90

198/365

I can’t remember how long these have been in my cupboard, except that it’s probably too long. Definitely years. They’re well sealed, though, so I’m fairly confident they’re going to be okay.

I think I had a pouch of the regular 52Teas version of this, back in the day. My memories of it are a little hazy – it was a long time ago, after all – but I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it. Sure enough that I’m looking forward to this one – it’s the first honeybush SBT I’ve tried, as far as I remember. I’m used to the ones on a black base!

This one got the usual SBT treatment in any case (I’m surprised I still remember!) – 3 minutes in 300ml boiling water, then topped up to 2 litres with cold and into the fridge overnight. It came out a little paler than I was expecting – kind of a light golden orange – but the flavour is pretty solid and that’s all I really wanted.

I mainly get pineapple – sweet, quite juicy, not too OTT or candy-like. It’s not exactly flavour accurate, but close enough. Next comes coconut, and fortunately it hasn’t gone rancid (how I’ll never know!) It’s a nice combination with the pineapple, as you might expect. I feel like I get a hint of rum and a touch of cherry, but they’re fairly fleeting and definitely not the main players. It could just be the power of suggestion brought on by thinking about pina coladas, but I don’t think so.

All in all, I’m pretty pleased with this one. It lives up to its name, and is (unsurprisingly) really refreshing. The honeybush base works well (I’m glad it’s not rooibos!), being really smooth and soft, and adding just a touch of extra sweetness. It makes me kinda sad to think that SBT are no more – these are oldies, but goodies.

Preparation
Iced 3 min, 0 sec

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Bio

Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

Location

Norfolk, UK

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