Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
About This Iced Tea Series:
Here are FIVE unique iced tea blends we’ve created from high quality Nilgiri CTC teas. These are uber fine teas, so they are not as pretty as our whole leaf teas, but they steep up a bold, rich, flavorful iced tea. We’ve packaged them in one ounce pouches, which is just enough for one gallon of iced tea (more if you re-steep) so you can just rip them open, dump them out and steep. No measuring required!
Taster’s Review:
This is the fifth and final tea in this iced tea series (and I am hoping that 52Teas will release another series soon!) Of the five teas, this one is probably my least favorite. That being said, it is still pretty darned tasty.
The root beer essence is strongest in the aroma, and it seems to lose a little bit of something in the taste. It has a root beer taste … it just isn’t quite as root beer-ish as the scent. Perhaps it is the lack of carbonation? I don’t know if that’s it, but as I type this, I am contemplating brewing a super concentrated batch, and using soda water to dilute it and see how that fairs.
The flavor of the black tea and the root beer flavoring are pretty well-matched. The black tea doesn’t overwhelm the root beer, although I must admit that with my first batch of this, I thought it did. Now as I reconsider that batch, I think what I was missing was the “bubbly” effervescence of root beer, rather than the actual flavor of it.
The black tea is strong but not bitter and has a bit of astringency that is lightly drying. The root beer flavor tastes very much… well, like root beer. It is sweet with a caramel-like undertone, and a spicy, almost licorice-like note. It’s quite yummy. Even though this wasn’t my favorite blend of this series (they can’t all be my favorite, can they?) it is still quite good and very refreshing!
Iced Tea Series from 52Teas, Part 4: Plum Flavored Black Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
About This Iced Tea Series:
Here are FIVE unique iced tea blends we’ve created from high quality Nilgiri CTC teas. These are uber fine teas, so they are not as pretty as our whole leaf teas, but they steep up a bold, rich, flavorful iced tea. We’ve packaged them in one ounce pouches, which is just enough for one gallon of iced tea (more if you re-steep) so you can just rip them open, dump them out and steep. No measuring required!
Taster’s Review:
I guess I was thirsty today. I brewed a half gallon of this tea last night, and it is already almost gone at about 3:30 pm in the afternoon. I guess the fact that its really yummy has a little something to do with that too!
The more I drink this, the more I am appreciating the flavor of it. The first couple of glasses, I don’t think I really noticed how good it tasted, I think I was just really thirsty! But now, as I write this, I am noticing that the plum flavor is really nicely blended here – it doesn’t dominate the tea, but, it comes through strongly enough to be tasted, and is especially enjoyable in the aftertaste. The aftertaste is similar to what I’d experience if I had just eaten a fresh, juicy plum. It is sweet with just the right level of tartness, and it tastes so authentic that I can almost feel the pulpy texture on my tongue!
The black tea dominates the flavor profile, and it is delicious. It has a strong, brisk flavor that is clean and lightly astringent. It has a nice sweet undertone to it, and it unites almost seamlessly with the plum notes. A very uniform flavor that is very refreshing and delicious.
I do hope that 52Teas makes another iced tea series. I have said in the past that I hope it’s a green tea series, but, I would also be quite content with another black tea series – this one has been very satisfying. Thirst-quenching!
Iced Tea Series from 52Teas, Part 3: Piña Colada Flavored Black Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
About This Iced Tea Series:
Here are FIVE unique iced tea blends we’ve created from high quality Nilgiri CTC teas. These are uber fine teas, so they are not as pretty as our whole leaf teas, but they steep up a bold, rich, flavorful iced tea. We’ve packaged them in one ounce pouches, which is just enough for one gallon of iced tea (more if you re-steep) so you can just rip them open, dump them out and steep. No measuring required!
Taster’s Review:
I don’t know if I’m just getting better at brewing iced tea (it does take me a couple of times to really get into the swing of it), or what, but, it seems like these blends from 52Teas keep getting tastier. This one is amazingly good.
The flavor is INTENSE! I am not one to judge alcoholic drinks since I don’t drink them often (read: almost never), but, based on my memory of the few piña coladas I’ve had in my life, this tastes remarkably like them. Basically, if you were to take a piña colada and mix it with some Nilgiri black tea – that’s what this tastes like.
The black tea is much less pronounced here than it is in the previous tastings in this iced tea series. That is not to say it’s too weak, because I can taste the Nilgiri black tea here, but, the piña colada flavor is the dominating taste.
The pineapple and coconut are quite harmonious, and there is just a hint of rum. This is just the way I would want a piña colada to taste if I were to order it in a bar. But then, why pay $9 bucks for a fancy, bar-made piña colada when I can have this at home for a fraction of that? That’s an awful lot to pay for the paper umbrella and a hangover.
I am just loving this iced tea series!