Today I counted up all of the 52Teas that I could readily find in my stash. It came to over 40 pouches and 6 canisters. That doesn’t count the three mystery packs I have coming or the next month’s tea I’ll be getting in my subscription box. In other words, I will admit, I have a 52Teas addiction. But who wouldn’t? Yes, I do have a personal connection with 52Teas but even if I didn’t know the mad tea creator behind all the teas, I would still adore the blends. Every week you can count on a different unique blend that you can’t get anywhere else. So yes, I have a problem, but I think its a good one to have!
Peanut Butter & Raspberry Jelly Black Tea is one that I was crazy excited to try out but was lost in my tea stash. When I realized my error, I was quick to rectify it. I tried this brew hot first but I will say I wasn’t crazy about the results. I didn’t get that rich creamy peanut butter flavor I was hoping for. The jammy raspberry notes came across beautifully and mingled well with the black tea base. Being a peanut butter freak, I wanted to get those flavors to come through. So I experimented. . .I cold brewed the blend.
Scooped a few spoon fulls into my pitcher and allowed the tea to steep overnight. Poured myself a tall glass with fresh ice, hoping this was the answer to pulling those peanut butter notes thus ending my quest for a peanut butter tea. First sip and VIOLA! Creamy peanut butter notes swirling around raspberry jammy fun. The black tea base is slight and subtle allowing those nutty and berry flavors to really shine.
A really fabulous cold brew and a perfect example of how sometimes certain blends just need a bit of experimenting with. And now I’m happy to announce our first giveaway since we have revamped and rebranded SororiTea Sisters! Anne at 52Teas has graciously given us two amazing prizes! A three month subscription to 52Teas (valued at $52-US residents only) and a $25 gift certificate (open to anyone). Enter below! Just a small token of gratitude to all of our faithful and new readers who love tea and much as we do. Thank you for sticking with us over the years and we hope you all are just as excited with the new changes as we are. Good luck everyone!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:
I’ll disclose a little secret – this tea made me very nervous.
You see, I’m one of those unusual people that don’t like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I felt very much the oddball growing up – everyone else liked peanut butter and jelly. I like peanut butter. I like jelly. I just don’t like these two together. I like peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I like peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwiches. I like peanut butter and butter toast. I even like peanut butter sandwiches. Just not jelly. And I like jelly toast and I probably would like a jelly sandwich if I were so inclined to make one although it doesn’t sound like a very satisfying sort of lunch.
So what I’m trying to say is that peanut butter and jelly just isn’t my thing. So when one of my Kickstarter backers who purchased the “Be a 52Teas tea of the week creator” incentive and selected a peanut butter and jelly tea as his tea of the week flavor – I got just a wee bit nervous and I hoped that since it’s a tea maybe, just maybe, I’ll like these flavors together.
And I do! This has a really pleasing raspberry flavor. The peanut butter is a softer note – and really, if I were to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I think that’s how I’d make it for myself – light on the peanut butter with a big smear of raspberry jelly! Sweet tart raspberry, a smooth, nutty peanut butter note atop a blend of Nilgiri and Assam teas. Way better than I could imagine peanut butter and jelly tasting!
Taster size is approximately 1/2 ounce.
organic ingredients: black teas, roasted & salted sunflower seeds, freeze-dried raspberries and natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemon-Lime Meringue Kukicha Green Tea from 52Teas (plus an experiment!)
Our Sister’s Thoughts:
Lemon-Lime Meringue Kukicha Green Tea from 52Teas. Just thinking about this tea makes your mouth water. I loved the original blend from 52Teas and honestly still have some. So I thought it was time to revisit the re-blend that was created earlier in the year.
First impressions-this tea has crisp tangy citrus notes that are crying to be a shaken iced tea. So that is exactly what I did.
I actually experimented a bit with this blend and tried cold brewing the tea a different way. I have a Grosche Smart Tea Maker and I love it. (Actually I have two!) They work really well.
So, I threw a few scoops of this blend into the tea maker, added cold water, and a few ice cubes and let the tea do its thing. At home I have very little free fridge space with having 5 boys with ranging ages in the house. So if this works, this could be a great shortcut to making cold brew tea.
Allowed the tea to cold brew for a few moments and took my first sip. Of course the tea wasn’t 100% ready but I was curious what the flavor would be like.
At 10 minutes: Brew came across as a subtle limeade. What flavors I could note where soft and gentle.
At 30 minutes: Tea was coming around. Lime flavors were stronger and there was a hint of lemon. Green Tea notes are starting to become pronounced.
At 1 hour: Lemon-Lime Green Tea at its finest! Ice cold and refreshing! The lime notes are the most prominent with a lemon citrus tang following. I can’t really pick up the kukicha green tea like I could when the tea was brewed hot but I love the rich smoothness the base tea adds to the iced tea. Absolutely delicious and refreshing.
I did try this blend brewed hot and I didn’t like it as much as I did as a cold brew. This is the way this tea should be enjoyed!
All in all, I think this experiment was a great success. This is going to be a great way to make cold brew tea while I’m at work.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:
I was very excited when this tea won the vote for this Retro Monday, mostly because it was my first opportunity to blend with Kukicha! And after this very positive experience, I think I’ll be working with it again in the future!
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a lemon-lime meringue pie. My gramma used to make lemon meringue pies quite often, though and when I first smelled this tea, it brought me back to one of her delicious pies. The citrus is bright and I find that as I continue to sip, I pick up on more of the meringue flavors and even just a hint of buttery pastry.
The original description went like this:
This is a Kukicha green tea blended with lemon myrtle and natural flavors.
We’ve managed to capture the essence of a slice of lemon-lime meringue pie, with a light touch of pastry-like crust, lemon and lime and of course, the meringue. Those of you who have the opportunity to try this are going to be blown away by it. Don’t delay, it’s not going to last long.
This was one of my favorites from Frank’s teas and it’s especially awesome iced. I realize that it’s not quite iced tea weather just yet – depending upon where you are in the world – but you really should try some of this iced before your pouch is empty!
Taster size is approximately 1/2 ounce.
ingredients: kukicha green tea, dried lemon & lime segments, lemon grass*, lemon balm*, lemon myrtle*, lemon peel*, lime leaves, vanilla bean* and natural flavors*. *denotes organic
Learn more about this tea here.
Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
From the 52Teas site: I’ve never had a banana Marshmallow Treat – I don’t even know if such a thing exists. A quick google search yielded no results that appeared like banana marshmallow treat squares but I’ll admit that I really didn’t look very earnestly for it, mostly because I would think that the banana would be too slick and slippery and wouldn’t stick to the marshmallow which binds the crispy rice cereal together. I would think that banana would really mess up the chemistry that goes into the crafting of a marshmallow treat.
Then again, since I’ve never actually had one (and thus, I’ve never tried making one) I don’t know for certain. Perhaps it could be made with freeze-dried bananas (like the ones that I put in this tea blend) without much trouble.
Anyway, that lengthy introduction is my way of saying that this tea wasn’t inspired by something I’ve actually tried but something I’d love to try should I ever be so fortunate to find such a confection. What inspired me is my appreciation for fresh, sliced bananas atop my crispy rice cereal. One day while eating a bowl of cereal, I thought, wouldn’t a banana flavored crispy rice treat be awesome? At some point very soon after that, my thoughts turned to tea (as they often do) and I decided that I MUST create a Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha.
And so I did! I started with my organic matcha infused genmaicha and added marshmallow root and freeze dried bananas. It’s a cuppa yum!
Taster size is approximately 15g.
organic ingredients: green teas, toasted rice, freeze-dried bananas, marshmallow root and natural flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
52Teas has done it again! I mean where else can you find a banana marshmallow treat genmaicha based tea? This blend is exactly why I love 52Teas so much. Fresh fun flavors that you honestly can not get anywhere else.
Unique blended with green tea, toasted rice, banana bits, marshmallow root and other flavors, this tea smells like banana pudding right out of the pouch. I instantly started drooling. I couldn’t wait to brew this tea up and enjoy this treat!
Brewed up by the recommendations on the pouch, I found myself staring at the infuser, willing the tea to steep faster. Finally, the brew was ready and I allowed the tea to sit for a few moments to cool.
A lovely pale yellow liquor sat in front of me, smelling of toasted goodness and bananas. My first sip was this gorgeous toasted genmaicha flavor. The banana flavor was subtle and not as smack in your face as I thought it would be.
Second infusion and still the toasted genmaicha seemed to be the dominating flavor. The banana notes were there and seemed to be a bit stronger, just not as dominating as I would have hoped. So I went for a third infusion. VIOLA! There it was. A brilliant banana flavor that tasted fresh with hints of a toasted marshmallow. Exactly what I was looking for. The perfect combo of a fruity toasted flavor.
After taking a look at my infuser, I realized I probably hadn’t shaken up the bag properly when scooping out the tea. Totally my bad. Regardless, I’ve been incredibly happy since the first sip of this tea. I mean c’mon. . .Banana Marshmallow Treat? So uniquely original! Gotta love that!
Kudos 52Teas for another amazingly unique blend. I would tell everyone to rush out and get this blend before it is sold out, but I’m emailing 52Teas now to see if my wallet can handle gobbling up the remaining inventory!
Chocolate Covered Banana Honeybush from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
I was inspired to do this blend because one of my all-time favorite 52Teas blends from way, way back was Chelsea’s Chocolate Banana Rooibos. And as much as I loved that blend, there was always a part of me that lamented the fact that it was a red rooibos base and not long after Amethyst acquired 52Teas, I decided that I needed to “reinvent” that blend into either a Honeybush blend or a green rooibos blend. Ultimately, I decided I needed to first try Honeybush – but I do plan on trying a green rooibos blend eventually too.
Mmm! The naturally nutty-sweet flavor of the honeybush works nicely with the flavors of chocolate and banana. The overall flavor reminds me a bit of the frozen chocolate covered bananas that you might get at an amusement park – the kind that are sprinkled with chopped nuts before the chocolate has a chance to set. I get sweet, fruity notes of banana, the creamy, rich flavor of chocolate and a hint of nutty flavor from the honeybush.
Tasty!
organic ingredients: honeybush, freeze-dried bananas, cacao nibs, cacao shells, mini vegan chocolate chips and natural flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Chocolate Covered Banana Honeybush. . . As much as I love my banana flavored teas, chocolate banana teas I seem to be more hesitant with. I am just not a huge chocolate fan, but I do find that I love the honeybush that 52Teas using as their base, so I had to try it. My first impression of the dry leaf was rich dark chocolate notes with a bright and vibrant banana flavor. Still hesitant, I prepped the tea up and took my first sip.
A rich decadent baked good flavor greeted me. A nutty almost cookie note with a lush dark chocolate hint here and there. Add in the fresh banana flavor, you have a tea that really pops. This is one of those decadent teas that are rich, simple, yet full in flavor. And I’m greedily gulping mine down. I can’t get enough. Since I only have a taster size of this tea, I think I’ll save the rest to try a cold brew. I can see how this could be an amazing treat on as an iced tea on a warm summer day.
This is one of those decadent banana teas that screams dessert tea. One that I hope to be enjoying for some time now. This tea is still available from 52Teas so I highly recommend checking it out! Chocolate Covered Banana Honeybush will be a tea I will be dreaming out!
Carrot Cake Cheesecake Honeybush from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
In honor of my significant other’s birthday, I’ve created a dessert-y tea to celebrate two of his favorite desserts: carrot cake & cheesecake. I decided to use a honeybush base for this because I thought that the natural nutty flavor of the honeybush would work well with these flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
One of the reasons I love 52Teas so much is the unique flavors they have. I mean who else would create a honeybush based carrot cheesecake. . .and thank goodness they did!
This is a brilliant tea blend with all the cinnamon, carrot cake, and cheesecake goodness you can hope for and more. The dry tea blend smells wonderful and it is one of those aromas you want to bottle up into a candle. That aroma would be amazing closer to the fall season.
I am not always a huge fan of honeybush based blends. Sometimes I feel like they tend to be a bit more like my arch enemy, red rooibos, but sometimes they are done just right. This is one of those blends that is done right.
Prepped per the instructions on the package, this tea comes out perfect each and every time. I have drank so much of this tea that I have gone thru a few tasters and am currently on a larger size pouch of the tea. I’ve tried the blend hot, iced, and cold brewed. Here is what I thought of this tea:
Hot: This tea sings cinnamon with a sweet creaminess mixed in. There is a subtle nuttiness that you get here and there but what you really get is this gorgeous cinnamon flavor. Not too overwhelming. Just very soothing, especially as a late evening cuppa. Simple soul warming cinnamon. Perfect to curb those late night cravings.
Iced: Probably my least favorite method. Again, the cinnamon was there are prominent but there weren’t any other flavors really popping thru either. Everything just seemed a bit muddled. I was sad and was hoping for more of a pop of a dessert flavor.
Cold Brew: This is the ticket to this tea. Cold brew this tea and you will be greeted with a lush creamy sweet yet tangy cinnamon slightly cake like tea. Do I have you drooling yet? I was surprised by how well this turned out. I didn’t get the cheesecake flavor but I loved and adored the flavors that were coming thru. Really well done and I made a huge pitcher of this tea and it was gone in no time flat. Both my hubby and myself thought this was the best of the three experiments.
Even tho I never picked up on the cheesecake notes from any of the three methods, I still am immensely happy with the flavors I did get. Can’t wait to enjoy more cold brew of this tea blend when I get home tonight!