52Teas is a brand that I have tried a few times already. I am always curious about what I am going to try because Anne (the “mad tea artist”) always comes with unique flavours and ideas. This week I will be trying all black teas. I have a sweet, smokey, and savoury blend. Like with most 52Teas, the recommendation is to wait 10 minutes after steeping to allow for the ‘best flavours.’ Onwards!
Raspberry Zabaglione Black Tea
Description: “The tart and tangy note of raspberry adds a brightness to the sweet, creaminess of the custard.”
Review: I admit, I’ve never tried zabaglione, so I didn’t know what to expect. I looked it up, and it seemed like it was a sweet custard-like dessert. So, when I gave the dry blend a whiff, I wasn’t surprised that it smelled very sweet and fruity.
After steeping, the wet blend had a similar aroma to the dry blend, except earthier. The dark reddish liquor was sweet and tasted of raspberries. This is a nice blend if you want a berry or dessert tea that isn’t overly sweet. However, if you let it steep for longer than the recommended steep time (2 1/2 minutes), the tea will become sweeter (3/5 rating).
- Type: Black tea
- Origin: China, India
- Caffeine: Unknown
- Ingredients: Organic black teas, black teas, organic freeze-dried raspberries, organic natural flavors
- Company: 52Teas
Smokey Butterscotch Peach Black Tea
Description: “A little bit smoky, a little bit fruity and beautifully sweet.”
Review: The dry blend lived up to its name and smelled very smokey with a faint hint of sweetness. The calendula petals and black tea made a very pretty blend.
Once steeped, the liquor was a dark reddish brown and had an overpowering smokey flavour. The aftertaste ended off sweet, but I could not taste peaches. Personally, I wish the smokey flavour had been a bit more toned down so that I could have tasted more of the peach (2/5 rating).
- Type: Black tea
- Origin: China, India, Sri Lanka
- Caffeine: High
- Ingredients: Black teas, freeze-dried peaches, calendula petals & natural flavors
- Other: Organic
- Company: 52Teas
Tomato, Basil & Black Pepper Black Tea
Description: “Or, if you didn’t try the original blend and the idea of a tomato, basil and black pepper black tea sounds too interesting to pass up – please don’t!”
Review: Despite how interesting this blend sounded, I admit, I don’t think I would have tried it on my own, so I’m glad that I got it as part of the mystery bag I bought!
As expected, the dry blend had a very strong smokey black pepper aroma (it made my nose itchy smelling it!). What I found interesting was that after steeping, the wet blend actually smelled like a regular tea and was more herbal-ish.
The dark tan liquor started off smokey and then transformed into an earthy and herbal taste. A quick way to describe it is that it tasted like a plain pizza. The liquor had strong staying power and lingered in the mouth. Sadly, I didn’t get much of a tomato taste. Maybe I didn’t get any freeze-dried pieces in my spoon? I don’t think I’ve had many savoury teas (this actually might be my first!) and I enjoyed it (3/5 rating).
- Type: Black tea
- Origin: India, China
- Caffeine: High
- Ingredients: Organic teas, freeze-dried tomatoes, organic basil, organic black peppercorns, organic natural flavors
- Company: 52Teas
Final Thoughts
I admit, I always find it fun to try 52Teas creations because they are never what I expect! A hint for the next review of 52Teas blends is peaches! Stay tuned for that!