78
drank Bananas! Black Tea by 52teas
3986 tasting notes

Sipdown! (34 | 443)

Yay banana tea!

Love the banana flavoring here – it’s sweet, rich, and slightly creamy, like a slightly overripe banana. There’s a syrupy sweetness to it that’s almost maple-y. However, I don’t love the base as much. It’s a Ceylon base, and it’s a bit too tannic and metallic for me. The slight sharpness doesn’t mesh well with the creamy smoothness of the banana IMO.

Still a lovely tea, but I feel like maybe a Yunnan base would’ve been nice? Or perhaps a Taiwanese black tea. I’m sure this Ceylon would take milk well, but I don’t tend to add anything to my tea…

Flavors: Banana, Bitter, Bread, Creamy, Maple Syrup, Metallic, Sweet, Tannic

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Kawaii433

I have always enjoyed the banana flavors by 52Teas :D. I think overall, they are my favorite of their teas.

Evol Ving Ness

Totally with you on three counts here, Cameron. Love the banana, find the base harsh, prefer to drink my tea black with no sweetener. That said, with the rest of this, I will either blend a Franken-tea or pick up some milk and drink it milky to soften the base. Or maybe both, if needed.

Because I say it every single time, IMHO, the perfect banana tea was 52teas’ Banana Pudding Black.

Crowkettle

Agreed! Imo, sharp, bright Ceylon usually does best with milk. A Banana Yunnan or Taiwanese would be divine.

Evol Ving Ness

Oh yeah, Yunnan or Taiwanese, or maybe even both.

Cameron B.

I remember loving the Banana Pancakes tea!

Evol Ving Ness

I seem to have a low tolerance for maple. I love it and I enjoy it every once in a while, not on the regular.

Maybe with milk? I am starting to feel the need to put aside some “when I have milk” teas.

I ADORED Chocolate Eclair.

Kawaii433

I loved their Banana Pancakes tea!

Crowkettle

Yeah, I definitely prefer my Maple teas with some type of milk. Same with most masala chai and earl grey blends.

I remember Banana Pancakes being lovely with or without milk :)

Evol Ving Ness

Maybe that’s what I’ve been doing wrong then. Maple teas need milk! That makes total sense now.

I drink almost everything black, unsweetened. When I quit drinking coffee (daily), I did it by stopping keeping milk or cream in the house. Many years of this habit have gone by now with the occasional blip. But now I will set aside a pile of “when I have milk” teas.

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Comments

Kawaii433

I have always enjoyed the banana flavors by 52Teas :D. I think overall, they are my favorite of their teas.

Evol Ving Ness

Totally with you on three counts here, Cameron. Love the banana, find the base harsh, prefer to drink my tea black with no sweetener. That said, with the rest of this, I will either blend a Franken-tea or pick up some milk and drink it milky to soften the base. Or maybe both, if needed.

Because I say it every single time, IMHO, the perfect banana tea was 52teas’ Banana Pudding Black.

Crowkettle

Agreed! Imo, sharp, bright Ceylon usually does best with milk. A Banana Yunnan or Taiwanese would be divine.

Evol Ving Ness

Oh yeah, Yunnan or Taiwanese, or maybe even both.

Cameron B.

I remember loving the Banana Pancakes tea!

Evol Ving Ness

I seem to have a low tolerance for maple. I love it and I enjoy it every once in a while, not on the regular.

Maybe with milk? I am starting to feel the need to put aside some “when I have milk” teas.

I ADORED Chocolate Eclair.

Kawaii433

I loved their Banana Pancakes tea!

Crowkettle

Yeah, I definitely prefer my Maple teas with some type of milk. Same with most masala chai and earl grey blends.

I remember Banana Pancakes being lovely with or without milk :)

Evol Ving Ness

Maybe that’s what I’ve been doing wrong then. Maple teas need milk! That makes total sense now.

I drink almost everything black, unsweetened. When I quit drinking coffee (daily), I did it by stopping keeping milk or cream in the house. Many years of this habit have gone by now with the occasional blip. But now I will set aside a pile of “when I have milk” teas.

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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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