I figured this would be another pouch of tea I’d promptly be clearing out of my cupboard straight into the garbage bin; the ingredients did not list dried coconut on the website (only coconut oolong, and I know the coconut oolong that Snake River Tea sources uses coconut oil/flavoring and doesn’t have dried coconut pieces in it), but when I took the pouch out since it’s one of my oldest teas, it had dried coconut pieces in it. DOH. (Tea shops, properly list your ingredients, please!) But I pulled a few slivers out, and… shocking, despite have an older purchase date that a few of my other recent trashed blends, it was okay! I can only assume that this is because it is a house blend and was probably fresher at purchase than the “big box” companies that keep teas on shelf/in warehouses for a while before they ship them out, making them a lot older than the rough “purchase date” I go by on my stats. This also happens to be one of Snake River Teas few house blends, as most of their teas are wholesaled by other suppliers (it does use teas they have on hand from those suppliers: their coconut oolong, houjicha, etc., but they’ve mixed them together to create their own house coconut tea).
I’m usually not a big fan of mixed leaf teas because they can be fussy to brew, but since the black tea, oolong, and houjicha can all be brewed/steeped at a higher temperature this one works well. It comes out as a rather nutty/toasty flavor, with a sweeter coconut aftertaste on the tongue. It has a light roasted element, and there is a slight vegetal touch, but it doesn’t detract much from the coconut flavor. The teas do come together well for a roasty, nutty coconut flavor, and it’s a very energizing morning tea.
I’ll be drinking this one down quickly though, since I definitely don’t have much faith in those added dried coconut pieces. If you have a coconut tea that still works, why risk it? May as well enjoy it while you can!
Flavors: Coconut, Nutty, Roasted, Toasty, Vegetal
