Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
So every year at about this time, I start to get upset that I didn’t get more eggnog while it was in the stores. Please tell me: why on earth do they only carry eggnog just before Christmas? I would really like to know. It’s too delicious not to be able to get it at other times.
So, this is not the same at all, but it’s a pretty darn good substitution if you ask me. I’ve blended our caffeine-free honeybush with cinnamon chips and some amazing organic eggnog flavors, even a bit of bourbon and brandy flavors tossed in for good measure.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
When this Eggnog Honeybush Blend was announced as the “Tea of the Week” for January 13, I found myself thinking that honeybush would be the perfect base for eggnog flavors. The sweet, nutty notes of honeybush would marry nicely with the creamy, custard-y notes of eggnog.
And this is pretty good! Freshly poured and piping hot, the flavors are kind of muddled, but, after a few minutes of cooling time, I found the flavors really popped. I can now taste creamy vanilla notes, and an egg-y, custard-y sort of flavor that is really yummy.
The honeybush is indeed the right pairing for the eggnog flavors. The natural flavors and sweetness of the honeybush work well with the flavors of eggnog as well as the bourbon and brandy notes. The flavor of the “spirits” here aren’t too strong, tasting as though just a drizzle of booze was added to my glass of eggnog (or perhaps I should say my cup of warm eggnog!)
I am glad that the cinnamon notes here are subtle. Too much cinnamon and this would have lost it’s “eggnog-y” taste, I think. However, as I read the above description, I couldn’t help but think that it would be even better with nutmeg. Nutmeg is my favorite spice, and I add it to almost everything. And on the very rare occasion that I do have a glass of eggnog (very rare – we’re talking less than once a year – probably closer to once every three years) I always take out a nutmeg nut and grind some fresh nutmeg on top of my eggnog.
So, just to satisfy my own palate because I think it might have been missing the nutmeg, I poured myself a second cup of this Eggnog Honeybush and shaved a little bit of fresh nutmeg over my cup and stirred it and then added a splash of almond milk to the cup. YUM! This is the way to serve this tisane. It’s so good!
Sugar Plum Shou Mei White Tea Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This year’s Christmas week blend is inspired by goodies the vision of which supposedly danced in sleeping children’s heads before they had My Little Ponies to dream about. So here’s my attempt at a sugar plum shou mei complete with some lavender flowers. I sure hope you enjoy it.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I was thrilled when I saw what tea 52Teas created for the week of this past Christmas: a Sugar Plum Shou Mei White Tea Blend! I love sugar plums! That it to say, I love the Jelly Belly type of sugar plum that’s a jelly sort of candy. I haven’t tried a real sugar plum. I don’t think I’m really entirely sure of what a real sugar plum actually is.
Which I guess opens things up for 52Teas to be very creative with this blend, right?
It took a few sips before I started to really recognize the “plum” notes in this tea. I could taste the white tea in those first few sips: sweet, light hay-ish notes, and a crisp, melon-ish like quality is what I could taste.
After the first few sips, I started to notice some plum-like qualities. Sweet and juicy! Then I noticed hints of lavender starting to emerge. But the aroma of the lavender here is stronger than the lavender’s contribution to the flavor profile of this tea. I can smell the lavender as I sit here, enjoying the scent of the tea wafting out of the cup but the flavor is much softer, like a whisper of lavender, a hint of lavender that caught a ride on the airy notes of the white tea.
This is pretty tasty. It’s not quite as strongly flavored as I anticipated it being based upon my experiences with 52Teas. But it does have the flavors I’d expect from a “sugar plum” flavored tea: I taste the tea, and I taste notes of sweet plum. I don’t know if this tea excites me enough to start filling my head with dancing visions, but it’s a tasty cuppa.
Pumpkin Milkshake 2.0 Oolong Blend from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
Our Pumpkin Milkshake 2.0 differs slightly from our previous version and has a fuller body, is creamier, and utilizes a more gentle base tea. This 2.0 version pairs our Doke Rolling Thunder oolong with pumpkin, vanilla, and cream flavors. Pumpkin and vanilla notes dominate our Pumpkin Milkshake 2.0; however, there is a sweet creaminess present that lingers. Some caramel notes can also be detected. We highly recommend adding some brown crystal sugar to transform this tea into a rich, creamy, decadent, vanilla and pumpkin desert treat.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t think I tried Butiki Teas’ first version of their Pumpkin Milkshake tea, but, I’m glad to be trying this Pumpkin Milkshake 2.0 Oolong Blend from Butiki Teas! It is yummy!
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a pumpkin milkshake. But I’m liking what I’m tasting in my tea cup right now. This tastes of pumpkin, spice, and vanilla with a very enjoyable Oolong background that is earthy. There are some distant fruit notes that seem to accentuate the pumpkin more than stand out on their own. There’s also … a sort of … toasty-ish flavor that I’m tasting which I can only assume is part of the Oolong’s character. I like how this toasty note combines with the spices. It’s a very harmonious blend.
What I’m enjoying most about this, I think, is that even though the pumpkin, vanilla and spices are strong, they aren’t overpowering the base. Everything comes together in a very pleasing way. It’s warm and comforting … but at the same time, I can see how this would make a really enjoyable iced tea too.
On The Eleventh Day of Christmas, Southern Boy Teas Edition!
My Christmas Tea countdowns are about to come to an end! Tomorrow is the last day. I’ve enjoyed trying all these new iced teas from Southern Boy Teas. Some teas I enjoyed more than others, of course, but, I had fun with this countdown!
Strawberry Zabaglione Iced Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum! At the start of this countdown, I was hoping that one of the teas featured would be this new iced tea flavor. The original Strawberry Zabaglione black tea from 52Teas is one of the very best that I’ve tried from 52Teas, so, just like with the Coconut Cream Pie Iced Tea, I had high hopes!
And this is good … although I don’t know if I can say that I like it as well as I liked the aforementioned coconut cream pie iced tea. I think that the original 52Teas version of this tea was better. Then again, it’s been a while since I’ve had that tea so I’m basing that opinion solely on my memory. It was a very memorable tea, though!
This does have a nice strawberry taste that is particularly noteworthy in the aftertaste. In the aftertaste, there is a flavor that is very much like the taste I’d experience after I’ve eaten a fresh, ripe strawberry. And this tea does have a nice creamy, custard-like flavor, although I think that this is where this iced tea pales in comparison to the original, because it had a very decadent, sweet, custard-y flavor that was so delightful. And while this tea does have a certain creaminess to it, it isn’t quite as memorable as the original version.
That said, this is still quite tasty. The black tea is brisk and invigorating. The strawberry flavor tastes delicious and true to the fruit. The custard-like notes are creamy and sweet. And it’s a very refreshing iced tea … one that I wouldn’t mind having chilling in my refrigerator on a regular basis.
On the Tenth Day of Christmas, Southern Boy Teas Edition!
Wow … it’s day 10. This countdown is rapidly winding down! Getting close to the 12th day of Christmas!
Grape Iced Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the different teas that Southern Boy Teas recently introduced, I think that this was the one I was least excited to try. I’m not real crazy about grape flavored things – I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that at least once on this blog! I love grapes, especially the seedless “holiday grapes” that are available this time of year in Whole Foods. But, I don’t really care for grape flavored things. I really dislike grape soda, I’m not crazy about grape flavored candies or grape ice pops. I don’t even really care for grape juice.
So, I guess it goes without saying that the idea of a grape flavored tea isn’t all that exciting to me. But I have tried a few grape flavored teas in the past few years and I’ve enjoyed those that I’ve tried. So … there is a glimmer of hope for this tea!
The aroma of the dry leaf is that of grape flavored candies, reminiscent of the grape flavored sugar powder that you might find in the pixie sticks. Or perhaps grape flavored jolly ranchers. Neither of which are very appealing to me.
But this tea doesn’t taste as bad as I thought it would, or as bad as I worked myself up to think it would be. It’s sweet, and it tastes like sweet grape. But, I think that the addition of the black tea helps even out the flavor so that I don’t just taste grape candy. I think that this tastes a bit like what a black iced tea might taste like if it were sweetened with the aforementioned grape flavored pixie stick powdered candy.
Not bad … certainly something I’ll enjoy drinking. But, I don’t think it would be something that I’d add to my must order again list, you know? I like it, but I don’t love it.