Tamarind Pop

This was tasty, but I realized while drinking it that I’ve never had tamarind. At least not as a primary flavor to know what it tastes like. So unfortunately, I can’t speak to how accurate it is. It is a bit sweet, a bit tart, and warm tasting. Good for a cold morning like today.

This was another of the Butiki teas I tried today. Honestly, upon first sip, I was simultaneously impressed and weirded out…..this tastes exactly like tamarind to me, which is super impressive in that it is a fantastic accomplishment…..until I realize that I’m not so sure I like drinking something that tastes like plain tamarind. I should have sweetened it probably. It grew on me by the end of the cup, though. I didn’t buy more in the order I placed today, but I feel the package I have will really hit the spot occasionally.

I purchased this in my last Butiki order to split with Cavocorax but just prior to it’s arrival, a package from Roswell Strange arrived with a sample of this tea. Now I am working on the sample from my tea twin and though it’s not bad, it’s not what I was expecting either. Based on some reviews, I expected rich and decadent caramel and though there is notes of that in the cup, it is not the sweet treat I hoped for. Still at least now I have satisfied my curiosity.

Yay, my Butiki order arrived! This tea was sort of my “wildcard” purchase in my order, it just sounded too interesting to pass up. I don’t have a ton of experience with tamarind, but I have had tamarind soda before. The base tea is from Nepal. Someone explain to me, why is some tea graded and some not? I see it mostly in Darjeeling and Ceylon teas. Does Nepalese tea fall under one of the “usual” tea categories or does it have its own category? Basically, what type of tea would this be considered?

The dry leaves are a mixture of colors, which I’ve heard is common in Darjeeling. They are quite green after brewing, and I was surprised by how light the liquor is! The dry scent is kind of like powdered sugar.

Hmm! The aroma is quite pastry-like and creamy with vanilla notes. The taste is similar, yum! It’s quite buttery and creamy with obvious pastry connections. I can taste vanilla and caramel as well. The tamarind flavor is there, especially near the end. I expected this tea to be tart, since I generally associate tamarind with tartness, but it’s not tart at all. I’m unsure how to describe the taste of tamarind, to be honest with you… I suppose it’s kind of woody in a way? That’s the best I’ve got, heh. There’s a little bit of astringency in this tea, but I honestly don’t mind it much.

Overall, this tea is very tasty and not at all what I expected! I would very much like to try the Organic Guranse base plain. If anyone happens to have this tea, I would love to swap you for a sample! :)

Cold Brew. Caramel and date notes, but mostly rather bitter and astringent.

Also hey! Look at me doing good at keeping my tasting notes short and sweet! Makes getting through my queue much easier ;)

You know, I am like so many, a great lover of music. I have played it, I listen to it all the time, it just shapes my life. For all my love of music though I always have a hard time narrowing down a favorite band, there are just too many different bands and musicians for different moods. But it got me thinking, which is the one that fits for all my moods…well that was simple, it is Queen. So I think maybe it is safe to say my favorite band is Queen…apropos of nothing, and now, tea.

Today’s tea is a blend from Butiki Teas called Tamarind Pop, originally dreamed up as a custom order, they found it so interesting they decided to make it a regular product. Starting off with a base of Organic Black Tea from the Guranse Estate in Nepal, this is blended with natural (vegan) flavorings and Safflower, for a tamarind like taste. The aroma is leafy, like fresh vegetation, this fades to vanilla sweetness and a nutty tone. At the end of the sniff the aroma is sweet and a touch floral. I do not smell much in the way of tamarind, but it has been a long time since I sniffed any.

Steeping the tea, the wet leaves have a great blend of muscatel, fresh vegetation, and creamy vanilla sweetness. I might have spent more time than is necessary sniffing the wet leaves. The liquid without the leaves is vanilla sweet, creamy, a touch of fresh vegetation and a touch of tamarind. It is sharp yet earthy, tamarind is one of those strange smelling fruit, or really, strange smelling pods.

Tasting this tea gave me a bit of a surprise, because it reminds me a bit of coffee! There is also sweet vanilla and cocoa with a distinct tamarind tang at the end. This tea is a little odd, but also kinda tasty, it certainly reminds me of tamarind, which I have mixed feelings about because I am very hit or miss with it. I tend to like tamarind in things, but find it overbearing on its own. Luckily this tea is not at all overbearing. It is bold and has an interesting blend of flavors, I doubt I would seek it out again, but I would not run in terror if it was offered to me.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/07/butiki-teas-tamarind-pop-tea-review.html

I have most of my teas packed up and stored in the garage in prep for my summer travels which start this evening. All the things I love the most and wouldn’t want renters (if I get any) to get into are tucked away. Only a few small samples like this one remain in my cupboard.

For my first several sips I got a nice smooth almost slightly malty black base with a light but distinct tamarind taste. A few more sips in and my taste buds seem to be ignoring it. Or maybe my senses are just overwhelmed with the lingering smell of caramelized onions. If I wait a few minutes between sips I can taste it again. Tamarind is a really unusual flavor for a tea and it is done very well, but I’m not in love. Super glad to have tried it. Thanks for the sample Marcel Du Champ!

I don’t know what a tamarind is, but I’m pleasantly surprised. This tea is actually caramel-y, sweetened caramel actually. And very smooth. With a extremely subtle tangy quality. But true to Butiki style, very natural and therefore the sweetness isn’t bothering me. I’m not really sure what else to say about this one. If you haven’t tried it, you should!

This is another sample sipdown!

I’ve been curious about this one for a while, and finally requested a sample with my last Butiki order. I gave this three minutes in boling water, as per the recommended parameters. The result is quite a light brew — lighter than I expected — definitely no milk. To taste, it’s very slightly astringent. Strangely enough, this comes through first, followed by a hint of tamarind-like sourness, then a lingering sweetness. Caramel and vanilla are spot on when describing the taste at this point. The tea base is earthy, with very slight hints of smokiness, and pairs well with the sour/sweet qualities of the flavouring. This probably isn’t one I’d choose to purchase, but I’m glad I tried a sample to satisfy my curiosity.

I’ve actually tried this one before, and I think my tastes are changing. I liked it better this time – still don’t love it but was more “sour tamarind” than I remember it being.
Thanks TheTeaFairy maybe your steep parameters are more to my liking. :))