Brownie Batter Honeybush from 52Teas

by liberteas

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52teas-Brownie-Batter-HoneybushTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Honeybush

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

A certain someone who shall remain nameless *ahem, LiberTEAs* keeps telling me that our chocolate blends need MORE chocolate. More chocolate, she insists, more, more, more. So, I decided to see just how chocolatey a blend I can make: and here it is. This is our premium organic, caffeine-free honeybush blended with organic cacao nibs AND chocolate chips and organic flavors of brownie batter and extra chocolate. =) Do I need to say more?

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about 52Teas’ subscriptions here.

Taster’s Review:

So I was quite pleased with myself when I read the above description because it’s nice to see that people listen to me when I say that more chocolate = better.  Sometimes I think I say these things just to hear my fingers tap on the keyboard.

But no.  Frank from 52Teas heard me.  And so he created this Brownie Batter Honeybush tea.

To brew this, I used my Breville One Touch, adding the whole 1/2 ounce to the basket (I usually like a little extra leaf when it comes to honeybush tisanes).  Then I poured 500ml of freshly filtered water into the jug of my tea maker.  I set the temperature for 195°F and the timer for 10 minutes.  Since honeybush doesn’t have the tannin content that Camellia Sinensis does, it won’t get bitter like tea when steeped an extended length of time.  And by lowering the temperature to just below boiling, I find that it eliminates that funky ‘sour wood’ taste that is often noted in both rooibos and honeybush.

My first two sips were a little muddied because the cup was still quite hot.  After allowing it to cool to a drinkable temperature, the flavors really come forward.

The flavor is really chocolate-y.  The honeybush flavors come through too, and the nutty flavor of the honeybush really ties in well with the idea of brownie batter.  I find that the flavors develop as I continue to sip – now that I’m nearly finished with this huge mug of tea, I’m experiencing more chocolate with each sip than I did at the start.

Very yummy.  If you’re a chocolate fan, you’ll like this one.  The chocoholic in me is quite satisfied with this drink!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Honeybush, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Birthday Cake Batter Flavored Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas

by liberteas

Birthday-CakeTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Zoomdweebies

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn about SBT’s subscriptions here.

Taster’s Review:

Birthday Cake Batter flavored … iced tea?  Wow!  OK, I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this one.  The idea of cake batter flavoring and tea sounded just a little weird.  OK, it sounds a lot weird!  Am I right?

But it didn’t sound so weird that I wasn’t going to try it.  I had to try it.  I love cake batter.  (That’s the best part of making a cake!)  And I love cake batter flavored things.  Specifically, I’m a huge fan of Cold Stone’s cake batter flavored ice cream.  I don’t go to Cold Stone often, but on the occasions that I do go, I do try other flavors but none that I’ve tried have managed to lure me away from that cake batter flavored ice cream.  It’s just too good.

But iced tea?  Hmm.  I hoped for the best as I brewed it.  I went with the hot brew method, bringing 1 quart of freshly filtered water to a boil and then I dropped the tea bag into the water and let it steep for 2 minutes.  Then I poured the tea into my iced tea pitcher and started the process again, this time steeping the bag for 2 1/2 minutes.  Then I let the pitcher come to almost room temperature before I stashed it in the ice box.  Today, I have a pitcher full of cold, refreshing iced tea that tastes like … well, it tasted like cake batter!

Imagine that!  This really does taste like cake batter.  I’m amazed at how well Southern Boy Teas NAILED this flavor.  I taste the sweet, creamy, lightly buttery flavor of cake batter.  All that’s missing is the texture!

And I do still taste the tea.  And together with the cake batter flavor, it’s a really smooth and well rounded flavor that is rich and sweet and decadent.  It tastes a little bit like I’m sipping on dessert rather than iced tea!  And I’m not opposed to that at all!

This might be my favorite flavor yet.  I’m glad I have another pouch of this flavor because I want to try cold brewing it next time!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea