12 Days of Christmas - Day 5

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Banana Pudding Black Tea!

Sweet freezing jeebus, it has been so goddamn cold this last couple days. Yesterday was so cold, my fat Alaskan Malamute, Kuma didn't even want to go outside. It dumped a ton of snow on our doorstep, and temperatures dropped to -5F during the middle of the day. And to think, it was in the upper 50's not two days before. Thanks Denver. So grateful for a steaming cup of black tea today!

Cold fat doge

I have had a couple of banana blends from 52Teas before, and I have enjoyed each one. I was unaware before opening the package that there would also be coconut in this blend. I can see the flakes of coconut being useful in achieving that creamy pudding feel in the tea. I also like the combination of flavors, it reminds me of a blend from Etsy seller Ami Tea created that Muse Monthly had in their box one month.

I confess, I really do not like pudding. I know, I know. Many people are surprised when I say this. It's all about the texture for me. It's thick and ultra-creamy texture makes me gag every time I put it in my mouth. I feel as if I am swallowing Crisco. I am the same way about mayonnaise. Thankfully, drinking a tea inspired by pudding does not have the same effect. This deliciously desserty blend was a good balance of banana, malty black tea, with a hint of creamy coconut. I got more of a coconut sprinkled banana bread rather than pudding. An interesting choice to have two blends with coconut in a row, but they are varied enough for me not to care. Another delicious day counting down the days till Christmas! Am I getting a bit stressed out just thinking about it? Yes. They say tea calms you down, right? *continually chugs tea* This better fucking work.

12 days of Christmas - Day 4

On the Fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Coconut Flan Genmaicha!

I was honestly so excited to see this blend on today's tea. I am always a sucker for a genmaicha blend. I am such a fan of Anne's gemaicha blends. When this came out last May, I bought it instantly. It came out on my birth week and got it in time to have as a birthday brew at work. It was perfect birthday teat! I am always on the lookout for non-traditional Japanese tea blends. Houjicha, matcha, you name it.

Since I knew what to expect with this tea, I didn't pay to close attention to the cups. The distinct coconut creaminess shined through, nicely tying up the nutty, toasty flavor of the popped rice with it's coconut cream quality. It's a delicious and straightforward blend that hits the mark. I pity a fool that doesn't like the flavor of genmaicha, because this blend is hecka slammin'.



12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... Snickerdoodle - Reimagined Black Tea!

Before we begin, I gotta make a shout out to the  ladies at 52teas for the entertaining aspect of the scratch off reveal for the tea names! Can I just say, I freaking love those little silver discs. I get so much satisfaction from the simple act of scratching off the shiny shavings and brushing it off like an archeological dig. Kudos!

Upon opening the package, I get a strong note of sweet cinnamon. A twinge of trepidation crept though me as I can be pretty picking about cinnamon - I find it to be a strong flavor and tends to overpower other supporting flavors. I also catch the sweet and rich scent of gingerbread waft up to me just before I scooped out my 4 grams.

After the after the appropriate amount to brewing time as well as some time to cool, I took a big swig of my mug and almost forgot to swallow in surprise. It was as if I had taken a bite out of a freshly baked snickerdoodle with hot, slightly caramelized cinnamon sugar on top. It did a great job staying hot and comforting in my stainless steel travel mug without much affect on flavor.

The leaves from Vietnam were quite interesting. The difference in leaf size varied a lot. They came in all shapes and sizes and I even came across a large leaf with two little buds hidden inside. The flavor and texture of the tea really made the blend for me. It had a nice, smooth thickness and a prominent baked-goods note throughout.

Until the next silver scratch off!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Crisp Cranberry Soda Green Rooibos!

 
For the second day of 52Tea's Christmas Countdown, I was lukewarm to the name of the blend. I was so not ready to get my rooibos on when I scratched off the silvery label.  Try as I may, rooibos and I are just not very friendly. I enjoy drinking caffeine-free tea late at night, and I want to like it, I truly do. Luckily for me, typically green is the lesser rooibos evil (sorry red), so I was ready to give it a shot. Reminding myself that 'it's for the blog!" Helps too.
 

Cracking open the package, a deep whiff of bubblegum and Crest hit me on the nose. The blend is very visually appealing - large hunks of cranberries, whole and sliced. The brewed tea had another scent entirely. To me, the brew tastes exactly like Country Time pink lemonade. It was love at first sip. The sweet, subtle cranberry blended well with the fruity rooibos. I was worried that all those cranberries would affect the infusion in a mouth puckering sour way. Not so with this blend.

Once I brewed my first cup, I kept craving more. Without much thought, I finished the whole package in one day. So far, I am looking forward to sharing my experience. Stay tuned for day three!

Note: For some reason, my post for the first day of this advent calendar has been eaten by the ever hungry blog monster. My apologies. Will I find that post? Hopefully. Stay tuned folks!

Welcome to the Tea Monster's Den

Welcome!

Glad you could come. Take a seat, get comfy while I grab us some tea. Join me on my journey with tea - it's a revival of sorts. I went from an voracious member of the tea community to some kind of recluse. I worked in the industry, blogged like a fool, and swapped tea like they were Pokemon cards. After a while, I became so jaded about the tea industry as a whole that it doused the flames of my passion. I went from drinking and talking about tea every spare minute to going two months without a single cup. Now I think it's time to revisit the Tao of tea; and to share what I've learned so far. So settle in and enjoy, my fellow tea drunk.

Stay for awhile!
-Dodo