Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This here is some stunningly good stuff! We’ve blended organic honeybush with sarsaparilla root (who knew it was spelled that way? I mean, really, how do we get the common pronunciation from THAT spelling?), marshmallow root and organic flavors. This is delicious and refreshing. I dare you to get some and tell me I’m wrong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
After I brewed this Sarsaparilla Float Honeybush Blend from 52Teas and started sipping, I tried to figure out what I thought about it. Did I like it? I didn’t really have an immediate answer for that. But now, the cup is nearly finished and I’ve not even written a whole paragraph. So, I’m guessing that yeah … I do like it.
I’ve had the root beer blends that 52Teas has created in the past and quite enjoyed them. And when I think “sarsaparilla” – I think “root beer.” But this tastes different than the root beer blends I’ve had. It certainly has some similarities to the root beer teas of the past but this tastes somewhat earthier than the 52Teas I’ve had before. This almost tastes like something I might buy off one of those old-time medicine wagons or perhaps something I ordered at an old tavern filled with cowboys.
Not that I’ve ever bought anything off of one of those old-time medicine wagons or had anything to drink at an old tavern. I’ve never even seen an old-time medicine wagon except for on television and the only thing that would resemble an old tavern is the Western bar photography props at Knott’s Berry Farm. I spent a lot of time there as a kid growing up in California.
But let’s get back to this tisane. I’m definitely tasting a root beer like flavor here, although it is more earthy, as I said. I taste a woodsy note and a hint of the nutty, honey-esque notes from the honeybush. At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked the way the root beer-y, sarsaparilla notes played with the honeybush, but now, I think I do.
As the tea cools somewhat, the float-ish type flavors start to emerge more, I can taste the fluffy, creamy vanilla notes and it’s quite yummy.
So getting back to my original question. Yeah. Yeah I like this. It’s different than I was expecting, but I like it … and as I sip it, I kind of feel like I should be wearing a cowboy hat and boots with spurs on ’em. And knowing me, I’d trip over the spurs and hurt myself. So maybe I should just stick to my Vans. What can I say? I’ll always be a California girl at heart. And by feet, too, I guess.
Be sure to stay tuned for an announcement concerning 52Teas. My previous Kickstarter didn’t get fully funded, so I’ll be launching another Kickstarter soon! I hope you’ll help me take over 52Teas!
On the Sixth Day of Christmas, Southern Boy Teas Edition!
I’ve decided to hot-brew the rest of the iced teas for this countdown. I figure it would be the best way to capture the flavors as they were intended by the blender … plus there’s a little less wait time! I now only have to wait as long as it takes to hot brew the tea (much faster than cold-brewing!) and then the wait time to let the tea cool. A couple of hours in the fridge will do the job.
I hot-brew this like so: I drop the pouch in 1 quart of boiling water and let it steep first for 2 minutes. Then I bring another quart of water to a boil and re-steep the pouch for 3 minutes. This produces a very flavorful half-gallon of tea. I probably could get away with adding 1 quart of ice or cold water to the first 1 quart of brewed tea and still have a flavorful pitcher of iced tea, but, I feel like I’d be missing out on a lot of flavor that way. When prepared this way, the flavor is strong but it isn’t too strong either.
Root Beer Float Iced Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
As some of you are probably aware, I’ve already tasted and reviewed 52Teas “original” Root Beer Float flavored black tea, but this tasting is my first of the SBT iced tea version.
This is good. I think that the aforementioned original Root Beer Float tea is a tad more … something. Perhaps it’s the marshmallow root that is in the 52Teas version that I don’t think is in this that is making the difference. This still tastes root-beer-ish and there is a certain creamy element to the taste here, but, it isn’t as creamy and “fluffy” as the 52Teas version.
However, this is very tasty. I am getting a delicious root beer flavor. I even taste notes of “carbonation” in the taste, where I can taste the ‘bubbly’ taste of a root beer. And I do taste a light creaminess to this as well, giving it a sort of “float” type of taste. And yes, I can taste the black tea in the background too.
Overall, this is a very refreshing, delicious tasting iced tea.
Rootbeer Float Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This special blend of premium black teas, marshmallow root and organic flavors comes close enough to the real thing that for zero calories, I’ll be drinking this all day when I’m not saving calories for the real thing.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh yummy! I love the creamy, sweet, dreamy taste of a rootbeer float, and I’m loving this Rootbeer Float flavored Black Tea from 52Teas!
Of course, I had no doubt in my mind that 52Teas could pull this flavor off, since I’ve had their Rootbeer Float flavored black iced tea that they offered in last year’s iced tea series for their Southern Boy Teas brand, as well as their Rootbeer Float flavored honeybush.
But this tea takes it to a whole other level with the addition of marshmallow root. The marshmallow root gives it an added fluffy, creamy texture that really adds to the concept of a root beer float.
The black tea base is a solid tasting base: strong and rich, but not too assertive. It’s a nicely round black tea that complements the flavors of root beer and vanilla ice cream very well. I like that while this IS a flavored tea, I taste the black tea. The tea isn’t taking a back seat here, it’s right up front where it should be.
The root beer has a good “soda-like” flavor. 52Teas has always been able to capture that sort of effervescent, bubbly taste of soda in their soda flavored teas, and this tea is no exception. I taste that bubbly sort of flavor. If anything, I think I’d like more of the “spice” of a root beer here … perhaps it’s just me but after having tasted gourmet root beers like this one from maine root, I really enjoy that sort of anise and clove and spearmint taste that I could detect from this amazing root beer, and I’d love for Frank from 52Teas to experiment a bit and try amplifying his root beer flavor just a bit with a little bit of anise, clove and spearmint.
On the other hand, the “float” part of this is really superb. I taste notes of vanilla and the sweet, creamy marshmallow really elevates it. And I guess when it comes to a root beer float … the float is more important than the root beer.
Overall, I really enjoyed this dessert-y treat of a tea. It’s yummy served hot as a latte … but, it’s even better served iced. I’m contemplating brewing some extra strong, and then making an blended iced treat with some ice cubes and milk and see what kind of deliciousness comes of it. I’ll be sure to let you know!
And don’t forget to support a small business and help Zoomdweebies (the tea bar!) reopen its doors! Learn more about this effort here.
Organic Root Beer Float from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tea Description:
As far as we’re concerned, the root beer float is king of the soda shop. The crackle and fizz of root beer, the cool richness of vanilla ice cream – what could be better? Well, what if we brought the malt shop right to your tea shelf? With black tea, vanilla, cinnamon and white chocolate, this sweet, lightly creamy black tea blend tastes just like the classic treat. For the full experience, try it as an iced latte with lots of foam.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried a few different root beer and/or root beer float teas/tisanes over the years, and some were better than others. This one is good, but not what I’d call great. It has a distinct root beer-ish taste to it, but, it is kind of light on the float-y flavor.
The root beer flavor here is nicely translated, it tastes like root beer. (and, yes, it is a little weird drinking root beer hot) It also tastes like tea, but, the root beer notes outweigh the tea notes by a wee margin. It lacks that certain fizzy, bubbly taste which perhaps might be a little difficult to obtain in a tea, although I’ve had a couple of soda inspired teas that did, in fact, taste “bubbly” like a soda pop, so I know it is not impossible.
I personally think that the root beer flavors could have been even better if there was sarsaparilla in this, or even some anise and wintergreen. I think that these ingredients could really take the root beer taste from good to great.
But, this is not supposed to be JUST a root beer flavored tea, but a root beer FLOAT flavored tea, and the float part is definitely lacking in my opinion. I taste a hint of vanilla here, but, it does not have a strong, creamy presence that I feel it needs to have to be called a root beer float. As it is, it tastes a bit more like a soda fountain drink. Instead of adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this tastes as though someone took a mug of root beer and added about a half a shot of vanilla syrup to it. It’s got a little bit of vanilla, but it needs a little more!
Overall, this is an enjoyable tea, I like the root beer elements to it, but, I think it could certainly be improved.