Grilled Pineapple

I can’t put my finger on it, but something about this tea makes me think of urine.

I tried to put it out of my mind and drink it, but I just couldn’t. Just, pee, pee, pee. Blech. Why is this tea???

Here’s Hoping TTB

One of the really fun things about traveling tea boxes is the chance to sample teas I would never normally purchase. Like this one! The name is intriguing and so is the base tea…I don’t think I’ve ever tried a green tea/rooibos blend before. It actually works better than I was expecting! The rooibos (combined with the rice) gives a convincing, woody “grilled” flavor that nicely balances the sweetness of the pineapple (which is unfortunately pretty artificial-tasting). This still isn’t something I would choose to purchase, but I’m glad I had the chance to try it out!

Here’s Hoping Teabox – Round Six – Tea #30
Nothing fancy here, though I am always thrilled to try a tea. Mostly, I taste splenda but that could be the blackberry leaves. This is kind of a little bit of genmaicha mixed with a lot of rooibos, at least that is what this serving looked like. Not much pineapple to me.

I got sucked into a DavidsTea the other day, and since this one is being discontinued, I thought I’d give it a go.

First things first, though. WTF is up with their new shitty steeping directions? 1-2 “PS”? “Hot water”?! Way to be freaking non-specific, DavidsTea. No wonder you have to add stevia and candied fruits to everything to make it taste OK.

Now.. the tea. It smells kind of OK in the bag. A little toasted, fruity, and I can smell rooibos for sure. Steeped, it’s… sugary-sour, rooibosy, and a little toasty. It’s not good. Really, not good.

Now.. the tea. It smells kind of OK in the bag. A little toasted, fruity, and I can smell rooibos for sure. Steeped, it’s… sugary-sour, rooibosy, and a little toasty. It’s not good. Really, not good.Oh gods, that is terrifying.

Now.. the tea. It smells kind of OK in the bag. A little toasted, fruity, and I can smell rooibos for sure. Steeped, it’s… sugary-sour, rooibosy, and a little toasty. It’s not good. Really, not good.Oh gods, that is terrifying.My tongue doesn’t know what to do.

Now.. the tea. It smells kind of OK in the bag. A little toasted, fruity, and I can smell rooibos for sure. Steeped, it’s… sugary-sour, rooibosy, and a little toasty. It’s not good. Really, not good.Oh gods, that is terrifying.My tongue doesn’t know what to do.It tastes burned from the toasty rice and rooibos. There’s some fresh pineapple, but it’s not a nice pineapple flavour. Sweet from all the candied fruit.

Now.. the tea. It smells kind of OK in the bag. A little toasted, fruity, and I can smell rooibos for sure. Steeped, it’s… sugary-sour, rooibosy, and a little toasty. It’s not good. Really, not good.Oh gods, that is terrifying.My tongue doesn’t know what to do.It tastes burned from the toasty rice and rooibos. There’s some fresh pineapple, but it’s not a nice pineapple flavour. Sweet from all the candied fruit.Not nearly as bad as cherry cola, but this is bad.

I got a sample of this from Tea in Spoons and I adore it! I’m going to buy a big bag of it as soon as I run out, because everything about it is delicious. I do not find the taste artificial like others do. It is a bit like genmaicha but with some pineapple flavour in it as well. It has a toasty and subtle sweetness to it, which I really like. The fruity pineapple has a really nice flavour, and it doesn’t have that astringent soapy taste that some pineapple/pina colada teas have.

Gross. Just gross.

Oh man I don’t know why this tea has such a low rating because I got a sampler of this in a gift pack, gave it a shot and LOVED it. I expected it to just taste fruity, as I usually have trouble distinguishing between different fruity teas (and I usually prefer more nutty or floral teas) and I was wondering how they’d get the “grilled” part of the pineapple in the tea.

Which is why when I brewed it and got an immediate smell of pineapple and popped rice I knew it would be a strong pineapple / genmaicha blend that I’d love. And I was right. Solidly enjoyed the pot of tea I made from this sample, and I will be going to Davids tomorrow to pick up 100g of this amazing elixir. It’s so delicious!!

This straight up tastes like chinese food. It’s very artificial. I don’t like green teas usually and this isn’t a tea that I’m opposed to because of the green base but because it’s so artificial.

Pineapple is a very strong flavor, as expected, but the next strongest flavor is rice which makes it just taste like… cliche Hawaii or something. I’m not a fan.

There is a somewhat artificial taste to this tea, I am thinking it is the pineapple, with that said I do like the roasted-flavour profile though.

This tea is better when served iced than hot, the artificial taste is subdued this way and you get the really fruity notes – reminiscent of a grilled pineapple.

This one seemed like the best choice for my insane catching-up study session/getting paperwork done at the same time. I was worried when I smelled it that the taste wouldn’t be as good as the smell. But it does! It is much more delicate than I thought, and I left the tea ball in until my cup was dry. It really does taste like pineapple and is satisfyingly sweet but thirst quenching. I think icing this would be amazing, especially with a few chunks of fresh pineapple in it. All in all, it might be one of my new staples!