Pinky Up Coconut Crème Loose Leaf Tea | White Tea, 15-30 mg Caffeine Per Serving, Naturally Calorie & Gluten Free | 2.8 Ounce Tin, 25 Servings

Dented tin, vinegar smell, mid-quality tea leaves, visually pleasing, nice tasteHeadline is a basic summary of the bad, OK, and good points of this tea.Bad: PackagingThe metal tin was all banged up when I received it (hard to capture in a photo), so I couldn't use this as a gift. The dents warped the tubular tin into a more squarish shape, make it hard to remove the (circular) lid.Bad: smellWhen I did manage to open it, a strong whiff of something vinegary hit me, with much fainter notes of coconut and something fruity trailing behind. I’d describe it as like opening a bottle of polish and getting hit with that initial burst of vapor, but presumably (hopefully!) less toxic to inhale. Don't now if that's normal or a bad batch. Since the tin was well sealed, I assumed the tea would be safe(ish) to drink.Good: visual appealThe tea blend itself is visually nice: reds of safflower, white shavings of coconut, and blue cornflower in generous amounts.Bad/less-than-good: tea leaf qualityThe tea leaves were crumbled and brown, the kind you might expect hidden away inside tea bags. Not a sign of high quality white tea. I say “less-than-good” because the tea isn’t actually “bad”, it’s just not good quality, and at this price you may expect something better.Good: tasteWhen brewed (at 180˚, the upper recommended limit for this tea) for 5 minutes, the vinegar scent dissipated, allowing the flavors to come through. It's pleasant tasting, on the darker side of tan as far as white teas go. Not bitter (if brewed for the recommended time). The name and description enticed me, but comparing it to the actual flavor I'm not convinced I would have named the tea "coconut crème", as it has less creamy notes and more of, say, a slight tropical, fruity vibe. I went in expecting a more creamy, smoother flavor, so the letdown takes off another star.Summary:Overall, the taste was the winning feature of this tea (with the colorfulness of the blend a close second), but the damage + vinegar stench + the false expectation set by the name brings the overall rating from me to a 2.5. Without the damage it could have been a 3, 4 without the vinegar smell, and 5 if it was called “tropical vibes” or something else along those lines with a slightly lower price tag.

Could be less bland and have stronger coconut taste

This flavor is one of my favorites. The only complaint I have is sometimes it’s difficult to get the lid off the tin container. Other than that it’s always fresh and yummy.

Some reviewers mentioned this tea having a vinegary scent, and I noticed that as well. It wasn’t overpowering, but it was enough to affect the flavor. I’ve had other coconut teas, and this one was not nearly as good as the Coconut Oolong I found at a local tea and spice shop. Just ok.

I love coconut teas, but this one was not what I expected. It’s good, but not my favorite. I will blend it with oolong & green teas I have & it will enhance the flavors. Item came quick, good seller.

Or pickled something...the smell is strong that's for sure. An overpowering stink of vinegar with a hint of something I can't quite put my head around. I ordered the coconut creme loose tea only because it had a French accent to the name, and all I can say now is, Non Merci! LOL Yeah, I wont bother returning it, I'll probably spend more money on gas driving to the post office than the tea is worth, HOWEVER, I wont be buying this again, no siree Bob.

A friend let me try this from her Sips By subscription box and I instantly fell in love. The flavor is so lovely and rich. I added just a tiny bit of stevia to it but really, you could drink this straight and it would still be wonderful. I'll definitely try more of their flavors when they're back in stock.

Does NOT smell or taste like coconut! It stinks and tastes awful! Very disappointed in the flavor!