65

274/365

Made this one up last night while watching the season 2 final of The Handmaid’s Tale – more on that in a moment. It got the usual SBT treatment – 3 minutes in 1/4 litre boiling water, then topped up to 2 litres with cold. I remember drinking my way through at least a couple of pouches of the mate version of this back when Frank ran 52 Teas, and possibly one pouch of the Honeybush, too. It was clearly a flavour I enjoyed, so I’m pleased to be making a return to it today.

It’s pretty much exactly as I remember it; a pleasingly bitter dark chocolate, with an edge of sweetness from the honeybush. There’s the tiniest hint of malt – the aftertaste definitely makes me think of maltesers, but I wish it were more prominent throughout. That’s all that would improve it for me. I’m enjoying the rich dark chocolate flavour, though, and the sweetness that is there is just enough to pull it back from being too bitter. I’m glad I had the change to revisit this one, and I’m kinda sad I’ll never get to drink it again. At least I went out on a high, though!

Handmaid’s Tale spoilers below

Seriously, though, what is it with June? All those people risked their lives to help her get out, and then she doesn’t fucking leave? So now she’s what? An unarmed fugitive in a hostile society? She can’t exactly go back to the Waterford’s, having given their baby away…

I appreciate the concept of cliffhanger, honestly I do, but the dominant emotion for me at the end of the episode was disappointment. I guess having her escape wouldn’t necessarily have made for a great third season…but I also think the repeated use of the almost-escape is wearing a little thin. Still, I’m interested to see where they take things next, and I want to know what becomes of Commander Joseph, Rita, Nick…and even Serena, now that they’ve broken rank in quite a big and obvious way. Interesting times in Gilead, if more than a little frustrating!

Preparation
Iced 3 min, 0 sec

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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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