Grilled Spiced Banana

You know, I wasn’t sure what to think about this one. I didn’t smell banana at all in the dry blend or while steeping but I can certainly taste it. It’s not fresh banana, it really does taste more like cooked banana. Like flambe, which is remarkable. I don’t taste smoke like I might expect from a grilled banana. No spices either.

Tea Advent Calendar – Day 2

I love A Quarter to Tea, so I was so excited to see this blend in today’s advent calendar packet! The dry leaf smelled pretty spicy, which worried me since AQTT’s Mexican Hot Chocolate was too much for my sensitive taste buds. But the tea itself wasn’t spicy at all! I definitely get banana and hints of smoke; the spices are hanging out somewhere in the background. I’ve never had this particular flavor combination before and I like it!

Sipdown (331)

I used the entire sample of this to make both a latte and a plain cup of tea. The lapsang smelled so strongly of smoke but I had some giant pieces of banana so I am hoping the flavors balance.

I of course topped the latte with whipped cream which immediately latched on to the banana flavor. So I instantly got creamy banana medicine. As I drink the tea, the smoke really takes over, pushing the banana to the aftertaste. Flavorwise I am getting the grill but the spiced smoke smell is so pungent that I find I have to prepare myself to take each sip. I like it but at the same time I don’t.

Drinking the plain tea, I think the latte brought out some of the flavors more. I feel like the smoke is less pungent but there is also less banana in the plain tea.

I think overall this tea is quite good but I think it is so distinctly flavored that it is a one and done sort of thing otherwise it would be easy to grow tired of the flavor.

Drinking this with milk today. Has a strong candy banana smell, still there in the sip but not as strong. Not getting as much smokiness as I would like but perhaps the milk is affecting that?

I had this one the other day – still enjoying this but i really wish there was more banana flavour. the lapsang makes for an interesting combination but more banana would be delicious :)

This tea was pulled out as a “coconut tea”, because it has coconut oil in it with the banana chips… probably unnecessary, but I drank it anyhow. Unfortunately, I’m not the biggest fan of it, despite the fact that it’s actually pretty accurate to its name. The initial sip (and aroma) are a pleasant level of smoky, and there are some light spices and banana sweetness, but for whatever reason, it’s not working for me. Honestly – it’s probably the base tea, and that took far too long to occur to me, but that’s almost certainly it. It’s not bad, just not as appealing to me. For those who have no honeybush/rooibos aversions, it’s probably pretty good.

I LOVE this tea, but I think I may have had it for too long. The banana is fading and the smoke is left as the prominent flavor. I was trying to find the most comforting tea in my cupboard today. I’m glad the election is over, but instead of bubbling joy, I feel relief and waves of heavy sorrow. It’s like I’ve been in an emotional survival mode for a long time unable to process or feel each blow as it came and now that the fight or flight situation is over there is a lot of decompressing to do. Self care time starting with good tea and naps and relaxation. I wonder if there is a way to get a massage safely during the pandemic. I wish I was more into baths, but long showers have been a nice way to cope.
Even though this tea is old and past it’s prime, it’s still a warm familiar cup of tastiness that is bringing me some solace.