Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
My helper Kelley has been hounding me about making a Rumchata blend for a while, so I decided to finally give in. She also thinks we should do a Hobbit tribute tea called “Second Breakfast” but when I tell her that second breakfast should include bacon she shrieks at me that I’m a sick man. (You should know that whenever we blend the bacon teas, she whines about it for at least an hour after we’ve finished. In her defense, the bacon flavoring is VERY pungent when we first blend those and admittedly it’s not my favorite scent either.) In any event, I think she’s got a real winner here. This is a sort of spiced, creamy rum with elements of horchata, almonds, cinnamon and other spices and a sweet creamy finish. Honeybush seems a natural compliment to it. I think you guys are going to like it a lot.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
When I learned that 52Teas’ tea of the week for the week of December 9th was to be a Rumchata Honeybush blend, I was excited to try it! I haven’t tried Rumchata and I didn’t even know it was a real thing until the other day when I saw a bottle of it in the liquor section of my local grocery store. But, I LOVE horchata and the idea of horchata mixed with rum sounds pretty darned yummy to even this tea-totaler.
And it is yummy! When I first opened the package, the smell of rum is pretty strong, so I worried a little that this would taste all of rum and not so much horchata. But, there is a nice distribution of the flavoring here, I taste rum, but I also taste horchata … and actually, I might taste more horchata than I do rum.
The cinnamon notes are nice and warm, and the almond notes add a touch of sweetness as well as warmth. This blend doesn’t go overboard with the cinnamon. It’s a light touch of cinnamon. And there is a creamy, vanilla-y, rice-like note that I taste that mimics the horchata flavor.
The honeybush base is a nice choice for this blend, although I can’t help but think that a genmaicha blend would have worked even better. (The toasted rice flavor would have been just the thing to elevate the horchata flavor.) But I do like the nutty, sweet flavor of the honeybush here. It adds a nice backdrop for the flavors.
Overall, a really tasty honeybush blend. I drank my first cup of this straight up with no sweetener or other additions and it was delightful. I like it better, though, when I brew it strong (I add just a little extra leaf) and then add a light sprinkling of turbinado sugar (about a pinch worth of sugar) to accentuate the spices and just a splash of almond milk. The almond milk really does wonders for this blend. Rice milk might work well with this too!
Rum Raisin Ice Cream Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Here’s a unique treat to tempt your tastebuds. How about some of our premium black teas blended with raisins and the organic flavors of vanilla ice cream, raisins and rum? Our Rum Raisin Ice Cream tea is sure to impress. Get some while it lasts!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy! I’ve been looking forward to trying this Rum Raisin Ice Cream Flavored Black Tea ever since 52Teas announced it as the tea of the week for December 9th. I can’t recall ever tasting a Rum Raisin ice cream, but the idea of rum soaked raisins and sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream sounds delicious. And I usually enjoy 52Teas ice cream inspired teas, so I was fairly certain I’d enjoy this one too.
And I’m loving this. It is so good. The flavors all come together so well. I taste raisin, I taste rum, I taste the sweet, creamy notes of vanilla and even a hint of a milky/creamy taste that is giving it an ice-cream-y sort of flavor.
And then there is the black tea. The “usual” black tea base that 52Teas uses for their black tea blends is perfect for this blend. It is robust and has notes of malt that marry well with the rum notes. The black tea tastes rich and full and fills out the background while the flavors play in the foreground.
This not only makes a great “dessert” type tea, but also offers an amazing, guilt-free way to enjoy dessert for breakfast. I enjoyed the tea served straight up, and after the first couple of sips, I decided to try it with a little bit of turbinado sugar, so I added about half a teaspoon. The sugar enhanced the sweet raisin notes and the ice-cream-y taste, so I highly recommend trying this one with just a little bit of sugar. Then I poured myself a second cup of this Rum Raisin deliciousness, and this time I tried it lightly sweetened with a splash of milk … and oh my goodness! So, so good.
A really good one from 52Teas. As I write this review, I see that there are eight (count ’em … 8) pouches of this tea left. I highly recommend getting yourself over to 52Teas and picking up one of these pouches for yourself before they’re gone. It’s a winner!
Tiramisu Oolong Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This week we have a nice toasty oolong blended with cacao nibs, marshmallow root and organic flavors, including some coffee, chocolate, rum and vanilla cake flavors. That’s right, we made a Tiramisu Oolong. I have a feeling this one is going to go fast. It’s a special dessert blend with an extra special base tea. Get it while you can.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! Yummy! The moment I read the name of 52Teas’ tea of the week for the week of November 4 … I was confident that I’d love it: Tiramisu Oolong Tea. That sounds a little too delicious for words.
But words are what I write, so, I am going to have to come up with some as I sip on this teacup full of deliciousness.
52Teas does not say what type of Oolong they use as a base for this, but it is a darker Oolong and the toasted flavor that is mentioned in the description does come forward. It is a roasty-toasty type of Oolong which makes me think of either a Formosa Oolong or a Red Robe Oolong. The toasty notes of the Oolong meld beautifully with the roasted coffee notes to create a very harmonious taste.
The next flavor I notice is the rum. This flavor sort of weaves its way in and out throughout the sip, starting just before mid-sip and imparting a wee bit of rum flavor in the aftertaste. Because I’m seldom big on alcohol flavors, especially when other flavors are involved (we’re talking chocolate here, people), I am glad that the rum is not a really obtrusive note.
Of course, I’m wishing there’s more chocolate. But when am I ever not wanting more chocolate? As I’ve said before, I don’t think that I’d be a helper that Frank at 52Teas would want to hire: I’d always be adding an extra scoop or two (or three) of cacao nibs to the batch when he wasn’t looking. I’m a very trustworthy sort – except when it involves chocolate.
The creamy undertone of vanilla and marshmallow adds just the right flavor to elevate the cup and showcase the other flavors of this cup. This is a sweet, decadent, dessert-y delight that is infinitely kinder to the waistline than the actual dessert would be (well, duh, right?) Sure, it isn’t the dessert, but it does satisfy the sweet tooth craving. If you like tiramisu, you’ll really like this tea!
Personally, I like this tea not only because it tastes like the dessert, but because it also tastes like tea. Two of my favorite things in one teacup. As I write this review, there is but ONE pouch of this tea left. If I were YOU … I’d get myself here immediately and buy it before someone else reads this and thinks I’m talking about them.
Butter Rum Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Butter Rum was always my favorite flavor of Lifesavers. I’m not really a fan of rum itself, but butter rum candy is the stuff dreams are made out of, and so is this tea.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I was very intrigued by this blend as it is inspired by the Butter Rum flavored Lifesaver candies. I am not particularly crazy about these candies, but I like them alright. I’d much rather have chocolate. (No big surprise there, huh?) But I was certainly interested in trying 52Teas version of the Butter Rum candy in this flavored black tea.
And I really like this … perhaps even MORE than I like the candy.
The black tea base is robust yet smooth, and again, I am finding myself very pleased with 52Teas black tea base. It is so pleasantly rich. It has a strong, solid flavor … and given 52Teas penchant for strongly flavored teas it’s a good thing that the black tea base used is a strong one, otherwise the tea might be overpowered by the flavoring. But that’s not the case here … sure, the flavoring is strong – no doubt about that – but, the black tea is bold enough to stand out and be tasted. It is not an overly astringent tea … there is some astringency, but I would classify it as a moderate astringency, and it seems to be mellowed somewhat by the hint of vanilla in this tea.
The vanilla also gives this a really lovely creamy tone that evokes thoughts of the smooth, creamy, buttery candy that inspired this tea. This truly tastes like someone dropped a butter rum Lifesaver in my teacup and allowed it to melt in the hot liquid. It’s quite yummy!
I prefer this tea sweetened because I think it brings out the butter rumminess of it. (Yes, rumminess is a word, I just made it up) I don’t add a lot of turbinado sugar to this, but, I find that just about half a teaspoon to my cup brings out the flavors and makes it taste much more like the candy. It’s delicious served straight (with no additions) as well … and it also makes a rather delicious latte if you’re in the mood for something really creamy and decadent!
A really well-crafted blend from 52Teas!
Cuba Libre Flavored Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Organic cola and rum flavors combine with our premium black tea base to create a sweet-tooth treat with a twist. I’m very happy with the way this came out. I’m more of a 7 and Ginger guy myself, but this is delicious. I hope you will agree.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Having tried cola flavored teas from 52Teas in the past, I was pretty confident I’d enjoy this Cuba Libre flavored Black Tea. I’m not a big alcoholic beverage drinker, but, I don’t hate rum and coke. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it. I can’t really think of any alcoholic drink that I really love … I’m just not much of a drinker.
But I used to be (there’s a time and place for everything and that’s college), and I’ve had a few rum and cokes in the past, and I enjoyed them.
This Cuba Libre blend from 52Teas is a fair representation of my memory of the rum and coke cocktails that I’ve consumed in the past. Granted, it’s been more than a few years, so, I can’t say that my memory is all that great … and we are talking alcohol here, so, maybe I’m way off. But, I am enjoying what I’m tasting in my teacup at the moment.
The black tea base is delicious and melds nicely with the flavors of rum and cola. It is smooth and flavorful, with a nice earthiness that contrasts well with the sweetness of the cola flavor. When I opened the package … I could really smell the cola … it was such a powerful aroma that I could almost “feel” the bubbles from the cola effervesce from the pouch!
The flavor of the cola is equally as strong, but it doesn’t overpower the black tea notes. It is sweet and caramel-y, and the flavor is very cola-esque. I can also taste the rum … and it has been a while since I’ve actually had rum so I can’t speak from recent experience here, but, it tastes like what I remember it to taste like, it tastes sweet, and has a slight sweet potato taste.
Overall, the cup tastes to me like someone took a Cuba Libre, took that “alcohol” warmth out of it, and then added the warmth of a good, strong black tea to it instead. It’s really quite enjoyable. I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to.