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“I am finally trying this sample sent to me from Dexter3657. This is definitely a strange combination to consider drinking but I suppose it is worth a try. It has only taken me a few weeks to...” Read full tasting note
“Sipdown. I had this from Dexter3657 a while back and finished it today. Not because she sent me so much but I didn’t care for the first cup and then I took the left of the sample with me to work...” Read full tasting note
“I could do without this in my life. Tastes and smells a bit like bubblegum. Salty, smokey bacon pops into the finish and aftertaste, but the cup has more of a candied citrus thing going for it. Not...” Read full tasting note
“Ok so after a lot of messing around with this tea I think I can rate it. When I first saw this I was pretty much like, “PINAPPLE AND BACON!!!! YESTH!!!!”Plus I have been wanting a non-caffeinated...” Read full tasting note
This tea was reblended by request from one of our start-up Kickstarter contributors. I started with organic red rooibos and added bacon and pineapple flavors. I also added freeze-dried pineapple bits and vegan bacon bits – this blend is 100% vegan but I can’t be 100% certain that it’s 100% gluten-free. I’m not sure if the vegan bacon bits are gluten-free and the packaging didn’t assist me in finding out. The company that I ordered them from wasn’t any more helpful. (Sorry!) So if you’re one who needs to avoid gluten, I wouldn’t recommend this tea. I do take very special care to avoid cross-contamination – so the other teas are fine – but this tea, I’m not 100% sure of it’s gluten-free-ness.
The original description of this tea goes like this:
Did you think we were done playing with bacon teas?
So did I. But check this out: I was thinking about how much I enjoy a Hawaiian pizza or just a nice ham with a pineapple glaze and nice juicy pineapple rings baked on it… My wife is of the opinion that meat and fruit should not be mixed, but… well, nobody’s perfect, right? Anyway, I was thinking that if ham and pineapple is good, pineapple and BACON would be even better. And when I was thinking about what base tea to use, it occured to me that the woodiness that I personally somewhat dislike about rooibos might go well with pineapple and bacon, and oh boy does it! Juicy pineapple, salty bacon and refreshing rooibos are an amazing combination. Not to mention that it’s a guilt-free indulgence.
I stuck pretty close to the recipe for this blend. After reading my review of the original blend – read it here – I seem to recall the original blend tasting a bit too sweet, kinda like pineapple bubblegum with bacon flavoring which is just a little bit weird. Fortunately, I’m not really tasting that now which I’m grateful for. I taste pineapple – it’s the strongest flavor component and I taste bacon. The bacon flavoring does lend a certain ‘salty’ factor to this blend but you might want to add just a teeny pinch of salt to the cup to enhance that salty bacon flavor. But I don’t taste “bubblegum” or that sweet, sugary note that a ‘bubblegum’ description would seem to imply.
I am enjoying the balance of flavors better here than I think I did with the original blend – so overall, it’s a win for me. And hopefully our contributor enjoys it too and it’s a win for her!
organic ingredients: rooibos, freeze-dried pineapple, vegan bacon bits and natural flavors.
At 52teas.com, you will find unique, hand-blended artisan loose leaf teas: a new limited edition creation every week of the year. We pride ourselves on offering truly unique, one-of-a-kind tea blends that you won’t find anywhere else.
Yep – I reblended it.
Believe it or not, it was one that was requested by one of our start-up Kickstarter contributors. I was actually kind of surprised as this didn’t seem to be an overall favorite here on Steepster and it really wasn’t one of my personal faves either.
But OK. I aim to please and as I said in the start-up Kickstarter – “YOU choose the reblend” and that’s what this backer did so I reblended it for her. I hope she enjoys it!
As I sit here and sip on this blend – I can honestly say that I’m enjoying this more than I enjoyed the original blend. I didn’t really recall the flavor of the original blend so I had to re-read my review of that tea – http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/05/05/pineapple-bacon-flavored-rooibos-blend-from-52teas/ – and back then I seemed to get a pineapple bubblegum with bacon mid-notes. Well, I’m not getting a lot of bubblegum this time. The pineapple is prominent, it’s sweet but not overly sugar-y sweet. The bacon hits at about mid-sip with a somewhat salty, savory note. After the first few sips, I did add just a pinch of salt to enhance the salty. There was a certain saltiness to the cup prior to the salt addition but I found that the wee bit of salt improved upon that. A nice balance between salty/savory and sweet/tangy.
It’s tasty, it’s interesting, but it’s still not my favorite – they can’t all be my favorite, can they? If you liked the first batch of this – I think you’ll like this. Or get some for curiosity’s sake because not everyone out there is making bacon flavored teas. Or just get some because you don’t want me to have an overstock of pineapple bacon tea. :)
How strange for a tea! I can pick out a light bacon and pineapple flavor over a woodsy rooibos base. It reminds me of eating pizza as a kid, before I swore off pig. There is also an odd bubble gum aftertaste that I have picked up in 52’s Breakfast Smoothie. It is odd because I wouldn’t expect it with bacon and pineapple! This is interesting and I’m glad I tried it, but I think this flavor combo is a little too out there for me.
This sample from VariaTEA is from ages ago, and I’ve really been putting off trying it since I didn’t care for the Maple Bacon from 52Teas a whole lot; however tonight something inside me just went “well, just FUCK IT – we’re pulling this out and you’re trying it; personal taste be damned”. So, that’s what I did.
Dry, I smell mostly a fain bacon/savory smell and not much else – and then sort of right up until the last thirty second or so of steeping this, the aroma was this mostly savory and sort of unappealing bacon sent and I was sure I was going to hate this. Those last 30 seconds, though? Suddenly this full, vibrant and INTENSE pineapple smell emerged and I instantly went “Oh!” – in the best way possible.
Drinking it now? I have to say, this tea is giving me the fireworks that I’ve been looking for all day. It’s a flavour explosion in my mouth and I’m getting the most well balanced and delicious pineapple/bacon flavour EVER. It honestly reminds me a little bit of A) the pineapple flavour in Butiki blends, which I adore and B) my favourite Pineapple and Cheese pizza from Boston Pizza.
The sweet/savory just works SO FUCKING WELL! I’m surprised in the most brilliant way, and now I’m both sad I waited so long to try it and sad that I only have a few more cups worth left. I want a full pouch of this! Seriously; it’s pineapple (my favourite fruit) done in a way that no other pineapple tea in my cupboard can compare to.
Yum! What a delightful, shocking surprise!
Oh man, now I really want Pineapple Bacon Pizza…I never get a chance to get it because no one else in the house likes it :(
How can anyone not like a pizza with bacon on it?
Yay! I am glad you liked it :). This came to me through Dexter3657 in one of my very first swaps so really she is the one you should thank :).
Also, I am a fan of pineapple on pizza too but when I go to Boston Pizza, it’s their Spicy Pierogi all the way :P
I can do bacon on pizza, but not pineapple… Just weird having sweet on pizza. Now combining them in a tea.. who knows, might be a whole nother experience.
I haven’t had bacon in, uh, over 10 years? Which is more than half my lifetime, heh…
Now I just simply want bacon.
What ? No bacon for 10 years? Wow! .. We had some this morning. Of course, you have to take into account that I grew up on a hog(pig) farm in Indiana.
I’ve been a vegetarian for the last ten years, though (52Teas uses fake bacon so it’s Veggie friendly) – so I can’t even recall what “real bacon” tastes like. I also don’t eat vegetarian bacon either; not regularly, anyway.
Good for you! I think it’s such a healthy lifestyle. Not one I am inclined to try being where I live and with my upbringing. I know people do it for varying reasons, and I’m not one to argue a point either way. I think it could be difficult depending on where you live- protein alternatives have gotten much better in recent years though.
I have Dexter3657 to… thank for this. ;)
I decided to brew it up now because 1) I’m feeling awful and will be sticking with non-caffeinated teas tonight and 2) I am starting a soup with bacon (it will have loads of veg and homemade chicken stock). Bacon goes with bacon, right?
Umm, wrong. Oh, the smell of the tea is not making me happy. It’s making me extremely apprehensive. The smell of the bacon on the stove, however, is making me look forward to my soup.
So I tried the tea hot, and I tried the tea cooled somewhat. It smelled bacon-ish, but tasted like woody dirty sour socks.
It might just be me today – I have another cup worth that I’m debating on trying in the future, or maybe giving away to someone.
(1.5 tsp/12 oz)
LOL I seem to remember you asking if it was good – I don’t think I promised good, I think I promised unusual. I actually think this is better cooler water shorter steeps. 90C 3 min – something like that – a hint of salt will bring out the bacon or a hint of sweet will bring out the pineapple – or pass it on…. :))
You only promised unusual. :D I’ll try that steep, on a night I’m not cooking real bacon!
The bacon flavoring smell is definitely offputting.
Bleechhhhhhhh gross. This one smelled awful while being brewed up, and I only managed a single teensy sip (was gross), before it ended up down the drain. I don’t know… I’m thinking bacon in teas may not be for me, and pineapple can be pretty hit or miss. Combine with rooibos, and…. yeah no.
Thanks for passing some on, Roswell Strange!
TTB Tea 4: I’m really glad I got the opportunity to try this tea! It’s a unique experience. However, I very much did not like the flavor.
Dry, it had a rooibos smell mixed with an oddly sweet scent that did not smell like pineapple. Steeped, lots of rooibos! It has a weird rooibos and bubblegum flavor. I can’t say I got any pineapple or bacon out of it unfortunately, though I tasted a not-sweet flavor that I’m guessing was intended to be the bacon.
Something I would just like to note: I intended to let this steep for about five minutes. However, I’m at work and got distracted. This may have steeped for ten or more minutes, so take my review with a grain of salt!
Very excited! ^^