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My relationship with this tea (the original 52teas version) that went from adoration after the initial blending to disappointment after the reblend. The initial tea was very coconut-y and sweet. It was my favorite night-time tea. Sadly, the reblend was not much more than straight honeybush. I got no flavor. I did not finish the pouch, I didn’t even get close. Thus my rating went down from almost a 100 to about 65.

52teas is now under new management – by LiberTeas whom I hugely admire for her tea knowledge and tea tasting abilities (and from what I heard tea blending too, although I never had the chance to taste her original blends). I was excited to see this tea in the list of reblends, hoping it would be like I remembered it.

It’s EXCELLENT! Very creamy and cheesecake-y and sweet. I gulped down the first mug and quickly set about making another one. I have missed this! Welcome back cheesecake honeybush.

It could do with being just a little more coconut-y, as that flavor is not as prominent as it should be (I think), but overall it’s good stuff.

Liberteas, good job :) I’m excited to taste the other pouches I received (other old favorites) as well as new flavors you will think up.

Oh wow. This tea just stopped me in my tracks, after just one sip, and made me sit, for the few minutes that it took me to finish the cup (yes, piping hot and I just couldn’t stop drinking it) and just give in to the joy that came with every sip. That has only happened to me with two other teas. Verdant’s Laoshan black, and Teaspring Tan Yang. And now Jabberworcky. Also, I normally drink unflavored black tea with a touch of milk. Not so this tea. It just feels like that would be doing this tea a disservice, as it deserves being center stage with my full attention.

This is from my first Whispering Pines order and I must say so far I’m really impressed.

The first sample from the sample box I purchased from liberTEAS.
People of Steepster, if any of you are interested in an amazing collection of high-quality tea samples, I highly recommend these boxes. I have quite a stash myself, but I always have so much fun with these boxes as it is an opportunity to try teas and vendors I wouldn’t have an chance to otherwise. The variety of the samples is delightful. Also, although I haven’t counted the samples in the box, I am sure there are more than the amount stated when I purchased. Each sample is labeled with name, vendor and steeping instructions. Can you tell I’m simply in awe of this box?

Ok, the tea. The first cup I drank without milk. It reminded me of the Pancake Breakfast, only with some cinnamon. Very doughy and sweet
Then I had a second cup with some milk., the first sip of which made a wave of nostalgia wash over me. It was very much like my beloved Buttered Cinnamon Raisin Toast tea that has not been in stock for ages. I think that was one of my favorites that I had thought I would never taste again. I’m going from memory here, but this French Toast is very similar to that other Toast tea. Toasty, buttery, cinnamony. Heaven.

Sadly, neither are in stock anymore and my little sample is long gone….

I just realized, as I drink the last of my stock, that I never logged this tea. Surprising, really, as it is one of my all-time favorites (along with the Cantaloupe & Cream).

Here in Israel, watermelon is a very popular fruit and it is so abundant in the summer that it’s almost a national food. For me, this tea, even just the aroma wafting up from my mug, always brings up memories of summer days at an the beach, hot sun on my face, warm Mediterranean water at my feet and a big bowl of cold watermelon. Heaven.

The flavoring is gentle, sweet watermelon on an exquisite white base. A perfect pairing. It’s sweet without any additives.

I am very well suited to the Middle Eastern weather. I love the blue skies and the heat. However, these last few days have been chilly, I pulled this tea out today to give me that sense of summer that I’m craving.

Sadly, I’m all out of it now, and I do believe I will break my tea-buying hiatus and order some more. I also only have one cup’s worth of the Cantaloupe&Cream and also of the beloved Tamarind Pop, and well, there are some teas I just can’t be without, hiatus or no hiatus :)

Today is Memorial Day here in Israel. It is a very serious day for us. Military service is mandatory, and there is hardly anyone here that hasn’t been touched somehow by the destruction that is war.

It is a sad day today – so I need a happy tea.

I’ve not had much green tea lately. For a long time now I’ve been having, almost exclusively, blacks, unflavored with milk, and rooibos. Just the mood I’ve been in.

This morning, while rummaging through my sample drawer, I found a sample of this that I had forgotten I’d ordered. I remembered how when I had first discovered tea my favorite pick-me-up tea was TGY oolong.
So thinking that maybe a green will also pick me up, I brewed a whole pot.

Yes. This is it. This tea is perfect.

Such a gentle and light Dragon Well. I’ve read that other’s found it nutty. Maybe my taste buds differ, because I’m not tasting nutty, only grassy, vegetal green goodness. It’s delicateness makes me think of something pure and innocent. And that is exactly what I need right now.

So, I’m down to my last teaspoon of this tea. Not having any more of this is a sad sad thought. And just like when I had the last teaspoon of Butiki’s Cantaloupe & Cream, I know that this tea needs to be on hand always.

It’s amazing :)

To start, Butiki teas always smell wonderful. Appetizing even. Like I can even put off tasting the tea, just continue smelling it. But it doesn’t end there. The walnut is in perfect balance with the sweet maple. It doesn’t overwhelm, yet is clearly present. The maple, divine. It is dessert-like, without being overly sweet.

A very well crafted tea. Clearly I need to put in another order with Butiki.

This is an incredibly delicious and unique tea. I don’t think I’ve ever had tamarind, so I have no basis to determine if it actually tastes like tamarind. However, regardless of accuracy, this tea smells and tastes divine. It’s not like any other tea I’ve had before. It’s smooth and sweet by itself, but with a tiny drop of honey, it really pops.
Very well done Butiki Teas!

I need to preface this note with a declaration: Butiki Teas are AWESOME. I ordered quite a few teas lately (taking advantage of the very generous Black Friday sale they had). I have not yet written notes for most of them, but I have tried almost all. What I can say is that they are works of art, each and every one. The look, the aroma, and the taste. Oh, the taste – the taste of the Tamarind Pop tea has even appeared in my dreams. So yeah, I’m mighty impressed with these teas.

Now this one is cantaloupe through and through. I am usually skeptical about flavored white tea. White tea is so gentle, it’s flavor very subtle. Flavoring often is either too light or overpowering the gentle white taste. This one is not like that. The taste of the Bai Mu Dan comes through and is enhanced by the juicy taste of the cantaloupe. The tastes really compliment each other without taking over.

and WOW, this is so very cantaloupe! I really don’t know how she does it. It smells like cantaloupe and it tastes like liquid cantaloupe. There is also a faint creaminess about it, making it a bit softer, rounding out the edges on the fruitiness.

Amazing tea! Honestly, I’d be happy to just sit and savor the scent coming out of my cup, but it tastes even better than it smells.

There are many good flavored teas that I enjoy, but some just seem to be above them all. This is one of them.

I don’t have time to write much but I just had to write a few words. Just because I am seriously amazed at the size and beauty of these leaves. I brewed the tea in the Teavana Perfect Tea Maker and when I came to get the tea I was amazed to see enormous tea leaves all over the inside of the tea maker. I rarely see leaves this perfect.
I couldn’t help myself – I stuck my hand in and took out some leaves to admire. I even showed them to my daughter, who was less impressed (how little she knows…). Me? I just stood there touching the leaves and oohh-ing and ahhh-ing.

Even when still dry the leaves were long and twisty, like dark oolongs, but with the malty Assam smell.

I admit I probably looked a little loony to anyone but other tea fanatics, but I really enjoyed these leaves.

Now I’m usually not a big fan of straight Assam, but this…this is different. It’s gentler, yet still hearty. It’s malty, but not overpowering. There are other flavors there that I have not yet recognized (OK, so yeah, I probably drank it too fast – but it was good!) I need to spend more time with this.