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You know, I am like so many, a great lover of music. I have played it, I listen to it all the time, it just shapes my life. For all my love of music though I always have a hard time narrowing down a favorite band, there are just too many different bands and musicians for different moods. But it got me thinking, which is the one that fits for all my moods…well that was simple, it is Queen. So I think maybe it is safe to say my favorite band is Queen…apropos of nothing, and now, tea.

Today’s tea is a blend from Butiki Teas called Tamarind Pop, originally dreamed up as a custom order, they found it so interesting they decided to make it a regular product. Starting off with a base of Organic Black Tea from the Guranse Estate in Nepal, this is blended with natural (vegan) flavorings and Safflower, for a tamarind like taste. The aroma is leafy, like fresh vegetation, this fades to vanilla sweetness and a nutty tone. At the end of the sniff the aroma is sweet and a touch floral. I do not smell much in the way of tamarind, but it has been a long time since I sniffed any.

Steeping the tea, the wet leaves have a great blend of muscatel, fresh vegetation, and creamy vanilla sweetness. I might have spent more time than is necessary sniffing the wet leaves. The liquid without the leaves is vanilla sweet, creamy, a touch of fresh vegetation and a touch of tamarind. It is sharp yet earthy, tamarind is one of those strange smelling fruit, or really, strange smelling pods.

Tasting this tea gave me a bit of a surprise, because it reminds me a bit of coffee! There is also sweet vanilla and cocoa with a distinct tamarind tang at the end. This tea is a little odd, but also kinda tasty, it certainly reminds me of tamarind, which I have mixed feelings about because I am very hit or miss with it. I tend to like tamarind in things, but find it overbearing on its own. Luckily this tea is not at all overbearing. It is bold and has an interesting blend of flavors, I doubt I would seek it out again, but I would not run in terror if it was offered to me.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/07/butiki-teas-tamarind-pop-tea-review.html