Eton Mess

Phew, it’s been such a busy week that I finished off my bag of this making cold brew pitchers and now, as I’m sipping the last water bottle left, am finally getting around to writing about it.

There isn’t much to say, though. The description, which heavily implied meringue/cream flavors, oversold it, I think. The flavor doesn’t taste any different to me than any number of “strawberry forward” hibiscus fruit teas I’ve tried. I like strawberry-flavored hibiscus fruit teas, and especially enjoy their refreshing nature as a cold brew, but there really isn’t anything about this one that makes it stand out over any of the others. Perhaps I should’ve tried it hot just once, to see if the cream notes B&B boasted about where that prominent… shrugs

It has been a faithful companion for some sweat-inducing physical labor at work, and I was thankful for that. But I wouldn’t repurchase it when I can easily find substitutes that would taste the same and likely be cheaper.

I cold brewed this for 17 hours. This great hot and cold. The cold has more of the creaminess come forward with the strawberries. There is the slightest tart hint of hibiscus right at the end of the sip. I would say the hibiscus is much stronger in the hot version. It does taste like a summer dessert of strawberries and cream.

First off, this tea smells amazing. It has cracked the code for tart berry, meringue cream aroma. Steeping up a cup is the best room diffuser ever. It smells like lush sweet summer: picnics in the park, fairs and carnivals, grandma’s berry pie in the garden, cream soda on a porch kind of good vibes.

The flavour is pretty on par with the aroma, but regardless of whether or not I cold steeped or had a hot cuppa I was never left fully satisfied. This tea is pretty thin and veers on tart over cream (still good cream though); I just want it to be thicker and maybe sweeter!

So tonight for my last cup I decided to have it hot, then changed my mind and poured that hot steeped cup over ice, and… then came the Eureka moment! I can’t add milk because the hibiscus will curdle it, but whip cream sits on top of the liquid so minimal curdle. This turned out to be a wonderful idea and made the abstract meringue a physical reality. Now I’m sad this is gone so I can’t do this again. And again. Forever.

Also, I’ve never had Eton Mess or heard of it before so every time I see that I unfortunately think of Elon Musk. Thank you, brain. (Edit: Turns out Eton Mess is essentially strawberries, meringue and whipped cream? Nailed it).

Sipdown (343)

This tastes like strawberry. Strawberry and maybe some meringue if I use my imagination but if I didn’t have the name to guide me to that, it likely wouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind. It’s strawberry + but not Eton Mess.

Sipdown (813)!

Thank you Kittenna for sending a cup of this my way, even if I’d already tried it before. I was happy to get a second taste of it to confirm some things regarding flavour consistency. I thought this was pretty spot on to my first tasting; and I still really enjoyed the cup. I continue to be impressed by the balance of cream and tart berry in this tea!

…if only I could add milk to it.

Bird & Blend Advent calendar Day 4:

Pleasant. A bit more sour than I like from the hibiscus, but not nearly as sour as some others. Some teas taste best ;piping hot, Some teas taste best cold or iced. This one was best for me when it was warm. Still not one I would like to have a lot of, but if a friend served this I could drink it.

This was the first tea I bought when exploring the Bird & Blend Store in England. Eton Mess is such a classic and delicious dessert, how could I pass up on a tea version of it.
At first all I could taste was strawberries, like a very strong, super sweet strawberry.
After it cooled down some (because I did not wait too long after steeping because I was so excited), I could taste the meringue in the background, and the sweetness settled down.

I very much enjoyed this tea, and it did remind me of strawberries and meringue just not too much of the cream. I always picture and enjoy an Eton mess with loads of cream and meringue, and that strong meringue and cream taste was not there for me.

I highly recommend it as a strawberry tea with hints of meringue. I suppose the next time I may try it iced, and perhaps that will allow the creaminess to come through more.
Nonetheless this is still a very delicious tea with a beautiful and strong strawberry flavor that would make any strawberry lover happy.

Another tea I wouldn’t typically have picked up 50g of, but the description just sounded so appealing. “Smashed strawberries with sweet, crumbly meringue + creamy flavours” – YES.

I was fairly worried when I opened up the bag – the smell is lovely, but gosh… it looks like a lot of hibiscus, which I really wasn’t happy about. Luckily, I either brewed the cup perfectly or there is a lot less hibby in there than it looks like, because the tea is not tart at all. Well – there’s a teeny bit of tartness, but not more than you’d anticipate from a strawberry blend. Creamy strawberry is definitely the dominant flavour here, and it’s pretty good, although I’m getting a staleness in this blend too (I’m familiar with this one and have tasted it before in other (old) herbal blends. Uncertain of the culprit, though.) It’s not overwhelming, but the tea would be much better without it.

This also reminds me of a DT blend… maybe a strawberry rhubarb tisane? I can’t remember. The flavour is familiar, but then again, creamy strawberry is not a particularly unique combination. Overall, this was pretty good but I really wish I wasn’t picking up that stale note.

I never drink a tea the same day it arrives, but I want to vote in the tea election, so I decided to make some exceptions. When I had this hot and plain, it tasted kind of like nothing. When I added sugar and allowed it to cool to room temperature…I have to say this is fantastic. Every sip tastes better than the last. This tea is impossibly creamy and the strawberry is sweet. It’s like having a strawberry milkshake. I cold steeped the blend for a tasty second steep as well. Oh I hope this one wins.

Another I was able to grab in the Boxing Day sale! I was intrigued with this because I thought it sounded similar to my beloved Jelly + Ice Cream blend (all the best blends are never in the permanent collection — I’d love it especially if it didn’t have coconut to ruin faster). This one is mostly fruity goodies and hibiscus, rather than the rooibos base for Jelly + Ice Cream. Sadly, I’ve never had ‘eton mess’ though it sounds amazing. This blend is certainly strawberries and cream! I don’t think I should use more than a teaspoon, because the hibiscus tends to overwhelm the other flavors. But I love the creamy flavor with the strawberry. This blend might have a little too much hibiscus for me. I’m very happy the licorice doesn’t seem to mess with the flavor. It’s a nice similarity to Jelly + Ice Cream, but that one can’t really be beat.
Steep #1 // 1 1/4 teaspoons for a full mug // 3 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
2019 sipdowns: 39 (Herbal Infusions – Cherry Jubilee)