So today was another disgustingly hot day (although not as hot in Guelph as Toronto, lucky me!), and the brief time I spent outside spurred me to attempt seven…. yes, seven cold-brewing experiments today! Clearly I’m not going to drink them all now (especially since most are in two-cup volumes), but I’m thirsty and felt like getting started.
First up is this one (all but one are 52teas… I was just in that kinda mood, and if I drink them down, I can buy more!! Right?)
Hot-brewed 1 slightly heaped tbsp of this in about 1/2 cup of ~82C water for 30 seconds, then topped up two cups with cold water and stuck it in the fridge for about 7(?) hours. I’m getting the lovely aroma even from the cold brew, so am pretty excited!
Ok, the flavour is not bad, but I don’t think my brewing method was great. I’m picking up on more astringency/bitterness than I’d really like (it’s not horrible, just tastes oversteeped), alongside the delicious strawberry flavour (which is more in the aftertaste, and definitely screams ‘added flavouring’ to me, not that I really care). The green tea is kind of masked by the astringency, but is somewhat seaweedy and nutty. Overall, it’s quite drinkable, but not a “success” in my books. No worries though, because this is one I enjoy hot anyhow! I just opted to cold-brew every 52teas packet I’d purchased that I thought appropriate (e.g. not Malted ChocoMate or Mayan Chocolate Chai), and so this one got it’s turn too. I’ll probably try this one again either with a straight cold brew or by cooling off a hot-brewed cup.
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I was waffling on this one, and glad that I did, because your review sort of verifies why I was so unsure about it. I’m crazy and actually cold-brewed Malted Chocomate even though I figured it would be weird. It was… interesting!
Waffling on cold-brewing it? Yeah, I think it’s best as a hot tea, although it’s not the worst cold-brew I’ve had. Both 52teas Coconut Cream Pie and DavidsTea’s Buttered Rum were definitely harder to get down, the former because it just tasted like flavouring and the latter because it tasted really off.
Actually, I was waffling on buying this one. I had a feeling it would have an odd aftertaste. As for the CCP and BR, I definitely prefer the former iced. BR is much better hot. Actually, I love CCP cold-brewed, and luckily didn’t have any problems with it.
Ahhh, gotcha :) Wasn’t sure what you meant! It definitely tastes of artificial flavouring, which I tolerate only because I like artificial strawberry looks guilty.
Hmmm, maybe I’ll have to try CCP just straight cold-brewed, and perhaps for longer. It wasn’t bad, while Buttered Rum tasted gross, which made me sad :(
You iced Buttered Rum? Hmm. It’s a good thing we have a word in the English language like “experiment” for choices like that. :P
Kidding around of course, but that’s interesting. I don’t think it would EVER have occurred to me to ice that one. Certain ones are just hot-only or cold-only in my head.
Haha some artificial strawberry flavourings taste good to me too. While I like the idea of strawberry teas, I find it hard to find one that I like? I’ve even been hesitating to try the Strawberry Zabaglione. There’s a little chain here in Alberta called Steeps which makes a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry black, and it’s goooood, though.
Yeah I leave the CCP in the fridge for anywhere between 6-10 hours, and it’s been great every time. Iced, Buttered Rum was a disappointment for me too. So much weaker and flatter, somehow. Oh well, now we know!
@Daniel Scott – Hey, I wouldn’t have tried it if I hadn’t seen others doing it! I am a sheep, after all :P It really didn’t work for me though, so I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll notice I did feel that Malted ChocoMate and Mayan Choco Chai are meant to only be only hot teas. :D I can’t even envision them cold! I don’t think it would work.
@Incendiare – I was sent a small sample of Strawberry Zabaglione and at least my first attempt with it wasn’t as good as everyone else seems to say it is. No real loss for me though, because I’m not married to the idea of finding a good strawberry black. As for other good strawberry teas, Butiki’s Strawberry Oolong is good, although I personally don’t think that “strawberry” was the flavour I was getting. I feel like I have had good strawberry teas though… hmmm….
Also, I’ll try your CCP suggestion :D
About the iced Malted Chocomate that I bravely tried. You know how you find many mates to have that banana flavour (I think it is you who experiences that)? For the first time, the Malted Chocomate took on a banana-y flavour for me when cold-steeped. It was weird. So you’re definitely not missing out haha.
Thanks for the Butiki suggestion! Strawberry Oolong sounds good.
Yeppers, it’s me who gets that banana flavour, with roasted mates at least! (Eeee, someone reads my tasting notes and actually remembers something?!) I think I will steer clear of icing that one, haha. Not that I mind that flavour, but if other people are getting it too, perhaps it ends up being quite a bit stronger, and that’s unnecessary!
I feel like I’ve had some other good strawberry teas too. I did like DavidsTea’s Strawberry White, although I’m not sure it was terribly strawberry-y… It’s funny, I’m completely blanking! If I think of others I’ll try to remember to mention them :P
I like this one best steeped at 175 degrees for 2.5 minutes. Haven’t tried cold brewing it, but I suspect I wouldn’t like it based on your experience.
The parameters above were just for the hot-steeping pre-treatment; I can’t recall what I normally use, but I should try with the above :)
I was waffling on this one, and glad that I did, because your review sort of verifies why I was so unsure about it. I’m crazy and actually cold-brewed Malted Chocomate even though I figured it would be weird. It was… interesting!
Waffling on cold-brewing it? Yeah, I think it’s best as a hot tea, although it’s not the worst cold-brew I’ve had. Both 52teas Coconut Cream Pie and DavidsTea’s Buttered Rum were definitely harder to get down, the former because it just tasted like flavouring and the latter because it tasted really off.
Actually, I was waffling on buying this one. I had a feeling it would have an odd aftertaste. As for the CCP and BR, I definitely prefer the former iced. BR is much better hot. Actually, I love CCP cold-brewed, and luckily didn’t have any problems with it.
Ahhh, gotcha :) Wasn’t sure what you meant! It definitely tastes of artificial flavouring, which I tolerate only because I like artificial strawberry looks guilty.
Hmmm, maybe I’ll have to try CCP just straight cold-brewed, and perhaps for longer. It wasn’t bad, while Buttered Rum tasted gross, which made me sad :(
You iced Buttered Rum? Hmm. It’s a good thing we have a word in the English language like “experiment” for choices like that. :P
Kidding around of course, but that’s interesting. I don’t think it would EVER have occurred to me to ice that one. Certain ones are just hot-only or cold-only in my head.
Haha some artificial strawberry flavourings taste good to me too. While I like the idea of strawberry teas, I find it hard to find one that I like? I’ve even been hesitating to try the Strawberry Zabaglione. There’s a little chain here in Alberta called Steeps which makes a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry black, and it’s goooood, though.
Yeah I leave the CCP in the fridge for anywhere between 6-10 hours, and it’s been great every time. Iced, Buttered Rum was a disappointment for me too. So much weaker and flatter, somehow. Oh well, now we know!
@Daniel Scott – Hey, I wouldn’t have tried it if I hadn’t seen others doing it! I am a sheep, after all :P It really didn’t work for me though, so I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll notice I did feel that Malted ChocoMate and Mayan Choco Chai are meant to only be only hot teas. :D I can’t even envision them cold! I don’t think it would work.
@Incendiare – I was sent a small sample of Strawberry Zabaglione and at least my first attempt with it wasn’t as good as everyone else seems to say it is. No real loss for me though, because I’m not married to the idea of finding a good strawberry black. As for other good strawberry teas, Butiki’s Strawberry Oolong is good, although I personally don’t think that “strawberry” was the flavour I was getting. I feel like I have had good strawberry teas though… hmmm….
Also, I’ll try your CCP suggestion :D
About the iced Malted Chocomate that I bravely tried. You know how you find many mates to have that banana flavour (I think it is you who experiences that)? For the first time, the Malted Chocomate took on a banana-y flavour for me when cold-steeped. It was weird. So you’re definitely not missing out haha.
Thanks for the Butiki suggestion! Strawberry Oolong sounds good.
Yeppers, it’s me who gets that banana flavour, with roasted mates at least! (Eeee, someone reads my tasting notes and actually remembers something?!) I think I will steer clear of icing that one, haha. Not that I mind that flavour, but if other people are getting it too, perhaps it ends up being quite a bit stronger, and that’s unnecessary!
I feel like I’ve had some other good strawberry teas too. I did like DavidsTea’s Strawberry White, although I’m not sure it was terribly strawberry-y… It’s funny, I’m completely blanking! If I think of others I’ll try to remember to mention them :P
I like this one best steeped at 175 degrees for 2.5 minutes. Haven’t tried cold brewing it, but I suspect I wouldn’t like it based on your experience.
The parameters above were just for the hot-steeping pre-treatment; I can’t recall what I normally use, but I should try with the above :)