Flavored teas can be tricky. I’m the type of tea drinker who generally prefers unflavored, straight tea, so if I’m going to drink something flavored, I’m kind of picky. I want a flavored tea to still taste like tea. I want the flavor(s) to enhance the tea, not overpower it. I want the flavors to taste natural and not artificial. Coconut Pouchong satisfies my requirements.
The coconut flavor of this tea is lovely — as other reviewers have mentioned, it’s kind of a toasted coconut flavor. Very natural, and it smells wonderful as well. The tea itself — well, I think I would drink this tea even if it weren’t flavored, because it’s sort of in between a green and an oolong, but comes off more like an oolong. It’s sweet, only slightly vegetal, and a bit (but not too) floral. When sipping this tea, the flavor of tea mingles with the coconut flavor and the end result is a balanced, pleasing cup with no odd aftertaste.
Overall, drinking this tea is a wonderful escape. I like it iced as well as hot, and it goes perfectly with almost any type of Asian food. I find it the perfect foil to spicy Thai curries and noodle dishes, or even desserts such as mangoes and sticky rice.
