Smoky Coconut Packs a Punch!

by MrsPremise

Smoking Coconut from 52Teas packs a punch!  It has a base of bold Assam black tea, the powerful addition of coconut chips, and the dangerous, dreamy taste of smoke.  I’ve come to seek out smoky teas of the years, so I found this to be an exciting, enjoyable cup.  The coconut is fragrant and buttery throughout the dry leaf and brewing process, while the smoke lingers at the back end of each sip.  With the fatty coconut and hint of smoke, this tea feels more savory than refreshing.  It would pair well with a bold meal like bacon and eggs or a barbeque lunch.

This tea review goes out to a favorite create-a-character from my 2012 wrestling video game: Smoky Coconut.  Smoky was an old school wrestler, big dude, rocking a classic mullet, and throwing down power moves in his blazing white singlet. Pound-for-pound, Smoky had the best mustache in the business. Though he lost the infamous rumble match to SpicyGirlGimlet, Smoky Coconut will always have a place in the hearts of his fans.

 

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description: I just wanted a tea that was coconut-y and a little bit smoky. So that’s what I did. Sometimes, that’s what my inspiration is all about. I wanted a coconut-y tea and I thought that the combination of a lightly smoky tea with the creamy, sweet coconut flavor would be really interesting.
I started with a blend of black teas – a rich, malty Assam; a smooth, medium-bodied Ceylon and a tippy, robust Yunnan. Then I added just a teensy bit of Lapsang Souchong to give it a hint of smoke. I wasn’t going for a heavily smoked tea this time around – I didn’t want an overpoweringly smoky presence – just enough smoke to add some contrast to the silky sweet coconut flavor. Then I added a bunch of huge shreds of coconut.
The result is a sublimely yummy cuppa that you’ve gotta try. Sure, it might be a little on the ‘usual’ side especially when compared to some of the teas that we’ve made in the past but it’s no less delicious. Sometimes – going with something a little more ordinary can lead to extraordinary results!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

MrsPremise

Growing up, I drank herbal teas like fresh ginger tea during New England's harsh winters and iced blueberry tea during its humid summers. Over time, I was tempted into trying a wider variety of loose leaf teas by the fandom-themed blends available online. I have since gone on to design my own blends, and I greatly enjoy drafting up flavor ideas and drawing tea labels. When I'm not thinking about tea I can be found reading novels and comic books, playing video games, or watching movies; my favorite genres being history, humor, sci-fi, and fantasy. Generally, I prefer bold teas: spicy chais, rich black teas, even smoky lapsang souchong on occasion. But I have also dabbled in herbal rooibos, flavored oolongs, and traditional matcha. I'm glad to be expanding my palette by tasting and reviewing new teas and blends. Find me on Steepster: http://steepster.com/A2shedsjackson Fandom blends: http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/list.html?userId=292149

This post was posted in 52Teas, Black Tea

S’mores Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas

by thelastdodo

52teas3_1430856114__73092Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy: 52Teas

Tea Description:

I reblended this tea to fulfill part of our start-up Kickstarter campaign’s add-on offers! This was part of the Genmaicha 3-Tier collection – a yummy blend of Matcha infused Genmaicha green tea and chocolate and marshmallow flavors. I added cacao shells & nibs, mini vegan chocolate chips and marshmallow root to the blend. This is yummy!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This gemaicha is a perfect tea for the weather out there today! I’ve battened down the hatches and hunkered down, because the outside world has turned completely white. I’m living in a surreal ghost town of powder. It certainly doesn’t help that the wind keeps whipping up the 3 feet of snow that has already fallen. I can’t even open my front door! And to think it was almost 70 degrees yesterday. That’s Denver spring for ya.

I can’t believe I have already finished this package! I received the 3-tier genmaicha tin set from 52Teas’ initial kickstarter not too long ago. At first I didn’t care for the flavor, especially with the chocolate pieces. It’s a personal pet peeve of mine to have chocolate chips in tea. But I love the flavors of marshmallows and graham crackers, and I did not want to allow these chocolate abominations to keep me from enjoying this tea. So I just picked out and straight up ate the chocolate chips. May I just say that they are a great compliment to the tea – better than if they were in the blend, fusing to the sides of my teapot and creating an odd sludge.

I quickly became addicted to this blend. I think I drank nothing but this tea for about a week straight. It’s so on point – each flavor is well developed and distinct, from the smooth and mellow marshmallow to the crisp and sweet graham cracker right up to the vegetal grassiness and toasty rice flavor of the genmaicha. I love flavored genmaicha, and this blend is a great combination of a funky flavor idea and the classic Japanese green tea.

 

thelastdodo

I dream in tea. Hello! My name is Maddi and I love to gongfu and listen to good tunes. I live in Denver, CO with my big dumb malamute and three other people who are not bid dumb malamutes. I like to take boiling hot showers and meditate in my closet. I talk about tea so much that it has become a punch line of sorts with my family and coworkers. Besides my unhealthy obsession with the drink that gives me life, I do yoga frequently, watch Korean Dramas religiously, run as a form of moving meditation, make green smoothies out of any vegetables and fruits within the nearest vicinity, and play video games with my patient and forgiving boyfriend. I also cook for a living and have at least one waffle a day. Likes: Tea, Teaware, All forms of nature, Old movies, People with infectious laughs, Blankets Dislikes: Watching sports, People who don’t tip servers, Slipping on ice, drinking tea for the ‘health benefits’ I tend to only drink loose leaf, although I will have a bagged tea every once in a while in an emergency. I also never sweeten my tea because, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ I like the following flavors: Smokey Floral Coconut Majority of chai Anything Tropical Vanilla Grassy/Vegetal Citrus Stone fruit/melon Earth/Wood I am not so fond of the following flavors: Hibscus Lavender Strong Bergamot Berries Chocolate Cloves/strong cinnamon

This post was posted in 52Teas, Green Tea, Matcha, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

S’mores Genmaicha Green Tea Blend from 52Teas

by liberteas

Smores-Genmaicha

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green & Black

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

So, you liked the Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha (one of the reblends, by the way…), and you liked the Browncoat (Chocolate) Genmaicha? Well, you’re going to LOVE the S’mores Genmaicha! Toasty genmaicha blended with marshmallow root, roasted cacao nibs and just a tiny touch of smoke from a bit of lapsang souchoung. This is a heavenly treat to warm your bones and soothe your sweet-tooth.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Wow!  Just … WOW!  This S’mores Genmaicha Green Tea Blend is probably the tastiest Genmaicha blend that I’ve tried from 52Teas yet!  From my very first sip, I was totally blown away!

The smokiness from the Lapsang Souchong comes out, but it isn’t an overpowering smoky tone … it is just a hint of smoke … just enough to evoke thoughts of toasting marshmallows around a campfire and making s’mores!

The roasty-toasty, nutty flavor of the Genmaicha comes through too, and it gives the overall cup a sense of “crust” … like the graham cracker crust of a s’more.  The flavor of graham doesn’t really come out strongly with this tea, but the nuttiness of the tea seems to give the flavor just what it needs … because it is almost like I’m sipping on liquefied s’mores!

The chocolate … well the chocolate could be stronger.  But then, I’m a chocoholic, remember?  There is never too much chocolate as far as I’m concerned.  But I think that for this particular dessert tea, there is a fair amount of chocolate flavor.

But what really MAKES this cup for me is the marshmallow notes.  The marshmallow, together with the Lapsang Souchong and the Genmaicha … tastes like a freshly roasted marshmallow!  YUM!  I can almost taste that hint of char on the marshmallow, and the gooey, molten, creamy marshmallow that would ooze out of the marshmallow and help melt the chocolate as it comes in contact with it when sandwiched between two graham crackers.

This is really so good … I’m on my second infusion of this tea (each measurement of leaves is worth at least two infusions!) and it tastes just as good as the first … no loss of flavor!  If you are looking for a delicious, chocolate-y, marshmallow-y tea treat … you need look no further.  52Teas has got you covered!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Green Tea, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

S’mores from Della Terra Teas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Della Terra Teas

Tea Description:

One of the best things about sitting around a fire are of course, the S’mores!  We’ve captured all that is amazing about a melty gooey S’more in this black tea!  You’ll taste the familiar tastes of marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate.  So, even when you aren’t outside by a crackling campire you can enjoy the delicious taste of a S’more anytime!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

S’mores are one of my guilty pleasures, but one I do not indulge in often mostly because it’s a rare occurrence when I have marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars in the house all at once.  Someone from Della Terra Teas must feel my pain, because here is my guilty pleasure, in liquid form, piping hot in my teacup!

This stuff is amazing!

Dry, this tea smells like my favorite cereal.  It smells like Count Chocula!  Yes, I love that stuff.  I only get one or two boxes a year, because they only hit the stores during the month or so before Halloween through the holiday.  Somehow, mysteriously, the monster cereals disappear after Halloween.  But they always return around the same time every year.

Anyway, that’s what the tea smells like in dry form.  I was amazed, and I could feel my mouth starting to water at the smell.  My taste buds were convinced they were about to get their favorite cereal!  The brewed tea smells less like cereal, and more like a black tea with some chocolate notes and a hint of graham.

Wow!  The chocolate is well defined in this cup, although that doesn’t really surprise me since I expected it to be a strong flavor given this company’s obvious love for chocolate.  (See this review of Dubbele Chocolate for more details!)  The marshmallow comes through nicely as well, and I’m happy about that as I didn’t see a whole lot of mini marshmallows in my particular sample package.  The graham cracker taste is a little less obvious, but I find that I taste more of it when I slurp, allowing the tea to sort of vibrate along my palate … at that point, I really taste the graham.

So, chocolate … CHECK!  Marshmallow …  CHECK!   Graham Cracker … CHECK!  This tea definitely represents the flavors of S’mores very well.  I think that the flavor could be enhanced – perhaps – a wee bit with the addition of a little Lapsang Souchong to the black tea base.  Those who know me should KNOW that I don’t offer that advice lightly, as Lapsang Souchong is not my favorite tea.  But I think that the Lapsang Souchong would add just a hint of smokiness to the cup, to give it that true, authentic, campfire taste.

And speaking of the tea base … yes, I can taste the tea amid these amazing S’mores flavors.  It is a fairly mild base, but, a stronger base might prove to be a bit much especially for the delicate flavor of the graham.  As it is, I am really, truly enjoying this blend.  It is so yummy!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea