Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
As for this blend, well, despite the silly name, it’s a refreshing blast of tropical fruits and sweet green tea. Chun Mee reportedly means “Precious Eyebrows” and is so named because of the shape of the leaves, hence our “Tropical Eyebrows” name.
I’m not sure if persimmon qualifies as a tropical fruit, but I felt the need to include it here, so I did along with mango, banana, kiwi, pineapple and coconut. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh yum! I find that I am usually “hesitant” to try new tropical fruit flavored teas – so I wasn’t really ~overjoyed~ when it was time for me to try this Tropical Eyebrows Green Tea from 52Teas. And it isn’t even that I dislike tropical fruit flavored teas … I actually quite enjoy them. I think it’s just that it seems like all the tea companies out there have some “tropical oasis” type of tea, and it just seems a little overdone.
Then again, that may sound a bit contradictory coming from me because I’ll try any Earl Grey you put in front of me and really, when it comes to flavored tea, there is no flavor that is more overdone than the tried and true, traditional bergamot, is there?
But, this tropical flavored green tea is different from the rest. Perhaps it’s the addition of the persimmon … or perhaps it’s that its made with Chun Mee green tea. There is something about this that is very unique – while at the same time familiar – and whatever it is, I’m liking it!
The Chun Mee has a lovely earthy quality to it that I think contrasts with the sweet, tangy tropical flavors quite nicely. The result is a nicely round, flavorful, fruity treat for the palate.
The tropical flavors present a seamless taste that is a little bit pineapple-y, with hints of kiwi and mango and persimmon. There is a creamy undertone from the coconut and banana. No fruit note is really standing out from the rest, except for perhaps the pineapple, which is the first flavor I really noticed when I took a sip. They all meld very nicely to create a tasty fruit-y flavor.
This one tastes good hot … but its a real winner when it’s iced!
Banana Pudding Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
You want to hear about pudding. Did you know that pudding was created using techniques for making Haggis and blood sausage? Eww. That’s not very appetizing…
Changing gears… Bananas are very yummy, what’s more, they are yellow and shaped funny.
Our Banana pudding flavored tea also has coconut, which some people dislike in pudding because pudding is supposed to be smooth and creamy and who wants shavings of coconut in there? But hey, it’s better in the tea. And I’m feeling a little loopy tonight and rushing to get this posted since it’s already late, but I think you’re all really going to enjoy this blend–mentions of Haggis and coconut aside.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I like bananas alright. I’m not a huge fan of bananas … but I don’t hate them. I usually have some bananas on hand, because I like to add them to my smoothies when I make them (at least a couple times a week), and my husband likes them. But I seldom just sit down and eat a banana.
But I do like banana flavored teas … especially if the banana flavored tea comes from 52Teas … because Frank (chief Zoomdweebie at 52Teas) seems to do banana flavored teas well. So, when he announced this Banana Pudding flavored black tea for the week of April 22, I was excited to try it. So excited that I’m actually going a bit out of order here (I do like to taste his teas in the order in which they are released!) There are like three other teas that I’m supposed to try before I try this Banana Pudding tea … but like I said, I was excited!
And I’m not disappointed! This is yummy! The banana flavor is strong, and I can taste the creaminess – with just a hint of vanilla-like flavor to it too! I can also taste the subtle note of butter to this … and this note seems to emerge as the tea cools slightly, so it’s worth the time to allow it to cool about three or four minutes before you take that first sip.
I can also taste the coconut … this is a very subtle taste, but when I offered my daughter a sip of the tea (she loves banana!) she noticed the coconut over the banana flavor. So some palates might pick up on the coconut notes more than the banana notes. My palate did not … for my palate, I get a good, strong banana note, a sweet creaminess that is pudding-like, at least in flavor … not in texture … which would be a little weird, don’t you think? I mean, think about it. A pudding textured tea. Weird. Maybe even a little gross. Fortunately, this is NOT gross or weird. OK, maybe it is a little weird to have a banana pudding flavored tea. But it tastes wonderful!
OK, so, less rambling and more tea talk.
The black tea is not overwhelmed amid all these strong flavors. I can taste it … although I can’t say that it is the strongest note of the cup, which is typically something I want from a flavored tea but this tastes so good that I can’t complain. I am really enjoying the way the flavor plays out here. I love the strong banana notes, the hint of coconut (and even how the creaminess of the coconut seems to enhance the soft, silky vanilla notes), and even the touch of buttery taste.
This is delicious hot (remember, let it cool for about four minutes and you’ll be rewarded with some buttery notes), and also tasty iced. I think I prefer it hot, served with a couple of Nilla Wafers … which helps bring out the cookie part of the pudding just a little bit.
Yum! Another tasty dessert tea from 52Teas.
Banana Cheesecake Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Following the success of our Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha, I’ve decided to try another genmaicha blend. The toasted rice element in genmaicha seems to make it okay to blend it with flavors like cheesecake and banana. (Normally I tend to think of fruity green teas, but I think the genmaicha is more agreeable with ‘heavier’ flavors like cheesecake and banana.) Of course, you, our customer will have to be the final judge. This being a cheesecake blend, and given the historical swiftness with which our cheesecake blends disappear, I did make a little extra of this, but don’t drag your feet, it won’t last long.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
OK … not that I had my doubts or anything … but this Banana Cheesecake Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas is SERIOUSLY yummy.
Having enjoyed Frank’s Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha, I knew that I’d like this one too, after all, I love genmaicha – that roasty/toasty, popped rice flavor together with the sweet flavor of green tea, and I love Frank’s cheesecake and his banana teas. So I knew I’d like this. But … it still is blowing me away at how good this really is.
The banana comes through nicely. It is sweet and the creaminess of the banana melds beautifully with the toasty, nutty flavor of the genmaicha and the deliciously creamy, tangy flavor of the cheesecake notes. The nutty flavor of the genmaicha also plays to the buttery crust flavor too.
The creaminess of this cup seems to emerge more as the tea cools slightly … it becomes more mellow and creamy, but that zesty cream cheese flavor comes through at the finish … reminding you that you’re eating … (err … drinking!) cheesecake.
The genmaicha is a perfectly delightful base for the cheesecake flavors. The lightly buttery, sweet taste of the green tea works nicely with the sweet, creamy cheesecake notes and as I mentioned, the toasted nut flavor of the genmaicha also brings out the crust notes well too.
This is definitely one of Frank’s best cheesecake offerings yet. I love this!
Banana Cream Pie from Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
When you drink this tea, it is like indulging in a slice of banana cream pie without the guilt. It makes a wonderful iced tea and be sure to check out the recipe page to see how to make a tropical milk tea with this product. Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, Organic Coconut Flakes, Organic Allspice, Organic Vanilla Beans, Organic Banana, and Organic Compliant and Organic Flavorings.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I like bananas. I don’t love them, although … there are some things that are “banana” that I do love. Like banana ice pops, banana cupcakes and banana flavored teas. I also like banana cream pie, although it’s not my favorite kind of pie (Lemon Meringue is my favorite). So I was really excited to try this Banana Cream Pie tea from Trail Lodge Tea!
The dry leaf smells very little like bananas. In fact, if I had blindly took a sniff of this tea, trying to ascertain the flavor it would be, I would not have guessed Banana Cream Pie! I smell a sweet – almost perfume-y sweet – aroma, and it does not smell like bananas.
But the flavor is absolutely BANANAS! I taste the creamy, sweet taste of bananas and vanilla cream custard. The hint of coconut adds to the creaminess of the cup while imparting a delightful, complementary flavor (I love the combination of bananas and coconut!)
With the first few sips, I didn’t actually taste much in the way of a baked pastry or pie crust kind of taste … although now that I’ve had a few sips, I start to notice the pie crust flavor a bit more, and this taste is nicely accentuated by notes of allspice. It tastes like a good, home baked pie that’s been liquified and added to black tea!
The black tea flavor is not overwhelmed here, either. It is a fairly mild-tasting black tea, smooth and not bitter, this tea is robust enough to handle the strong creamy flavors going on without being overpowered, but not so bold that it offsets the flavor balance that has been achieved here. I love that I can taste each element of a Banana (and Coconut) Cream Pie, and I still taste tea too. And I love that every ingredient in this flavored tea blend is Organic!
This one is definitely a winner in my book!
Bananas Foster from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Here’s a flavored black tea you can really sink your teeth into. Made with our new, improved black tea base, freeze dried bananas, organic cinnamon and the essences of banana, vanilla, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and a touch of rum. This tea is a real treat. Just don’t try to flambe it.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was when 52Teas announced their Bananas Foster blend. I LOVE bananas foster! Definitely one of my top three desserts. Creme Brulee narrowly edges bananas foster out as the winner there … and come to think of it … Hey Frank… a creme brulee tea would be really amazing, don’t you think? Maybe a chocolate raspberry creme brulee. Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, creamy custard taste, with some bits of sugar brittle in the mix … YUM … my mouth is beginning to water from just thinking about such a tea.
(If you’re wondering… cupcake would be my #3 dessert. But not just any cupcake. I want a fresh, delicious, fluffy cupcake … preferably from Sweetest Thing, which is my favorite cupcake place that I’ve tried thus far)
OK… but, today I’m talking about bananas foster. Specifically this Bananas Foster flavored black tea from 52Teas. And… how amazing is this? It is so good, people! I think even if you happened to be someone who did not like bananas (I know that my SororiTea Sister, TeaEqualsBliss, does not like bananas), I think you would enjoy this tea, because really, it’s not all about banana.
In fact, banana isn’t really the strongest flavor that I taste. I taste the black tea – the good, solid tasting black tea blend that forms the base of this tea. It tastes rich and delicious, with a dry astringency that builds slowly. It is a flavorful black tea that would be delicious on its own, but, is made even more tasty with the addition of cinnamon, banana and the other flavors.
The cinnamon is the next noticeable flavor, but even though it is a strong cinnamon note, it isn’t an overwhelming one. At the start, the cinnamon is at its strongest, those first couple of sips when the tea is at its hottest, I noticed cinnamon but very little of anything else. It wasn’t a hot or spicy cinnamon, it was a smooth, sweet kind of cinnamon note, and if I really focused on what I was tasting, I’d taste the vanilla and banana softening the cinnamon, and I’d taste the hints of rum and butter in there too.
The cinnamon doesn’t overpower the flavors, it doesn’t overpower the tea. And once the tea cools slightly (still hot, just not quite so hot), I notice the cinnamon beginning to meld in a really beautiful way with the flavor of sweet banana and a creamy vanilla note, as well as the other flavors of this decadent dessert tea.
I taste notes of butter and sugar here that hints toward an overall caramel taste. It doesn’t taste syrupy or overly sweet the way some caramel flavors can taste. Instead, the taste sort of gives a nod to a caramel-like note that is harmonious with the other flavors. The rum is similar to the butter and sugar notes in that it doesn’t taste like it’s obviously rum. Instead, it’s more like an insinuation of it. It doesn’t attempt to inundate the taste buds, instead, it tantalizes them with hints of flavor. The caramel-y rum notes seem to emerge a bit more as the tea has cooled a bit, but, even as this happens, I notice that the tea does not become all about these flavors. Even when different flavors begin to reveal themselves, a certain balanced harmony remains.
And that really sort of summarizes what this tea is about for me: harmony. It isn’t a “knock you over the head with flavor” kind of tea – even when the cinnamon is at its strongest at the beginning, and I think in this case that’s a good thing. Since there are so many different elements to the dessert, but all flavors manage a very harmonious bite that features every element; this tea that was inspired by the dessert needed to be equally as enigmatic with its delivery and it is. I taste all the notes, and they come together in a very delicious way without one flavor overpowering the cup.
Another amazing tea from the Willy Wonka of Teas: Frank from 52Teas!