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!
Thoughts on 2016 Sejak / Teas Unique. . . . . .
This is my second steeping of this tea.
The first was subpar in taste. This was partly due to a bit of over steeping and maybe a bit too much leaf, but also because with the amount of tea I have been drinking I can tell when a tea has lost a bit of it’s freshness due to time.
Regardless, I am now doing a second steeping but this time cold. Measured for an 8 oz tea mug.
While there definitely is a lack of freshness the cold steep brings out some of the roasty, grassy qualities that I missed in the first steeping. I bet the first pluck (known as Ujeon in Korea) was amazing.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teas Unique
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Green Tea with Pomegranate from Bigelow. . . .
This is the tea I like to call “better than it has any right to be.”
I first had this blend at a brunch place with a sad, meager tray of tea bags. I chose the one I hadn’t tried that still had caffeine (this one).
“This is going to be trash,” I told my husband.
And then I sipped it.
I’m telling you, this is a pleasant surprise every time I have it!
It is surprisingly sturdy and juicy. I am usually kind of snide about bagged tea, but this one holds up. The green vegetal flavor is light, and the pomegranate pops. I turn to this blend fairly frequently when I just don’t have the energy to gravity-steep things. (Ugh, with the water, and the rinsing, and the measuring, you know? Sometimes you just want to put a bag in a mug and call it a day.)
When people want a cheap starter-tea that they can just grab at a supermarket, this is always the first one I recommend. Give it a whirl! It’s cheap, it’s everywhere, and it’s easy!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Bigelow Tea
Description
Delicate green tea with the added touch of sweet pomegranate. If you love our green tea, we think you will really love our green tea with pomegranate…all the benefits of green tea with the added touch of sweet pomegranate.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Close Encounters of the Tea Kind from The Goat Tea. . .
We now have that summer time weather in the Midwest and right now it is time to break out all of those teas I’ve been storing away to make cold brew tea. Today, I could think of no better way to end my work week than to enjoy huge mason jar glasses full of The Goat Tea cold brew styled.
Today’s tea of choice came down to literally one word in the ingredient list- rhubarb. I had never had rhubarb until a few weeks ago and I may be slightly obsessed. I have made several rhubarb crisps and bread puddings since. When I saw rhubarb was part of the Close Encounters of the Tea Kind tea blend, I knew that this was the tea for me today.
Today I went a different way with my cold brew today. I filled a mason jar with ice, a few scoops of loose leaf, and then filled with water. I broke out my bombilla filter straw and happily waited a bit until I could see the water was starting to turn a fun purple color. Took my first sip and seriously was this ever a tasty simple no fuss way to brew up some tea!
Pops of brilliant tart, marvelous berry, and sweet citrus notes fill each and every sip. You can tell there is hibiscus in this blend but the hibiscus mingles so well with the berry and citrus inclusions-not to mention the light notes of the honey added. This tea is literally this amazing burst of flavor each and every time you take a sip. I really don’t pick up the green tea or the black tea in the tea I’m currently drinking but I also didn’t leave the tea to really steep and develop how it properly should.
Regardless, I’m insanely in love with the results of this tea and this will be a tea that I’ll be ordering more of in the future. You can’t go wrong with having this delight in your tea stash for some amazing cold brew with the warmer months ahead. This tea was literally made for summer months with the bright flavors. Maybe one day I’ll try the tea hot, but for now. . .excuse me while I add more water to my glass to enjoy more tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green/Black
Where to Buy: The Goat Tea
Description
Encounter this delicious blend of green and black teas, capturing the tastes of rhubarb, raspberry and honey. Great hot or cold!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Creme Brulee from DAVIDs Tea. . . .
Picture this: young tea reviewer-Mary, at a fancy lunch with her dad, celebrating her 16th birthday. Side note: my parents often took us out for special one-on-one time (hello, life with siblings), especially around our birthdays– but this year was a special one, so my dad pulled out all the stops. After a particularly decadent dinner, my dad insisted we order some dessert. Who was 16-year-old-I to say no? Faced with a delicious decision, I decided to go rouge– crème brulee, a dessert I’d never tried before. All I knew was this: it looked delicious, and had some serious bonus-fun in the form of crackling that burnt-sugar topping before diving in. Sugar AND an activity? Count me in?
Needless to say, ever since that first burnt-sugar-crack, I’ve been a fan of crème brulee. So of course, when I saw this latest offering from David’s Tea, I knew this one was coming home with me. This green tea boasts creamy, burnt-sugar-and-vanilla flavors, with just a hint of floral jasmine on the side. Brewed up solo, it’s delightful– but definitely leans more heavily on those floral notes. I was looking for something creamier, something more reminiscent of the fancy-dessert-nostalgia of my youth. With juuuuust a tiny, tiny touch of honey and a splash of steamed coconut milk on top, this one transforms from creamy floral green tea to magical, burnt-sugar-esque crème-brulee-in-a-cup. In fact, I’m not sure how they manage to perfectly capture that slightly toasty creamy note (almost like a genmaicha, but without a bit of toasted-rice in sight) through flavor alone, but I love it. This is one I’ll be brewing up to share with my dad, for sure.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
Meet our newest obsession: the crème brulée. French for “burnt cream,” this rich and creamy dessert is famous for its silky custard base and crunchy toffee crust. This decadent green tea captures all the vanilla-cream sweetness of a classic crème brulée – with a pop of jasmine for a light floral touch. It’s satisfying, sophisticated and downright addictive.
