Continued thanks to Fusion Tea Room for this sample. This is one of the ones that I was very excited to try, as it smells divine in the package. Sweet citrus goodness, sort of like clementines. I was a little concerned about the licorice, but (in aroma at least) it worked with the citrus.
Steeped, it has lost a lot of the sweet citrus aroma and makes a dark brew. Unfortunately, I can taste the licorice a bit too strongly in this for my taste. I get licorice, then citrus, then a very bold smoky flavour that I didn’t expect – possibly from the roasted mate? Unfortunately, despite my high hopes, this blend is another one that isn’t quite right for me. I still haven’t come to accept smoke notes in my tea, and this is really hanging around in the aftertaste.
As the cup cools, I get more citrus but also more smoke. I don’t think I’m going to finish this one. : ( Now hoping that Peach Citrus Green from Fusion Tea Room will be more up my citrus loving alley. I still can’t believe how strong the smoky mate taste was in this, that is something I haven’t tasted yet in any of the mate blends (I’ve tried about a half dozen.)
