This was another of the samples generously sent to me by Tea Forte. Tried this cold brewed overnight for around 20 hours – used the entire sample in 12 oz of water, as directed.
What I have noticed with these samples is that the smell of the dry leaf right out of the bag seems indicative of whether I’ll like the tea once steeped. Mojito marmalade=delicious, apricot amaretto and kiwi lime ginger = not. So when I first put this in water to steep and liked the scent I had high hopes.
Once steeped, the tea (okay, well it is a tisane, I guess) actually smells more like a juice than anything else. A blueberry/cranberry juice. It also looks like a juice – a dark reddish purple color, which I expected from the blueberry and hibiscus. It smells really really good and fruity. And the taste?
Well, the taste is tart, as you’d expect blueberry and hibiscus to be. Yet also sweet, from the fruit as well. And then in the background there is some sage to add another layer at the end of the sip. On their site TeaForte states that this tea won an award at the tea championships, and I can definitely see why. It seems that so far with their blends I have a love or hate reaction – but when their blends are good – they are REALLY good. I’m glad I got to try this at the tail-end of summer – it’s the perfect time of year to have it, and something I’ll want around me when the weather gets super hot again!
