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I do like the scent and taste of this one. What I don’t like about it is its name. To me, although the inspiration of the tea with chocolate, spice, marshmallow may well be Mexican Hot Chocolate, the oolong is earthy and that alone does not work for me to summon the concept of the original drink. The star anise confuses me as well. I like the oolong and black base with the star anise—there is star anise in this, right? It’s the name that muddles me up.

I am raising my rating based on enjoying this tea and always enjoying QTT’s inspired tea efforts and creativity. That and the fact that I really do enjoy this one if I do not call it Mexican Hot Chocolate. Lauren, would you consider calling it Opium Den? Or Somnolent Earth? Or Amber Anise? Or…

Or maybe I’ll just rename it for myself and then, I’m good.

The dry leaf smells berry and juicy and summer. Steeped, the truly rich berry, like a basket of assorted dark berries and possibly a bit of fig, with blueberry predominating, continues. When I take a sip, however, the berry taste falls away. The tartness of the hibiscus, rose hip, and black and red currant steps up and takes over with blueberry and slight citrus in the background. Mango may well be in the distance complementing the citrus. As the tea cools a bit, the berries once again take over and remain in the forefront. Nice.

Generally speaking, 52Teas’ black base chai blends—note, I have no idea what Frank’s versions were like—are always, or very usually, a win with me. The spice blends are balanced and kapow with no one spice predominating, just the way I like them. Occasionally, one of the spices does a peekaboo and that’s just great as well. I drink the chais straight up and unsweetened, with perhaps a bit of dark chocolate alongside.

This one too is a beaut with just the right amount of smoke and spice. I know that smoke thing has been tricky to get balanced in past 52Teas blends, but here it is totally working. Yay, 52Teas, well done! I think we’ve got it.

If I were to change one wee thing, it would be to have the vanilla and marshmallow peek out a bit more, but truly, I don’t know if that is a possibility in tea blending. Can’t blame me for wishing and hoping, right?

Edit—As the tea sits and cools more—not that I drink it hot to begin with, mind you— a bit more of the vanilla and marshmallow steps in. So, my happiness is now complete.

This tea is so mmm, yeah, I can’t even tell you. It’s in the direction of honey black, but stops just before reaching the outer edge of sweetness, and with so much more depth and layering to it. So smooth with the ever so slight bit of smoke.

The cinnamon that others have mentioned eludes me. This does not trouble me.

Maple has been a frequent flavour craving this past week or two. The first time I had this tea, some time ago, it was perfect. Exactly like true maple candy held by a frisky black base. Today, it’s not living up to the expectations planted in my memory. My rating reflects both my imagination and the reality of the moment.

A rich malty stone fruit good morning. Happy New Year, people!

Took a look at my remaining pouch of dry leaf. Oh, tons left, I thought. At least ten more cups, I thought. Opened up the bag and was reminded that the fruit pieces are ginormous. When I made my 12 ounce cold steep to put aside, my dry leaf diminished by half. It’s tasty mango and orange good and all, but what, really?

The name of this tea beckons me. Though I’ve been on a bit of a black tea roll lately, I picked this up the other day.

So lovely. When I was drinking this, I found the green tea base so buttery, so very buttery, supported by gentle pineapple and marshmallow flavours. Beautiful.

Perhaps I need to be giving the dry leaf in the pouch a bit more of a shake to include the zing of pepper. I am not feeling any heat from the pepper as is. No matter. Perhaps the blast will come.

A slight segue. People have been speculating whether 52Teas will create a tea to honour Carrie Fisher. I have been wondering what flavours 52Teas would include if she were to create a tea in tribute to Carrie Fisher. What would the tea be called? What flavours would best depict this woman who was both a fierce role model for young women and a fearless champion of mental health, amongst all her other glorious attributes?

This one is tricky. Just enough dry leaf in your spoon and it is sublime coconut butter rum flavour on a gentle black base. The slightest bit of extra leaf in your spoon and it becomes an artificial fiesta. Easy does it.

Still one of my favourite DTs’ blends despite how finicky it can be.

I made some of this the other day as a cold steep, easy these days to just add tea to a travel mug, add water, and put by a draughty window.

The taste of this straight up is no longer appealing to me, but half Sleigh Ride and half hibiscus leaf straight is really good: tart with a hint of cinnamon and sweetness from the coconut and pineapple.

Is there pineapple in this? Well, whether it is there or not, it tastes as if there could be some.

Guzzled this today after having come home from Chinatown where I had had a truly fantastic spicy meal. By the time I got home, I needed something seriously thirst quenching and this was it.

So this is the way I am going to get through this leaf from now on. Cold steep. Half and half with hibiscus. The flavours of the tea differ quite remarkably between hot and cold steeps. The cold steep is far gentler and more natural tasting (because this is one of those in which DTs had a sweetener party).