OK, so like I promised you on the first day of Christmas with my previous countdown, I was planning on doing two countdowns per day, unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, I decided to do 1 of the countdowns starting on the 14th of December and counting down to Christmas, and then I’ll do the second version which will actually BE on the 12 days of Christmas, starting on the “actual” first day of Christmas, December 25th. Not that it really matters to me. All that really matters to me … is the tea.
So, my second Christmas countdown this year is with Southern Boy Teas (aka 52Teas) and their Iced Teas! Let’s get this thing started!
Monkey Fart Iced Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, Frank at 52Teas ran a fundraising campaign to get some new equipment that he needed to operate more efficiently, specifically for his iced tea line which he calls Southern Boy Teas. That campaign was very successful, and out of that success, Frank decided to not only do his 52Teas version of the 12 Days of Christmas, but also a SBT’s version of the 12 Days of Christmas.
For today’s iced tea, Frank chose Monkey Fart. Now, I have already brewed and reviewed the Monkey Fart iced tea, and I imagine that quite a few of this selection of 12 iced teas I’ve already tried, however, Frank has added quite a few new flavors to his SBT line, so I think I’ll be in for a surprise along the way too.
But, let me just say that I’m glad that Monkey Fart was part of this collection. No, I’m still not crazy about the name. It still weirds me out a little bit to think that I’m drinking something called Monkey Fart.
Nonetheless, this tea is tasty. I cold-brewed it, and it’s as tasty as I remember it. Sweet and loaded with banana flavor that is more like candy than true-to-the-fruit banana flavor, but, I don’t mind it, because like I said in my previous review, it tastes a bit like banana cotton candy that’s been liquefied and then added to a glass of black iced tea. YUM!
I hope that the rest of the Southern Boy Teas countdown is as tasty as the first day has been.
Southern Boy Teas Pear Flavored Black Iced Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium Organic black tea with organic flavors. Each 14g teabag will make one 2-quart pitcher of DELICIOUS iced tea. Re-steep the teabag and you can get a full gallon out of each one.
Ingredients: Premium Organic Black Teas, Organic Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I brewed this Pear flavored black iced tea from the Southern Boy Teas collection from 52Teas the same way I’ve been brewing the other iced teas from SBT – cold brewing! I love cold brewing tea. It’s just so easy: just fill a half gallon pitcher full of freshly filtered water, add the tea pouch, cover the pitcher, and then let it sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I have a half a gallon of delicious, refreshing iced tea.
But to get the most out of these tea bags … I’ve also been resteeping the pouch a second time. For the second infusion, I’ve been hot-brewing the tea – using 1 quart of boiling water and letting the tea steep for five minutes, and then steeping another 1 quart of boiling water for six minutes. The second half-gallon pitcher is not quite as strongly flavored as the first, but, I still enjoy it … and in the case of this Pear flavored black tea, I think I like the second half-gallon better than the cold-brewed half-gallon because it is not as strongly flavored.
The cold-brewed iced tea – the first infusion – was a pleasant enough tea. It tasted just fine. But, the pear essence was a little … off for me. It tasted like pear … but the fragrance was more like … a pear scented candle or a pear scented bar of soap than like something that I’d eat or drink. It had that kind of “fragrance-y” scent … like a body spray or a fruity perfume. It didn’t taste like that … but the aroma made it smell like that … so it wasn’t as pleasant an experience to drink when I found this perfume-y scent every time I lifted the glass to my lips.
But with the second infusion, the scent has subsided, and I find myself enjoying the flavors much more this time around. The pear is sweet and juicy tasting, while the black tea flavor is the dominant taste in the drink. This is sweet, tasty and very thirst-quenching. Nice.
Southern Boy Teas Lime Cola Flavored Black Iced Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium Organic black tea with organic flavors. Each 14g teabag will make one 2-quart pitcher of DELICIOUS iced tea. Re-steep the teabag and you can get a full gallon out of each one.
Ingredients: Premium Organic Black Teas, Organic Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh, this Southern Boy Teas Lime Cola Flavored Black Iced Tea from 52Teas is a wonderful, refreshing drink that has captured the essence of lime and cola very well, while still not detracting from the delicious natural flavors of the black tea.
Of the six new flavors for Southern Boys Teas that 52Teas has introduced for this summer (five black teas, one herbal tisane), I think that this is my favorite of those that I’ve tried thus far! The flavors are so spot on.
I don’t think I’ve ever actually tried a “lime cola.” I’ve had lemon-lime soda, and I know that there is a lime diet cola out there, but, since I can’t consume aspartame, I haven’t tried this soft drink. And really, I don’t drink a whole lot of colas and/or sodas … I’ll stick to my tea, thanks! However, this Lime Cola flavored tea from Southern Boy Teas is what I would expect a lime cola to taste like.
From the moment I tore into the package, I could smell the cola and the lime. I could smell that sweet, caramel-y cola note essence, and the lovely citrus tone from the lime. I cold-brewed the tea (And again, let me say that I’m loving these extra large tea bags that 52Teas uses to make the iced tea pouches … there is more than enough room for the leaves to expand – with room to spare even! I like that … and while I usually prefer loose leaf when I’m brewing hot tea, when I’m cold-brewing iced tea, I really appreciate the convenience of a sachet/pouch/teabag. It makes the whole thing so much easier.
The flavors of cola and lime are so distinct in this glass of frosty iced tea. I can almost “feel” the bubbles from the soda! The black tea is not overpowered, either, it comes through in the background: smooth, rich and robust. It’s a very refreshing beverage. It is a little on the sweet side, then again, isn’t cola supposed to be sweet? I like the way the tart, zesty flavor of the lime cuts through some of the sweeter notes, providing some balance for the palate.
A really delicious iced tea!
Southern Boy Teas Earl Grey Black Iced Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium Organic black tea with organic flavors. Each 14g teabag will make one 2-quart pitcher of DELICIOUS iced tea. Re-steep the teabag and you can get a full gallon out of each one.
Ingredients: Premium Organic Black Teas, Organic Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Question: does it make me a nerd if I found the picture for this Southern Boy Teas Earl Grey Black Iced Tea from 52Teas funny?
I still chuckle every time I look at it!
I only wish that I could be as happy about this tea. Unfortunately, this is one of my least favorite of the SBT (Southern Boy Teas) iced tea offerings from 52Teas. I don’t know what it is about the bergamot flavoring that 52Teas uses, but, it always seems to come off a bit like a fruity/citrus-y bubble gum taste rather than the bergamot that I adore.
When I say “fruity/citrus-y” … what I mean is … that there is a sweet, fruity element in addition to the citrus fruit flavor. And together, it tastes more sweet than tangy … and it just tastes a bit off to me.
I’ve managed to brew a full gallon of tea from this one tea pouch. I brewed the first half gallon cold brew style, filling my half-gallon glass pitcher full of freshly drawn, filtered water and adding the tea pouch, and allowing it to sit in the fridge overnight. The next evening, I hot brewed it in a quart of boiling water for five minutes, and then another quart of boiling water for six minutes.
Brewed this way, I found that the second half gallon (2 quarts) was far more to my liking than the first, because the bubble-gum-y fruity taste has mellowed a little bit in the second infusion. It’s still a bit “off” as far as that classic Earl Grey flavor that I’m looking for, but, I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed the first half gallon.
And I still enjoyed the first half gallon – don’t get me wrong. I just … prefer other companies Earl Grey offerings more than 52Teas Earl Grey blends. 52Teas does many flavors well – the first flavor that comes to mind is buttery flavors, and the second flavor that comes to mind is that sort of effervescent bubbly soda flavor that they use for their soda blends – but Earl Grey/bergamot flavors are not top on that list. This is alright … but given some of the delicious iced tea offerings that I’ve tasted from Southern Boy Teas, this Earl Grey Iced Tea just doesn’t stack up.
Southern Boy Teas Watermelon Flavored Black Iced Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium Organic black tea with organic flavors. Each 14g teabag will make one 2-quart pitcher of DELICIOUS iced tea. Re-steep the teabag and you can get a full gallon out of each one.
Ingredients: Premium Organic Black Teas, Organic Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This summer is the summer of watermelon – at least at my house, it is! We’ve been eating watermelon like crazy this summer. I’m not complaining … I LOVE watermelon! And I’m enjoying this Watermelon Flavored Black Iced Tea from the Southern Boy Teas collection from 52Teas.
I was hoping for a little more watermelon flavor from this, to be honest. I cold-brewed this and I’m not sure if that’s the reason for the more delicate watermelon flavor or not. And that’s not to say that I can’t taste the watermelon – I absolutely can taste it, it certainly IS NOT a delicate flavor here – and it’s very tasty! I guess I’ve just gotten spoiled with all the watermelon I’ve been eating all summer, and I want a big PUNCH of watermelon flavor. As it is, there is a good balance between black tea and watermelon tastes.
But, I am enjoying the way the flavors come together here – the black tea is brisk and refreshing, and the watermelon is sweet. Overall, this is so thirst-quenching … it’s the kind of beverage that I can keep drinking and drinking all day to keep me cool and invigorated.
Toward the finish, I am starting to notice a slight citrus-y note – which I attribute to the black tea (citrus notes in the black tea?) and I like how this contrasts with the sweet flavor of the melon. It is not overly astringent, and not bitter at all (and this cold-brewed in my fridge for well over 12 hours!)
My biggest complaint with these Southern Boy Teas? The pitcher full of iced tea disappears too fast!