I got my tiny order from The Tea Table today, and decided to dip into this one first. I had to be brave because in the bag it smelled… revolting. Almost barf-like. Seriously, it was horrifying! I am wondering if it was just the packaging, though the other teas I got don’t have a funky smell… nor do the dry leaves for this once they were in my little french press. Maybe it was just the smells from the flavoring trapped in there or something? Cause it only smelled like that when I first opened it. In any case, I’m glad I powered through because this is quite tasty!
Steeping, it smells like my beloved Tamarind Pop. Of course it doesn’t have any of the same flavors (or nearly as much complexity), so maybe it’s the rum part? It is a bit earthy and has that brown sugar-y taste going on, which I suppose was the association my brain made. The flavors seem odd (coconut, strawberry, rum, cream?!) but they work together well into a smooth and enjoyable cup. I got quite a bit of strawberry and a lot of cream, not so much coconut. The rum adds more of a buttery/malty background presence, it doesn’t really taste like actual rum. Not that I mind!
This is definitely tasty, especially after a nice light summer dinner of grilled chicken and rotini with pesto. It’s kind of rich and the flavoring is heavy: there’s a definite and distinct “black tea taste” but I’d be hard-pressed to pick up any of the individual tea notes. Sometimes, though, I’m really in the mood for a fruity, creamy, no-frills dessert-y tea!
