A tea friend won this in a contest and was very kind and shared with me. I am really grateful given it is a tea that immediately called to me but also one that gave me pause before I would consider purchasing. The issue with this tea, Earl Grey Cupcake by 52 Teas, is that I can almost never resist cupcake teas and yet I almost always avoid Earl Greys. Hence the conundrum here but luckily my problem was resolved by the generosity of a friend.
As much as I don’t always love the flavor of Earl Greys, the smell really is quite relaxing and this tea in particular smells mouth-wateringly delicious.
It also tastes delicious. The bergamot of the earl grey is strong but smooth and it is kept in check by the vanilla beans which add a gentle cream note.The base teas contribute a breadiness and body that combines with the rest of the tea to help really capture the cupcake concept. The cute little star sprinkles also give this tea a festive touch and just a hint of cupcake sweetness.
Despite my unease with bergamot, I did enjoy this one. I can see Earl fans really loving this and for those that maybe aren’t as familiar with the Earl, this could be a nice tea to make his acquaintance. I could also see this being one yummy latte.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
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!
Let’s Go Bananas Again! Recent Tastings of Banana Teas
Check out my first Let’s Go Bananas tea posting.
It’s no secret I love the flavor of bananas. I like the taste in pastries, candy, breakfast, the fruit itself, and of course, the taste of bananas in tea! Here is another round of tasty banana inspired teas I’ve tried lately
Banana Split from The Necessiteas
Leaf type: red rooibos
This red rooibos blend has all three essential components of a banana split, with pieces of strawberries, bananas, and carob bean (“chocolate”). The strong red rooibos compliments the sweet and tart fruit pieces in the blend. The chocolate is an undertone, taking a backseat to the driving banana and strawberry flavor combination. The blend benefits from sweetener and milk to make it feel more like a dessert and bring out more of the bananas.
Perles de Antilles Rooibos Blend from Camellia Sinensis distributed by Amoda Tea
Leaf type: green rooibos
This tropical green rooibos blend has pieces of dried banana, pineapple, and coconut. All three fruits are prominent, and no one ingredient takes the lead. Banana and coconut are the sweet components, bringing creaminess and body to the blend. The pineapple adds a much-needed pop of tartness to balance the blend. This tea is the most refreshing as an iced tea, and drinking it iced helps support its summertime tropical vibe.
Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha from 52Teas
Leaf type: green
52Teas has a whole host of delicious flavored genmaicha teas. Being the sucker for banana that I am, this was one of my favorites. The sweet cream of the marshmallow pairs well with the banana, almost like a banana cream pie. The toasty flavors of the puffed rice help this blend from being too sweet, and if keeping with the pie analogy, the rice makes up the crust-like component of the blend. All the warm, roasted flavors of puffed rice and gentle green taste of genmaicha with creamy marshmallow fluff and banana.
I know there are still banana teas out there that I haven’t tried, so I’ll need to fill up my mug and go bananas for banana tea all over again!
Carrot Cake Pancakes from 52Teas
I am a carrot cake fiend. I also love me some pancakes. And before I found this magical tea hybrid of the two, I found actual carrot cake pancakes…or perhaps it was pancakes carrot cake? Basically it was a cake sold in a deli in Montreal that looked like 20 pancakes stacked, with cream cheese icing in between the layers. It always fascinated me but I never got to try it so this tea is my chance to give it a go.
The first thing I noticed while drinking this tea is that it has the nice spice that I love in a good carrot cake. The cinnamon is definitely strong, though smooth, with a touch of nutmeg and a dash of allspice. It is a nice rounded spice flavor that is kept in check by the sweetness of the carrot. With that said, the black tea has a touch of thickness in the mouthfeel that is bringing to mind a denser pancake as opposed to a fluffy/light cake.
At first when I finished the cup I was sad that there was no semblance of a cream cheese icing. With that said, I can definitely see this as carrot cake pancakes, as in pancakes inspired by a carrot cake recipe as opposed to the carrot cake that looked like 20 stacked pancakes layered with icing. So no cream cheese icing but this does taste like a pancake with carrot cake spices and some carrot sweetness. If you want carrot cake, this is not the tea to go with but if you want carrot cake pancakes, then give this a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
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!
Spiced Cucumber Melon Green Tea from 52Teas. . . .
Usually I am right on top of 52 Teas’ offerings as they make some of the best and most unique flavored blends out there. However, with a new flavor each week, sometimes some slip by before I get a chance to find them. This is one of those teas but luckily for me a tea friend was kind enough to share.
I had enough to brew it up both hot and cold, both steeping for 2 minutes in 175 F water.
I started with the hot tea which is a nice smooth drink. Nothing jumps out at me but that makes sense given both cucumber and melon are softer flavors. I was surprised it’s not more distinctively “spiced” but between the spices and the fuller flavor of the green tea base, this is more robust than a plain cucumber melon tea would be. Those fresh and cooling flavors I usually identify with summer but this tea would work year round because it is a full flavor that would be nice in the colder weather but is still gentle and refreshing enough to not be overwhelming in the summer heat.
As an iced tea, the melon comes out more. The flavors are a bit more conflicted when iced as the sweet cucumber melon stands separately from the more roasty base. The spice definitely kicks in at the tailend of the sip, lingering above the green tea while a bubble-gum like melon starts things off. It is not bad perse but the contrast between the two makes for a startling flavor change midsip that you do not get with the hot tea.
Though this is a nice tea overall, I definitely preferred the more harmoniously blended hot tea. It is one I think I would explore more should it be reblended in the future as it is not currently available on the 52 Teas website as of now.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
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!
Chai Houjicha from 52Teas. . . .
I like me a mellow chai. I like roasted green teas. And I often enjoy 52teas’ blends. So I was very pleased to receive a generous taster pouch sample of this blend. It has not disappointed!
The dry leaf smells of clove, cinnamon, and a hint of pepper. Brewed up, it smells of clove and cinnamon. The dominant flavor is the roastiness of the hojicha, with a hint of cinnamon and the lingering bite of clove. Adding rice milk really makes this dreamy. It adds a sweetness and touch of creaminess that just perfectly complements the mellow spices, highlights the roasted note, and smooths out the clove. I tried adding honey for the sake of being comprehensive, but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. This blend consistently delivers a solid second steep. I have also found that the caffeine kick here seems to be pretty mild, so I can have it later in the day than most other caffeinated teas. Overall, this is a mild but flavorful chai that is perfect for a chilly afternoon.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
