Usually I am right on top of 52 Teas’ offerings as they make some of the best and most unique flavored blends out there. However, with a new flavor each week, sometimes some slip by before I get a chance to find them. This is one of those teas but luckily for me a tea friend was kind enough to share.
I had enough to brew it up both hot and cold, both steeping for 2 minutes in 175 F water.
I started with the hot tea which is a nice smooth drink. Nothing jumps out at me but that makes sense given both cucumber and melon are softer flavors. I was surprised it’s not more distinctively “spiced” but between the spices and the fuller flavor of the green tea base, this is more robust than a plain cucumber melon tea would be. Those fresh and cooling flavors I usually identify with summer but this tea would work year round because it is a full flavor that would be nice in the colder weather but is still gentle and refreshing enough to not be overwhelming in the summer heat.
As an iced tea, the melon comes out more. The flavors are a bit more conflicted when iced as the sweet cucumber melon stands separately from the more roasty base. The spice definitely kicks in at the tailend of the sip, lingering above the green tea while a bubble-gum like melon starts things off. It is not bad perse but the contrast between the two makes for a startling flavor change midsip that you do not get with the hot tea.
Though this is a nice tea overall, I definitely preferred the more harmoniously blended hot tea. It is one I think I would explore more should it be reblended in the future as it is not currently available on the 52 Teas website as of now.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Black Cherries in Sweet Cream from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
This Darjeeling, cherry, and cream tea is profoundly decadent. This blend tastes like a dessert that’s melty and gooey. The cream is so creamy that I feel like a farm where it came straight off the cow. Like, a fancy French cow.
A Quarter To Tea has a good grasp on cherries. I never liked cherries until their Chocolate Cherry Oolong showed up in one of my sample packs. It was a game-changer. So much so that my hopes were high for this one — and it succeeded.
When I went to this tea’s site, I discovered that this tea was inspired by Game of Thrones:
“Illyrio smiled as his serving men spooned out bowls of black cherries in sweet cream for them both.” (Dance with Dragons)
In case you forgot Illyrio (I did), he was the one that took care of the Targaryens while they were in hiding. If this is what he was serving people, well, I might hide out there, too. Does he have any space available?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
“Illyrio smiled as his serving men spooned out bowls of black cherries in sweet cream for them both.” (Dance with Dragons)
Luscious black cherries with a medium body darjeeling base, paired with heavy notes of cream and vanilla. Decadent enough to make a magister proud.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl Grey Le Creme from The NecessiTeas. . . .
I know lots of people hate bergamot. They are easy to spot. They almost always refer to it as “blergamot.” You know who you are!
But lots of novice tea drinkers start with Earl Grey and its variations and consider it to be the pinnacle of fine English tea. It is often associated with crumpets and scones and clotted cream, with fine china and linen napkins and lofty classical music playing. Civilized and refined.
My opinion is somewhere in between. A good cup of Earl Grey is very relaxing to me. Citrus scents do seem to lift my spirits and make me smile, but if a cup of tea goes TOO lemon-y or sour, I am not a happy camper and the blerg gets tossed.
This Earl is essenced with bergamot, vanilla, and cream flavors, all on an organic black tea base. It is a very pretty tea with the blue cornflowers mixed in with the deep, rich looking tea leaves. It would be lovely to display on the table in a tea scoop, tea boat, or dainty cup.
Will it get tossed? Not on your life! It has a lovely, smooth, sweet flavor even with no sugar added, though if you like sugar in your tea, a little sprinkle would do no harm to this cup. The bergamot flavor is pretty mild, and the cream scent is right on top and very noticeable even while it is steeping. The vanilla adds sweetness and body.
And get this! I like the resteep even better! Woohoo!
Advertised as an afternoon tea, I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to have this for breakfast, as well. I think the only people who would object to that would be folks who like ultrastrength builder’s tea in the morning, but I can’t take that sort of manhandling in the a.m.
Though out of stock at the time of this writing, hopefully it will be back in stock soon. Otherwise, I might feel guilty about making you want some.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Our Earl Grey Le Creme is a forgiving indulgence essenced with bergamot, vanilla and cream. Go ahead, treat yourself!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pumpkin Brulee from The NecessiTeas. . .
In Toronto, a cafe recently opened up that specializes in creme brulee, Craque Du Creme. This cafe has fifteen different creme brulee flavors. FIFTEEN!! They have flavors such as Ferrero Rocher, Vietnamese Coffee, White Chocolate Rose, London Fog, Lychee Vodka, and even vegan flavors like Blueberry Lavender Coconut and Mango Coconut. What they don’t have is a Pumpkin Brulee.
The mind behind the NecessiTeas may not have fifteen different creme brulee flavors (though with enough time, she may), but she does have this Pumpkin Brulee tea and for that I am thankful. Now that the leaves are turning colors, I think it is the perfect time to give this a try. I got to brewing, steeping this in 200 F water for 5 minutes.
One thing that stands out to me when I drink this tea is that there is a burnt quality that is a necessary component of capturing the brulee aspect of this tea. It is not a bad burnt but one akin to the caramelization on the sugary crust of a creme brulee. More than just the brulee, this has an awesome caramel pumpkin flavor. Sweet and creamy, with a ribbon of vanilla and a comforting dose of spice to make it perfect for those crisp fall evenings that will soon be upon us again.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
This tea is not currently available bu click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Cream Puffs from A Quarter To Tea. . . .
In my home state (cheeseheads, unite!) cream puffs are A Big Thing. Every year, people line the streets to get to the state fair for their fix. There’s actually a WINDOW PICKUP you can drive through without entering fair grounds just to get your half-to-a-dozen packs to bring to work in those magical ten days where the fair is running full-stop. Frankly, if we could name an official state pastry, I’d be hard pressed to pick something more indicative of Wisconsin than a good old cream puff.
So when this little beauty arrived on my doorstep from A Quarter To Tea, I thought two things– first, that this flavor has a lot to live up to. But second– if anyone could do it justice, it’d be my favorite tea blender from Wisconsin. And AQTT didn’t disappoint! This blend came in rolled balls– which, maybe it’s just the novelty factor, but this is one of my favorite ways to try loose leaf tea. (It helps that they were vaguely cream-puff-shaped, that’s for sure.) The black tea was strong and detectable, but not overly astringent or bitter. Perfectly balanced in the cup were notes of creamy, dreamy coconut, and a dash of that thick, whipped cream goodness that I’ve come to associate so strongly with cream puffs. Yum! I wish I would’ve tasted a liiiittle bit more pastry notes (what is the ‘puff’ part of a cream puff if not the perfect, slightly-savory balance to all that sugary cream?) in this blend, but it was still so delightful that I can’t complain.
I daresay you could set up a shop serving up this decadent blend right next to that cream-puff-drive-through line and give it a run for its money. Okay– maybe not. But it’d be a perfect pairing for an iconic dessert!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
This tea is not currently available on the site but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
