293 Tasting Notes
52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 8
YUM! As most people (at least on here) know, I love banana tea. On the description for this tea (that I added on Steepster, btw) I mentioned how I originally planned to blend the Winters Treat Oolong (which is a banana, marshmallow, cinnamon, butter rum & cream blend). However, when it came time to order the teas I’d need for the boxes, my supplier had no charcoal roasted Oolong available – so I had to change course.
So this is what I came up with – Bananas with vegan eggnog essence plus a non-alcoholic rum essence & a touch of shaved nutmeg. So yummy with the smooth green TieGuanYin.
52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 7
It was about 12 years ago or so when Frank first released his version of the Weeping Angel tea & to be completely honest, my memory of this tea – well, I don’t actually remember this tea very much. I remember the name of the tea & I remember there was quite a bit of excitement surrounding the tea – but I don’t really remember if I actually liked the taste of the tea. So, I think I should go back & check my tasting notes . . .
OK, I apparently really liked this tea. I gave it a 95! And I even used words like “seriously . . . YUM” – so I think I liked it. I also noticed that I wanted to bring out the caramel popcorn notes a bit & added some salt to the brewed cup. Which – makes sense since I did add some flaked sea salt when I blended this tea to help accentuate the popcorn notes. Without realizing it, I was channeling my 11 years ago self when blending this tea (yeah, so I guess it was actually 11 years).
So, one question I’ve been asked by a couple of people: how is this one different than the original blend – necessitating a v.2 on the name of this tea? As I mentioned somewhere – in the comments of someone else’s review of this tea, I didn’t have a recipe from which to refer, so I used the description that Frank had written about this tea when he released it. It said: “It’s a buttered toffee caramel corn flavored black tea”. Since I knew my go-to base of black teas is different from what he used back then, there’s that. I also added some specialty flavored cotton candy (which is made with organic cane sugar & organic flavors) which added to the toffee & caramel corn aspect. Finally, I added flaked sea salt. Those three things I know for sure are different from Frank’s original blend & I think it earns the v.2 with those differences. Also, being 100% honest here, I’ve never once, not once have I watched a Dr. Who episode. I have no source material when it comes to Dr. Who fandom. Sorry. So, I decided to put a v.2 on it – since I feel like I’m at somewhat of a disadvantage since I don’t actually know Dr. Who or what it’s about – I’m just trying my best to replicate a well-loved tea with a Dr. Who reference attached to it via its name.
Other than that, I think that if I were rating this tea, I’d probably give it a 95 too. Is that ego? I don’t know if I’m qualified to answer that. I just know that I really like this tea. I taste toffee caramel corn. I even taste butter. I taste the hint of salt that brings out the caramel corn notes. And I enjoy the black tea base. So, take my words for what they’re worth to you. I think it’s really, super tasty!
I’m an on-again, off-again Who watcher (more off than on), so one of you out there catch us up. What’s the connection with caramel popcorn?
Big Doctor Who fan here… and there is no connection between Weeping Angels and caramel popcorn at all. Maybe he was going for a “bowl of popcorn you eat while binge-watching”? Though when I’m watching Doctor Who, I always go for tea with biscuits. :-)
Of course, now I have the craving to go fish out the one Christmas episode I really liked—had to do with the Titanic, or a sci-fi version of it, and featured the actor who played Richard in “Keeping Up Appearances.”
I think what he was going for was Dr. Who’s favorite snack? Here’s his original description of this tea:
From 52teas
So, yesterday was Steven Moffat’s birthday. For my customers who don’t know who he is, I feel for you. For those of you who don’t care, please forgive my self-indulgent nerd fest this week; this week’s tea will probably “not compute” if you are not a Dr. Who fan.
If you happen to be someone from the BBC’s legal department, please don’t sue me. As cool as it would be to be sued for my Dr. Who fandom, I really don’t have any money, and it would be a shame to “Exterminate” 52teas. We’re mostly harmless (to mix nerd references).
So, I’m sure you are wondering, what exactly is a Weeping Angel tea? Well, what else could it be, but a tea flavored like my favorite Dr. Who snack? It’s a buttered toffee caramel corn flavored black tea, and it’s heavenly–amazing enough to make a weeping angel smile.
???
Thanks for digging that out!
I think by “my favorite Doctor Who snack” Frank is implying HIS favorite snack while watching Doctor Who. There aren’t any Doctors that have an association with buttered toffee caramel corn. The Fourth Doctor is famous for liking Jelly Babies, and the Eleventh for fish fingers in custard, but I can’t even think of any other food items really tied to a Doctor.
@Mastress Alita: I’ll take your word for it, because as I mentioned, I’ve not watched Dr. Who. So, you are most probably correct in that reasoning. I just … recreated this blend to the best of my ability based on what records I do have of this tea. :) Thanks for your perspective!
“I think that if I were rating this tea, I’d probably give it a 95 too. Is that ego?”
Definitely not ego. You made a good one here. My friend Kiki gives it a 10+ on her scale. I’ve never see her so excited over tea :)
@derk – thank you!
Read how much Crowkettle loved it, Anne! <3 Not ego, you made a really good tea!
52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 6
A little bit of history on this tea: I first blended this tea some months ago (this year though) – and it sold out almost instantly. I am not sure that it sold out faster than any other tea, but it was definitely like – top 10 as far as speed at which it sold out.
I was a very happy mad tea artist. (Yes, I realize that sounds a bit of a contradictory term.)
Despite the rapid speed at which it sold out, I was still taken aback when this tea received the most votes of any tea in the poll this year. It definitely earned its way into the box this year.
It’s so good. Bright pineapple notes. The notes of vanilla soften the pineapple a bit. I love how it turned out. Thank you to all who voted to bring this tea back in the box this year!
It sold out before I could get it, so I was thrilled to see it here! It did not disappoint! I suspect that whatever amount you put up on Dec. 25 will also sell out quickly.
Kaylee: Actually, what I do is on December 26 – December 28, I accept orders (via email) from those who purchased the box. Then on December 28, I add it to the website. Since I don’t make a bunch of the tea beyond what I’ll need for the boxes, this enables those who bought the box to get an added benefit – they get first dibs on what’s left over!
Okay, now I feel bad I bought like eight tasters of it this summer (and am a subscriber) and definitely have not gotten to more than one. Good thing I didn’t request any in my advent calendar email.
@Kaylee remind me to send you one or two in our swap!
@Tiffany – maybe I’m biased, but I don’t think you should feel bad about it – I like it when the teas sell out! :)
52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 5
I love how this one turned out. The pear is really lovely, the pomegranate adds a pleasant bit of tartness to the cup for some contrast & the cinnamon is a soft warmth in the background. Mostly, I taste pear, but this wouldn’t be the same without that little pop of pomegranate.
Really, really happy with this one!
52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 4
I’ve been sitting here for the last half an hour or so, sipping on this tea, thoroughly enjoying myself – and then I realize – Oop! I need to be writing about the tea!
I absolutely love the Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha blends – this one is no exception. So, I’m always excited to see which Genmaicha blend will earn its way into the holiday box each year. I’m really happy it was this one this year – it checks off two boxes, it’s a genmaicha & it’s a candy cane tea! (Thanks voters, for helping me with my checklist!)
The crisp peppermint with the sweet, soft marshmallow notes is just so nice. The green tea is pleasant & smooth with just the right note of toasty flavor. so good!
52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 3
I was excited when this one earned its way into this year’s box, because it’s one that I’ve not yet blended! This reblend IS definitely going to be different from the original for several reasons: first, I didn’t really care for the bergamot flavoring that Frank would use. It tasted a bit more like bubblegum than bergamot to me & I love bergamot. I have sourced an excellent, organic cold-pressed oil of bergamot that I’ve used in my previous bergamot blends, so that’s what I used here.
I also have a different base of teas. I typically do not use Darjeeling teas in my blends, not because I dislike Darjeeling teas – I have used them in the past and will use them in the future, but I prefer my Darjeeling tea not to be blended with other black teas as I feel the more delicate flavor profile of a Darjeeling will be poorly supported by the addition of other teas. Instead, I used a blend of Assam, Ceylon, Yunnan & Nilgiri teas. This well-composed blend worked so beautifully with these flavors.
Anyway, this tea turned out even better than I hoped for. A lovely note of bergamot, softened just so with the addition of a rich, creamy cheesecake essence that is vegan, gluten-free & allergen-friendly! So much yum in one cuppa!
PS: I brewed this pot of tea strong so I can go latte with it. It is sooooo good as a latte! So good!
You’re going to break my tea buying hiatus if there’s any amount of this available on your site at the end of the advent. It’s seriously delicious!
Although I never had the chance to try Frank’s version, it’s neat to see what you changed up! Thank you for sharing. :)
Ha, now that I see what black teas you put in this, it makes sense. I mostly taste Ceylon, but I can now gather Assam and Nilgiri but not Yunnan. I bet the Assam and Nilgiri are what made Kiki think “fruity”, whereas I thought it might be Darjeeling giving her that fruity impression (which I didn’t get). Great tea, Anne :)
@Crowkettle – I hope you’re not expecting me to apologize for breaking the tea buying hiatus. :) because – sorry, not sorry.
@derk Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. There is a very small amount of Yunnan – just to add a bit of roundness to the base, but not so much to add an assertive Yunnan flavor. The Ceylon tends to work best when it comes to the bergamot. Not sure why, it just does – the bergamot just seems to need the Ceylon to live up to its full potential. However, my plan is to slowly phase out Ceylon from my regular inventory. My plan is to only utilize it for my EG teas as I prefer Assam and Yunnan teas (and these two together will be my new go-to base for black blends). As for the Nilgiri in this blend, I wasn’t terribly sure about adding it, but because Frank utilized a Darjeeling tea in the original blend for this tea, I decided to go with a somewhat similar base – Nilgiri – in my opinion – is the stronger, bolder cousin to Darjeeling and as a result, I tend to prefer Nilgiri over a Darjeeling, especially in a blend. And all of that is probably more than you wanted or needed to know when it comes to my mental processes while blending teas!
Actually this was super helpful and informative, both because it’s just interesting and because it helps me assess how the blend is likely to affect my comically delicate constitution. Thanks for sharing!
Kaylee: I have found that black teas from India tend to do a number on my stomach. I steep them with delicacy! Green Indian tea has never bothered me – Harney and Sons often uses it for their flavored green blends. I guess terroir plus processing plus varietal all matter.
ashmanra: yes, same! black teas from China, even Nepal are usually fine, but Indian black teas are just not my friend.
52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 2
I am absolutely certain that I’ve told the story at least once or twice about my affection for figs, so I shan’t bore you with that story again. At least, not now. Maybe at some point in the future. But not now.
I really like how this tea turned out. It’s sweet with a pleasant fig note & the gingerbread is sweet yet peppery with just the right amount of spice to make this a cozy cuppa. And no caffeine so maybe I’ll be able to get some sleep tonight!
52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 1 -
Well, it’s currently 11:46 so I’m just barely making this in time for the 1st day of Christmas! (Yeah, I’m behind for my own advent on the very first day! Not a good look.) Anyway . . .
today has been crazy, so it’s nice to take a moment to sit down and enjoy a cuppa. I was so happy when this tea earned the votes to make it into the 12 Teas of Christmas box because it’s one that I absolutely love: rich black tea, tart cranberries & just enough sweetness from the vanilla & cream to soften that edge from the cranberry. The cinnamon is just barely there – it smells a lot more cinnamon-y than it tastes. I love the warmth it brings to the cup.
I slept in a bit (I no longer engage with going out on Black Friday because it’s way too people-y for me) so this is my first tea of the morning. Lately, I’ve been enjoying a matcha latte as my first tea of the day, but today, I wanted something different, so this is the tea I grabbed – and it is so good!
I don’t know why, but the settings on my Breville were for 3 1/2 minutes, rather than the usual go-to of 3 minutes. I didn’t even check it when I started the tea maker, so this was brewed a 1/2 a minute longer than I would usually steep a black tea – and it turned out amazing (I might even argue better? Than the usual 3 minutes!) So I may have to start trying the teas out at 3 1/2 minutes rather than 3 minutes for my recommended steep time. For this tea, I highly recommend 3 1/2 minutes!
Nice black base, flavorful spices & a smooth cake batter-y taste. The cake batter & vanilla soften the spices a bit, so this isn’t overly spicy, but I do get some warm spices – like a spice cake batter tea. I like it! :)
