Having had a few really lovely white teas lately, I can tell you: this is white tea beaten into submission by artificial flavor. It is white tea only in that it is tea and it is not black or green; the tea base doesn’t have its own personality at all. That having been said, for something artificially flavored, this isn’t bad. I don’t agree that it tastes like cough drops or codeine syrup. The smell in the bag and in the cup is of a pleasant artificial cherry flavor. I overbrewed and had to throw the first cup out (the old bitterness problem—my fault for not setting the timer correctly), but the second cup is still very cherry-flavored , flowery, and rather pleasant with some rock sugar. The color of both brews was a nice medium golden yellow/brown, only a bit less bright in the second cup. I am not tasting the sourness others did—maybe it was hiding behind the bitterness of the first cup so I missed it, then went away by the second? Or maybe there just didn’t happen to be any sour cherry in the spoonfuls of tea I used!
I’m not saying I’m a HUGE fan (and it is admittedly overpriced, but when I walk into Teavana I’m not bargain-hunting). Just that this is drinkable and pleasant, and pushes my “fruity” button. I would really like to try this iced—that’s the next plan.
