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Anna drank Foxy Roxy’s Banana Walnut Treat by Butiki Teas

303 tasting notes

I can’t remember if this was one of the surprise samples Stacy generously included with my order, or if I asked for it – either way, I’m excited to try a banana tea. This smells so good in the bag – quite like banana bread. I wish I had some dazzling banana bread story about a quaint little bakery in a small town in the South somewhere, but I’m sorry. The best banana bread ever is Honolulu Coffee Company’s. I love you, nice lady who for some entirely unfathomable reason found me delightful and kept treating me to free banana bread last Christmas. Please come live with me. I will knit socks for you. (Also please remember to bring the recipe.)

There is an elusive quality to the scent of the steeped tea. I was working on something as I waited for it to cool a little, and I kept losing my focus when little scent strands found their way to my nose. If this tasted like it smells, it would be one of my favourite things ever. The flavouring is super elusive in this one, though, and the Keemun base tea isn’t my favourite.

All in all, it goes down very smoothly, but doesn’t leave much of an impression on me. I’m happy I got to try it, though – exploring Butiki’s teas has given me a much better insight into what unflavoured teas could work for me, and it’s pretty exciting.

[From my Butiki order to Santa Clara, October 2013.]
[Sample polished off in Rome, January 2014.]

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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I’m going to try all the teas.

Then I will choose a lucky few perfect specimens, and we will live happily together in my tea cupboard.

Forever.

* *

2015

This will be a year of in-betweenness and logistics. Where to put the teas. How to arrange the teas. Which teas to replenish – which ones to say goodbye to.

Still doing Project Green.
Still doing Project Jasmine.
Still doing Project Peach.

Dr. Tea is the name, I’m ahead of my game
still, steeping my leafs, still f*ck with the temps
still not loving Assam (uh-huh)
still rock my Bosch kettle with its high-pitched shriek
still got love for the greens, repping Lupicia
still the cup steams, still doing my thang
since I left, ain’t too much changed, still

(With apologies to Mr. Young.)

2014

This year, all bets are off. I am going to drink both peppermint and chamomile and possibly suffer a little. But it’s okay – it’s for science.

I’m doing Project Jasmine, Project Peach and Project Unflavoured Green.

In terms of flavoured teas, Lupicia and Mariage Frères have become my massive favourites, and I have learned that Dammann Frères/Fauchon/Hédiard and Butiki aren’t really for me.

The O Dor, Adagio and Comptoir des thés et des épices are all on this year’s I’d like to get to know you better list.

2013

Getting back into tea drinking last fall, I was all about rooibos. This past spring has been all green tea, all the time, with some white additions over the summer. Currently attempting a slow, autumnal graduation to black teas. Oolongs are always appropriate.

The constant for me, flavour wise, is the strong presence of fruity and floral notes. Vanilla is lush, as long as it’s not artificial. Peach, berries, mango. Cornflower, rose, lavender.

No peppermint.

No chamomile.

No cinnamon.

Ever.

* *

My ratings don’t reflect the ‘What does this tea do for me?’ standard, but rather my own ‘What would I do for this tea?’ scale.

100-90
My absolute favourites. Teas I would travel for – or, in any case, pay exuberant postage for, because they simply have to be in my cupboard. Generally multi-faceted teas with complex scents and flavours. Teas with personality. Tricky teas.

89-80
Teas I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again if and when I came across them. Tea purchases I would surreptitiously weave into a travel itinerary (Oh! A Lupicia store! Here?! My word!).

79-70
Teas I enjoyed, but don’t necessarily need to make any kind of effort to buy again.

69-0
Varying degrees of disinterest and contempt.