Bee's Knees

Bought a Mango gin about a year ago that I really really liked. Decided to try this out and no! Tastes like mold and mildew (or how I imagine those things would taste). Not for
Me

I placed a pretty large order with Harney during Black Friday, and of course it arrived during advent season so I haven’t really had a chance to dig into the samples yet – but I wanted to make the time to try at least one tea and I’ve been dying to try this tea for over a year now so it’s where I started!

Honestly, I liked it a lot. It’s incredibly juniper forward, which means it has a lot of pine-y botanical flavours. Very much in the vein of a gin and tonic, especially with the pleasant light lemony notes in the finish. I could see this being incredibly polarizing as a tea, but I happen to love juniper/pine flavour and gin based cocktails are usually a favourite of mine because of this. There’s a smidge of honey sweetness, but I definitely wouldn’t call this a “sweet tea”.

It’s so unique though! Definitely glad I rolled the dice and just ordered a full tin, because I’m so on board.

Method: Loose leaf
Steep Time: 1.5 – 2 mins
Water Temp: 65 F
Brew Style: Western, in my Kati mug

Let me preface this review by mentioning that I have had (and enjoyed) an actual Bee’s Knees cocktail before, at a speakeasy-style theme bar. So I went into this with that experience in mind. I also do not generally like white tea, but this flavor intrigued me enough that I decided to overlook my prejudice of its base and give it a go anyway.

The dry leaf does not have a strong scent, which surprised me, as this is an alcohol-flavored blend. It smells mostly of juniper, dry hay, a bit of a chamomile-esque note, and maybe a hint of vanilla.

The tea steeps a pleasant yellow color; cheerful. The liquor’s perfume has notes of juniper, spice, honeysuckle, clover honey, and a hint of alcohol. There’s also a faint delicate fruity quality to it that must be from the lemon peel.

Upon the first few sips, I get mostly hot, medicinal, boozy juniper, as if I’d heated a shot of gin. Very herbaceous and fairly bitter. As the tea cooled though, the alcoholic edge wore down and I got delicious sweeter notes of honey, vanilla, lemon, and some of the floral, fruity white tea base.

Definitely not a black tea – little tea flavor. Strong lemon and some honey, fairly smooth, is good for a break from the stronger teas. Sort of a shock when you’re used to “regular” tea a few times a day, this is like a unsweet Sprite in comparison. Different…