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Kelmishka drank Banana Bread Chai by Bird & Blend Tea Co.

390 tasting notes

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 12!

I am… not a banana fan. I find their texture repellent and gag-inducing, and the flavor does not make up for it. I’m also very particular about their ripeness—the smell or taste of a green banana (even slightly green!) makes me retch. Nor do I really care for the faux banana flavor, like the kind you get in banana Runts.

One of the few ways I’ll willingly eat a banana is in banana bread (I also use them in smoothies). So I was curious about this blend—what kind of banana flavor would it feature, and would I care for it?

During the first steep, I got a distinct fake-banana flavor, but it wasn’t terribly strong. The chai flavors—particularly ginger—come through a bit more strongly, and the banana was totally gone by the second steep.

Overall, I found this one inoffensive but not particularly impressive… there’s no bread-y note at all, unfortunately. “Banana Chai” would’ve been a more accurate name!

Flavors: Ginger, Spices

Preparation

4 min, 0 sec

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2 comments

Mastress Alita
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I have such a strong banana aversion I can’t even touch “fake banana flavored” things like tea or candy. A peel left in a breakroom trashcan will make me gag on first whiff. I can’t even watch someone else eat a banana without going queezy. I think you may be the first person I’ve seen on Steepster that hates bananas as much as me (though I can’t even have them in bread or smoothies!)… banana teas are wildly popular around here.

Kelmishka
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Banana haters, unite! That is one STRONG aversion you’ve got. I’m now thinking of all the specific banana situations that would make me gag… haaa.

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Mastress Alita
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Kelmishka
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Banana haters, unite! That is one STRONG aversion you’ve got. I’m now thinking of all the specific banana situations that would make me gag… haaa.

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Bio

(she/her)

I was an anxious child who didn’t like change, so when my parents flew across the country for my grandfather’s wedding and left us kids with my aunt and uncle, I was a nervous wreck. Our first night at their house was tough. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and padded into the kitchen, where my aunt was puttering around. She could tell I was distressed and offered to make me a cup of tea. It was just Celestial Seasonings’ peppermint tea, but it was exactly what I needed. The tea itself, the comfort it represented, the ritual of making it… I was enchanted. I’ve loved tea ever since.

I’m partial to strong, intense flavors and prefer loose-leaf to bagged, but I also appreciate the convenience of bags and sachets. I mostly drink my tea straight but once in a blue moon I’ll add a little plant-based milk, generally oat.

I live in Maryland, USA, with my partner, three dogs, and one cat. I’ve actually been a Steepster reader for years and years, but only started posting in late 2021. :)

When I’m not drinking tea (or sometimes WHILE I’m drinking tea!) I’m reading, rewatching comfort shows, going for a run, knitting, embroidering, hiking, or puttering in the garden. You can find me on Instagram at @kelmishka. (My account is private, but feel free to send a request!)

Favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Maple (all-time fave flavor!), vanilla, caramel, and all things dessert-y

Jasmine, lavender, violet, and most floral flavors

Most spices, although I go through phases and sometimes get bored of generic-feeling winter spice blends

Most fruity flavors

Matcha and other vegetal flavors

Not-so-favorite ingredients, flavors, etc.

Bergamot (…although it’s been growing on me lately!)

Hibiscus

Overly artificial flavors (banana, coconut, mango)

Overly herbacious blends, although this varies!

Stevia, monkfruit, and other sugar-alternative sweeteners — blech

Chocolate — it’s hard to get it right in tea, though I love real chocolate!

Animal products, including honey (long-time vegan checking in!)

My ratings

90-100: The best! Will almost definitely repurchase.

75-90: Really good, and potentially worthy of a restock.

60-75: Decent, if not terribly memorable.

50-60: In the “meh” range, but possibly for personal taste reasons.

35-50: I’m not a fan, and this is not very good tea.

20-35: Varying degrees of bad.

1-20: Actively bad. Like really bad. I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing.

Location

Maryland, USA

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