516 Tasting Notes
Holy yum.
This is creamy banana amazing goodness. mmm just sweet enough. I ate one of the dehydrated bananas and it tasted like one of those banana marshmallows, but the tea itself was very real. Like a banana-bread flavour… no. More like a vanilla smoothie with a fresh banana blended in!
srsly.
So the leaf grade is not as high quality as David’s Milk Oolong, it comes out a tiny bit more chopped up, but I still got a quality 3 steeps out of 1 1/4 teaspoons in a 12 ounce cup. The third steep lost most banana flavour, but was still creamy oolong goodness and no bitterness.
Winning!
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much.
Coconut, raspberry black. Meh. I can imagine.
But wow. The dry smell is POW, a punch, right in the kisser! The tea itself smells just as strong, like this awesome raspberry coconut confection… decadent and .. wow. Took my breath away haha.
Love! Can’t wait to try it iced!
Maybe I’ll have to try it again, the first time I had it brewed in store… atrocious!
Ah fair enough! I have a feeling this black can be oversteeped VERY easily, even in my 3 minute, less than boiling steep it was a bit bitter – I have enough for one more cup (I’ll try 2 mins) and a cold steep, so I’ll let you know if the tea redeems itself enough!
Tastes like the sea.
I’ve been obsessed with trying this tea to get me well, obsessed with my move to Halifax. And it’s working.
Honestly, the dry smell really intrigues me. Fresh, salty, seaweed and fresh cut MINT.
The taste is like a Nori snack. The tea itself is salty. Like a.. well.. splash. of ocean water. in your mouf.
But it’s not unpleasant! It’s strangely refreshing. But.. not light. It’s a heavy tea. Er, not heavy. In the midground. Something is weighing it down so it’s not as light as many minty or green teas can be. Truly a unique experience, and not something I could drink every day, but reminiscent of sittin’ on the dock of bay n_-
Dear Steepster friends who say they are freezing:
It is currently -49 C with the windchill in Regina, SK. Trade you spots? (Except you, Faith :D )
Sweet dreams!
Thank goodness for hot tea!
Brrrrrrrr!
OMG. I would never leave the house and would drink tons of tea. Stay warm.
This proves my point (to myself) to not complain (because it could always be worse)…lol, stay warm!
I hear ya. I don’t miss Edmonton for those lovely -50 degree windchills. Its like -10 in Vancouver atm and I am so cold I don’t know how I lived in the prairies for so long.
Oh my…we’re having fun with our 5-10 cm of snow in Victoria, and it is supposed to get to -3C tomorrow, though it is -1C at the moment. It was -4C the other night. Though our newspaper website says it is -4C right now. So I dunno, but not tradesies! :P
Oh my God. It was minus 26 here the other day (with windchill) and I wanted to cry. I may be Canadian, but I do NOT like to see it that cold out!
It gets to -30c every once in awhile in Toronto but I just hide in a cup of tea and never go outside. and atleast our pipes don’t get frozen those days.
We’re having an especially mild winter this year on our side. Makes me worried about global warming
Haha, you got that right! Makes me wonder why we don’t hibernate here… we really should.
Our winter has flip-flopped. monday was -26 (and a pipe did freezer and burst at my work, which meants we got to be evacuated and stand in the cold for an hour ebfore being sent home) but today it is +9. Wild changes in temperature, very unusual.
I’ve experienced -45 F in Alaska without any wind chill (there was almost no wind
where I lived). But -49 C wind chill takes the cake (I think degrees F and degrees C meet at -40)! I personally enjoy the cold, but I don’t like the wind (‘cause you can’t really keep the wind form getting into all of those cracks and crevices no matter how you dress). I like it to be at least cold enough so it can snow (which doesn’t happen as often as I like where I currently live). The cold is just another good reason to drink hot tea! So here’s to staying warm with tea!
I won’t trade spots but if you want to come thaw, stop by! We were 62 degrees yesterday, but a cold front came in (ha ha) and it is only 52 today. We have lots of tea to warm you up!
Hooray! Sounds good – hey, we’re living! You know what, it’s been a fairly mild winter so far and I’m very grateful for that :) Also, many many layers. Although I wish SK had snow days, it’s my last winter here so I will count my blessings!
And yes Faith, hibernation should be mandatory :D
Yeees my pouch came today!
Out of this world delicious, and I was brave and steeped it with boiling hot water, just a bubblin’ away, and it wasn’t bitter O:
Only steeped for 2 minutes, but to be honest I’m usually scared to use boiling water with 52teas. derp. No more!
I can’t wait for my pouch! : )
Never ordered from 52teas, this one seems very yummy, it might be part of my next tea shopping spree…
We should do a swap sometime TeaFairy! I’m in the midst of moving out this month, but I’ll send you some of this next month if you’re interested :)
Sounds great, I accept your generous offer :) I’m new to this swap thing, so you’ll have to educate me, just email me when your done moving… hope everything goes well and that you’re almost done packing, as I remember it, it’s such a hassle!!
Yeah for sure!
haha oh yes, moving is indeed a necessary evil x_x
We just moved into this apartment 6 months ago, but it’s turns out to be full of horrible people who want to make me clinically insane. So our lease is up this month, we’re moving in with my bfs parents for a month or so, and then off to Halifax we go! I hope it’s all worth it :)
This stuff is good! I have a little left of my sample, so I want to save it for a hot day and have it iced.
Sipdown – triple shot!
haha it was supposed to be a double shot but.. there was a bit more tea in the bag than I thought n_-
Anyways, all I learned is that I recommend you not overdo the amount of leaf in this tea. It’s much better light and fruity, but with too much leaf the tea actually takes away from the fruity flavour. Some may disagree! But it was just too strong, and what I love about this tea is that it is so light and delicious!
Still an awesome tea. The sipdown adventure begins as I get ready to move out of this horrible apartment.
This is my hangover tea today. I mean – my happy new year tea!
Don’t get me wrong, I have a grand total of 3 drinks last night! It was the red wine that did me in. I really can’t mix any other drinks with red wine. I get that from my mom.
A few days ago I brewed this up normally and threw it in the fridge. It’s a very pleasant iced tea, but I get more “white tea” flavour than ginger. I felt the same when I had a hot cup before I made the iced tea. It’s still nice though! Very refreshing and slowly hydrating my brain and settling my tummy.
Also also, I’m counting calories in an attempt to eat a little healthier – only for one month! It’s not a diet, just an awareness thing. That’s my small resolution! Then, in one month, we will have moved out of this horribledemoninfestedcraphole of an apartment and I will feel alive again! And THEN – off to Halifax in 3 months. If that’s not a fresh start for a new year, I don’t know what is :D
Permanent move to Halifax?
Yep I think so! I’ve lived in Regina for 6 years, and I am way past due for a new move. I think we’re going to save up for a house – in Halifax we would be able to afford it, Regina… not so much haha
Nor here either. Half a mil for a small house. Who can afford that?
ugh no doubt! What I hate is that there is nothing really in Regina to warrant that crazy pricing. I’m not saying it’s a bad city with nothing going for it, but it’s just not affordable for a young couple with university degrees such as ourselves. And I don’t know why! bah. Oh well! It gives us a change to have an adventure :)
OMG! I love your post! I think we’re sisters from another mother. I had a very similar New Years and can’t wait to be free of my awful apartment. But sadly, I still have 10 months to endure. Enjoy Halifax!
thankyouthankyou maisonlula for our awesome swap!
So far this is definitely my favorite of the bunch, oh my gosh.
The flavour is out of this world good! And strong!
My boy and I enjoyed it over the Christmas break with some cream and sugar to enhance the cream. The rhubarb is sweet, not tart like when you eat it. More like a sugar dipped rhubarb, my personal favorite.
The tea base is mild and isn’t bitter at all. Very pleasant and awesome quality!
Bleh. Do not want.
BUT. It works like a charm. And I have digestion problems already… so I should probably invest in this tea since straight puerh doesn’t settle my tummy like it does for others.
Won’t rate it for taste though n-n;
I am so stoked to try this tea! I loved the banana in Snow Bunny and was looking for another tea with banana, and all I initially ran across was one that also had chamomile (blech). So glad to hear this one’s delicious! It’s on my shopping list now :D
You won’t be disappointed! It’s delish :D