Day 1! The 12 Teas of Christmas set from 52Teas really lets you surprise yourself, with the name of the tea hidden under a silvery scratch-off label on the pouch. It is one of the most fun and most unique daily tea surprise sets I’ve tried.
Today I tried Foggy Coconut Black Tea. In the past I tried Smoky Coconut from 52Tea and enjoyed it, but Foggy Coconut is a new one to me! As soon as I opened the pouch I was wrapped in the distinct citrus scent of earl grey. The fog in the name clearly refers to the London Fog drink, made with earl grey tea. Among the black tea leaves were big curls of white coconut.
Historically, earl grey teas are always walking that balance between crisp bergamot and creamy vanilla, so pairing an earl grey tea with smooth coconut was a winning idea. Even without milk, this tea is full bodied and has plenty of cream taste. The coconut adds a rich buttery feel and taste without causing too much of that oil slick on the top of your tea. All the vanilla creaminess is balanced with just enough of earl grey’s tried and true orange zest to make for a delicious and complex flavor experience.
This tea is also appropriately Christmassy: brew up a cup of Foggy Coconut in honor of the foggy night that Rudolph earned his place among Santa’s reindeer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description:
My inspiration behind this blend is one of my favorite coffee shop drinks: a London Fog Latte! I order mine with coconut milk and half the usual amount of vanilla syrup (otherwise, it’s just too sweet!) One day as I was sipping on this drink, I found myself contemplating the beverage. I love the way the hints of coconut play with the bergamot but I found myself wishing that the coconut notes were stronger. (I do love me some coconut!) I also found myself wishing that the tea notes were stronger – which I felt would be accomplished if it didn’t have so much milk product in it – but then, the coconut notes would not be present. Then the idea hits me: why not make my own version of this drink with these improvements in mind!
And here we have it: I started with a base of Assam and Yunnan for a rich, bold, malty flavor. Something that could hold it’s own even with the strong note of creamy coconut. Then I added bergamot – I didn’t want to go too heavy on the bergamot because I didn’t want the coconut and bergamot competing with each other. I wanted enough bergamot to be tasted but not so much that it would interfere with the coconut flavor. Then I added some vanilla bean. Again, not a heavy vanilla taste – just enough to lend creaminess to the coconut and soften the edge of the bergamot and strong teas.
Then I went coconuts! This is a strongly coconut flavored tea but there’s enough bergamot there to give the cup the flavor that I was going for – this cuppa is my ideal London Fog! It’s got lots of coconut flavor without the milk drowning out the flavor of the tea. No “latte” required here, there’s enough creaminess to the flavor. Of course, if you want to go latte, that’s OK – but I’d recommend trying it without first!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
London Fog from Téanzo 1856
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Téanzo 1856
Product Description:
Our creamy Almond London Fog is sure to please with this almondy twist on the classic. Blend hot with milk and sweetener, or serve over ice. Top with whip cream for added luxury.
Ingredients: Black tea, almond, and natural & artificial flavors.
Taster’s Review:
What a delightful spin on the well-loved tea beverage found at that coffee shop. You know which one I’m talking about. Well, to be honest, I haven’t consumed many London Fog Lattes from that coffee shop (why go to a coffee shop and spend $5 on a tea beverage when I can stay at home and sip on better tasting teas for much less), however, I am willing to go out on a limb here and say that I prefer this to those London Fog Lattes.
Why? Well, first off, I like that I can choose how strong I make this, and how much steamed milk and sweetener to add. At the moment, I’m drinking this non-latte, and I think I like it even better like this than with the milk, because I’m able to enjoy the complex flavors of the tea, the bergamot, the vanilla AND the almond…
Which leads me to the second reason that I prefer this to the London Fog Latte at that coffee shop. This version from Téanzo 1856 is not only flavored with bergamot and vanilla cream, but also almond! And I love the sweet, nutty flavor that the almond brings to the party. It offers more creamy flavor … and this is so creamy and rich tasting that it really doesn’t need the steamed milk. It tastes so good straight up.
The black tea base is not as strong as some Earl Grey blends I’ve tried, but, it manages to hold its own and provide a pleasant background of black tea flavor that compliments the tangy notes of bergamot and especially the sweet notes of almond and vanilla.
This is the first tea I’ve tried from this new company, and it’s a winner as far as I’m concerned! If you like those London Fog Lattes, I think you’re going to love this London Fog from Téanzo 1856!
