The flavour of this is holding up really well, I don’t think it’s faded even a little bit. After finishing Pumpkin Milkshake 2.0 yesterday, I decided to brew this up today in comparison and shake up the bag like I should have done with that one. They are actually pretty similar in their flavourings, but I much prefer the base of this one.
The last time I drank this, I added milk to almost all of my ‘dark’ teas, and sugar to quite a few. Now, I only add milk (apart from lattes) if I’m in the mood for it with my first – typically bold – cup of the day, or if I overbrew a cup so badly that the astringency is unbearable. This is my first cup of the day, but I wasn’t feeling the need for milk. I still add a pinch of sugar on occasion when I’m curious about what it will do to alter the flavours of the tea, and I did so here out of curiosity more than any need for sweetness. I find that adding sugar, the smallest pinch possible, really brings out the pumpkin. There are strong notes of cinnamon and clove, some cardamom, which contribute to a ‘pumpkin spice’ feel overall, but there are actual pumpkin notes too which I find are often lacking in a pumpkin spice blend, a huge complaint I have with them usually. There’s a distinct cream note which hits the sides of your tongue, and a creamy mouthfeel from the suncha, alongside some sweet earthy and light smoke notes, which really add to the experience. My main complaint with this tea is the name. ‘Pumpkin Spice Milkshake’ would have been a great one for it. Even ‘Pumpkin Spice Cream’, just ‘Pumpkin Cream’ or ‘Pumpkin Milkshake 3.0’! However try as I might, and creamy as it is, there’s just nothing ‘Irish’ about it to me. From reading Stacy’s description, and other notes, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is no whisky flavouring added, but rather Stacy was trying to convey the impression through the use of the lightly smoky suncha base. I suppose that would make sense, but as a whisky drinker it doesn’t come across that way to me. Aside from that, though, this is a really tasty tea and I’m glad it hasn’t lost its sparkle. Upping my rating a lot from 72, because I appreciate it so much more now that I used to, and I think it might be my favourite of Butiki’s pumpkin blends.
