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The first try out of the bag on this one was really bad. It was sour and muddled and honestly kind of gross. It was a brand new sample so I can’t really determine if the ingredients were bad or it was just a bad blend. I honestly want to toss it out after that first experience.

Preparation: Western

Tasting Note: This is a mainly honeybush tea, just looking from the ratio of honeybush to other ingredients. When I tasted the tea, the honeybush was mellowed out by the caramel and coconut. I don’t get a distinct caramel note in this tea, it is more of a lightly sweet and creamy. At the end of the mug, the cocoa powder is there and gives a chocolate-y effect at the end. I don’t think this one was bad but it wasn’t interesting enough to purchase again.

The website description describes this to be like a Disney Dole Whip, full disclaimer, I have not had a Dole Whip before. I imagine it to be as citrus-y and bright as a lemongrass, pineapple, apple tea.

Preparation: Western and hot in a hug
Tasting notes: This is really good! It reminds me of eating fresh pineapple but a little less sweet. It is bright, fresh and juicy. The lemongrass does a great job at freshening up a pineapple/apple tea. Nothing feels out of place or old. I think I would reorder this. I haven’t tried it iced yet but it is so good hot and luke warm and without any sweetener added.

Preparation: Western
Tasting Note:
I added a little rock sugar to this cup.

First impression: That this tastes that it has both chocolate and cherry in it. Sometimes Necessiteas chocolate blends don’t have the strongest chocolate notes. There isn’t a lot of creamy notes on it’s own though. The cherry is more tart than sweet. Since I did about 4 tsps of the blend to 10 oz’s water, I wonder, if I may have overdone it bit, it is a bit bitter and tangy.
Intermission…
Adding 1/4 tsp brown sugar and splash of oatmilk to the last bit in the mug:
Dark chocolate (or black tea) bitterness is gone, slightly malty and sort of faint cherry candy flavor is there, I think. I will need to start with this one as a latte first to get a better idea how strong these flavors practically.

Overall: I think if I am not having this one as a latte, I need to scale back on the tea a bit. Even with a potential oversteep, I think the chocolate and cherry aspects are there. Back to the steeping table on this one for next time.

Preparation: Gongfu
Tasting Note:

First steep: Floral notes, little astringency, very faint wood notes. Very pretty colored liquid though: it was sort of a peachy-amber.
2-4th steep: Floral notes fade and wood notes more prominent, slight astringent
5th steep: Least astrigent, more wood notes but not overwhelming, and something very faintly fruity in the aftertaste- mix between peach and cherry.

So I definitely didn’t double check my order before I checked out for this tea. I order a quantity of two (each 25 g )for this tea when I hadn’t even tried it yet. After tasting, I wish I didn’t accidentally buy that second bag. It’s by no means bad or boring, it just didn’t stick out to me as something that I would drink that much of. Definitely something I would be willing to share in a TTB or swap.

Per my SO’s request, I made a honey oatmilk latte.

Preparation: Western/latte

Tasting note:
John initially told me he thought it tasted like a sugar cookie which I agree. When made as a latte the coconut, marizpan and yogurt pieces really give this a sugary creamy cookie sort of feel and the pineapple brightens the blend up.

Going through the first rounds of my newest order from the Necessiteas. After that going to do my best to sipdown what I have in my cupboard right now.

Preparation: Western
Tasting Note: The tea smells of banana and strawberries out of the bag. Right after completing my 5 min steep at 208F, the tea tasted mostly of rooibos and not much else. I checked out some steepster comments and saw that its best after cooling off a bit. I let it cool a bit until it was warm not hot and the banana’s creaminess really came out. There was a slight sweetness from the banana. I will say that i didn’t get much sweetness from the strawberry, only a tangy after taste which I didn’t care for. No detectable chocolate notes.

I think the slight banana and rooibos was nice but the strawberry tanginess (like eating a strawberry that isnt ripe or didnt develop enough sugars) wasn’t great. I don’t rhink I will repurchase but I will try some added sweetness or as a latte to see if it improves.

I will have to come back to this tea. What i paired to eat with it was not good so it is coloring my judgment on the tea.