bad but I note it so that anyone who gets ahold of this tea (which is currently unavailable but could be reblended in the future) is not disappointed.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for black teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blueberry Muffin Honeybush from 52Teas. . . .
I love 52 Teas. They have a great selection of unique and exciting flavored teas thanks to their business model of releasing a new small batch custom blended hand-crafted tea each week. The only downfall? The flavors go fast so if you fall in love, you have to act quickly to make sure you get your hands on that particular tea before it is sold out. That, or you hope and beg and pray for the 52 Teas gods to bless you with a reblend of your beloved flavor. I mention this because this particularly tea, Blueberry Muffin Honeybush, is not currently available on 52 Teas website but it may return in the future.
The blueberry flavor of this tea is perfect. It is juicy and just a little sweeter than the fruit itself but that is because it is more reminiscent of the blueberries found in muffins which are more syrupy sweet than fresh blueberries. The honeybush, though a little woody, also contributes a honeyed baked goods flavor that helps sell the idea of blueberry muffins. On top of all that, this tea is a touch buttery which is like the cherry on top.
This tea is a great evening treat. Being based on honeybush means it is naturally caffeine free and that means even the caffeine-sensitive won’t be kept up at night after enjoying a cup.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This blend is not currently available but click below for blends that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Summertime White from 52Teas. . . .
90% of the time, I’m not really a white tea fan. It’s kinda floral, it’s a little too light for me, I’m not entirely sure I’m fancy enough to be able to claim it as my own– etc., etc. But the other 10%? Meaning, the few months out of the year that I bust out my white tea sample backlog and put it on ice? White tea and I are bffs, you guys.
This particular blend from 52 Teas claims to be orange-cream-y, a bit fruity, perfect summertime sipping (as the name would suggest). It may have just been my sample, but I’m not positive that I picked up on the orange/cream, but there were delightful, fresh and summery hints of citrus undertones, a slightly vegetal-honeyed note that was at once light and reminiscent of syrup-y gold. I paired this iced cup with a splash of lemonade, which only enhanced those notes, and friends– it was to die for.
Leave it to 52 Teas to make a white tea believer out of me yet!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
April Siesta from 52Teas. . . . .
Okay April Siesta, I see you, okay. Now I want to start off this review saying that my love of this tea was 110% unexpected. The ingredients are not my usual (aside from chamomile- because unlike a lot of people, I actually am a fan of chamomile). However, the ingredients of lemon, orange, and licorice definitely scared me. Licorice, not as much as lemon and orange. I am not usually the kind of girl that wants tart tea or citrus flavors. When I smelled the dry leaf, I could smell citrus and it definitely made me second guess trying it and just writing it off as a “no”. But- I forged on and made myself a cup. I have always loved chamomile. I just think it is a great herb, not only because I love its honeyed taste, but because it is just so soothing. I get a lot of anxiety and a lot of nausea, especially when I am stressed. Chamomile always helps, even if its in a small way, there is always something positive that I receive from a cup of chamomile tea.
I tried this tea sans agave at first, and while I don’t think that it actually needed any sweetener I still added some. I probably wont next time because it really isn’t needed (I am known for accidentally over-sweetening my teas!). The first thing I noticed was the smell of orange and lemon- lemon more so than the orange. Meh. I really dislike citrus. Thankfully the smell is more powerful than the taste. The citrus is still there, but its tolerable. The next taste I notice is definitely the honeybush and chamomile! Both have sweet, honey, herbal qualities about them. Yum! The last thing I notice is the licorice and also the star anise, which of course have qualities all their own- sweet, but in a different way. I don’t normally like the flavor of licorice, but I think it all depends on what it is. There are these Italian black licorice candies that i’ve tried and they taste horrid. But I’ve tried licorice flavors in teas and I don’t always hate them. I guess it all depends on what it is and what it’s mixed with and how it’s done!
This tea was done really, really well! I really did enjoy it and I really did find it so relaxing! I may even order a larger bag because I think this is something I would drink as part of my nighttime ritual. The citrus aspect gives it a light, fluffy, “spring” feel. The licorice and star anise give it a unique twist. The honeybush and chamomile give it an herbal/honey feel. Definite A+ from me! A must try before it is gone.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
I have a confession (although, for anyone who has read many of my reviews from back when I was a tea reviewer – this probably isn’t much of a confession) – I’m not particularly fond of chamomile. Oh, I’ll drink it (on a rare occasion) but it’s not a tea/tisane that I’ll grab enthusiastically. It’s not something I’ll brew every day – I certainly don’t like it that much.
That said, I don’t hate it either. I’m just kinda ‘meh’ about it. Not my favorite thing – you know?
I’ve crafted one blend with chamomile during my time as the Mad Tea Artist of 52Teas – At Play in the Fields of Love – which I blended as a VIT for a special customer. Now, I’m crafting my second chamomile blend – and I’m blending it with one of my very favorite flavors: Licorice! I absolutely love licorice and all herb-y things related to licorice, like licorice root, anise and fennel. But interestingly enough – this is my first time blending a licorice blend. (Although, I did use licorice root in the Butter Beer reblend.) I have refrained from using licorice as a primary flavor in my blends up until now because I realize that it is a somewhat polarizing flavor – most people either love it or hate it – and it seems like it’s a even balance between those that like it and those that don’t. It’s kind of hard to create a winning blend with a featured flavor that is so polarizing.
But I’m hoping that with this blend – I’ve done just that.
One day while cruising through the internet – I stumbled upon a recipe for a cocktail called “April Siesta.” The cocktail features Absinthe which is a licorice-y liqueur and Curacao which is a citrus-y liqueur. These two liqueurs are combined with Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and simple syrup and topped off with a lemon twist.
So this is my take on this cocktail that I’ve never actually tasted but was inspired by. I started with organic honeybush, added some chamomile (because when I think ‘siesta’ – the first herb that comes to mind is chamomile), added licorice root, star anise and some citrus (orange and lemon) wedges. I didn’t want the citrus to be too intrusive because I really wanted the licorice-y flavors to be the star of the show but I didn’t want the licorice to be so sharp that those who aren’t particularly fond of licorice might appreciate this beverage too.
I love this! I can honestly say that this is my favorite blend with chamomile in it – mostly because I can’t really taste the chamomile. Instead, I get sweet licorice with light citrus background notes. Yummy!
organic ingredients: honeybush, chamomile, orange, lemon, licorice root, star anise and natural flavors
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
