I bought this based on the reviews here on Steepster and because the teas I have tried from 52teas have been great. This is no exception.
The smell of the dry leaf is fantastic, so rich! So full of berries! There are dried berries in the pouch making this a very pretty tea to look at, as well.
I made the first cup conservatively based on other reviews. I used water just below boiling and about a 3 1/2 minute steep. The steeped tea is very well balanced for the tea lover. Though this has flavors added, the black tea base isn’t covered up and it isn’t shy, but it isn’t biting me either! It is a solid foundation for the flavors.
I thought I might want to add milk and/or sugar to it to make it a super ecadent dessert treat, but after one sip I changed my mind. There is such a creaminess to this that it is as if you have already added cream…not milk, but cream. And the fruity strawberries are just the right balance of sweet and tart, not sour. I guess if you are used to sugar in your tea, you would love this with it, but I think it is great without.
This reminds me a little of Marco Polo, but totally food oriented where MP has floral notes added and isn’t as creamy.
This is my preview cup for tea party day. I need to come up with something special to serve with this! I wish I could make a real strawberry zabaglione. Who knows? Maybe I can. :)
