The second fruit mix of my herbal sampler.
Interesting. The Fruit Medley has one more type of berry in it than the Berry Blast, otherwise they have the same berries. But the first ingredient in the Berry Blast is black currants. Are those considered berries? In the sample tin I smell hibiscus, and something winey, which is likely the currants. The mixture is similar in consistency to the Fruit Medley but more monochromatic. It’s all variations on a theme of dark red/purple.
This one does give me the dark magenta liquor of hibiscus mixtures, and a very hibiscusy aroma along with the wine I got from the dry mix and a sweet berry note.
The flavor is a little disappointing compared to the aroma. (I must confess, though, to having had to drop a couple of Ricolas to ward off a coughing frenzy, and I am still getting a residual Ricola head-butt in the back of my mouth. No worries, though. I have enough for at least one more sampling and can revise if necessary after tasting with a purer palate.) Mostly, there just doesn’t seem to be enough of it. I used about twice as much of the mix as I would tea per cup, and it still isn’t delivering a deep flavor.
It’s not overly tart despite the presence of hibiscus (after two samples I’m coming to think that Adagio, at least, has got the proportionality of hibiscus to other flavors right in fruit tisanes), but it’s not quite as sweet as the Fruit Medley. I’m guessing because Berry Blast, mysteriously, has no strawberry where the Fruit Medley does. Dried strawberries should be granulated and sold as sweeteners. Really.
I was hoping for a pronounced wine-like flavor from the currant. I remember really liking the Teas Etc. currant black tea because of it’s red wine without the alcohol flavor. But though I get a wine fragrance here, I’m getting only a slight bit of wine taste, mostly right at the beginning of the sip.
Will have to taste minus the Ricola and see how that changes my current impression, which is that this is good but given that I seem to be off fruit tisanes, not destined for an order any time soon. I’d put the Fruit Medley ahead of this, most likely, and I’m not rushing out to get that one either.
