I purchased the 52Teas 12 Days of Christmas sampler for two reasons: First, I can’t afford to buy large quantities of all their teas I’d like to try, and this was a more affordable option. Second, I am trying desperately to finish up the Pageant of Winter Teas for my blog project, and I wanted to be able to get my hands on whatever holiday-themed teas may have been included.
Well, it turned out that this was the one and only holiday tea. When I didn’t receive an email response, I guess I should have read the description a little more closely, because I was a little shocked to find the Halloween tea in there!
It’s been interesting, and the maker’s refusal to post any kind of steeping suggestions has been a consistent and rather aggravating headache. It’s like a homework assignment any time you want to make a new cup of their tea.
I imagine when you buy larger quantities of their teas, you have more tea to waste trying to dial in the best cup. With the small size of the samples, however, it’s more of a roll of the dice. I’ve got hints from other Steepsterites about how they generally approach the 52Teas guessing game, and I try to pick up hints from the notes of other people’s reviews on here, but sometimes it’s just not enough.
Like tonight. I dragged myself through all the homework, but the cup came out too weak and I just have to try to make the most of it. Joy.
Teaware: 16oz glass mug with ForLife infuser
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Temperature: 175º F
Steeping Time: 2-1/2min
Additives: 4tsp raw sugar
The dry blend did smell intriguing. Smooth and fruity with a delightful sparkle of lavender. It’s starting to perk up a little as the tea cools, and the lavender is getting stronger, but at first I couldn’t taste much at all.
Unfortunately, it’s not doing anything for the headache caused by the 52Teas guessing game, and I’m having a difficult time finding my way around it to actually try to gain some enjoyment from this tea.
I agree.. 52Teas should have SOME idea how to steep the teas, since they are creating it. They have to test the flavors while making it, so it would be helpful to have steep instructions, especially when you only have a sample to try.