I don’t think I gave this tea a fair shot the first time I drank it; I know I didn’t re-steep it, and I feel like I may have been preoccupied while drinking it, so it needs a second try! Also, I remember finding it rather pleasant, so why not? (Or maybe I should have saved it for the day where I get to have my second try of all the nasty rose-flavoured teas I have…. ewwwwwwwww).
Dry, the tea smells predominantly of berries, and maybe with a hint of sea lettuce, which is pretty much how I described it the first time. Steeped, the aroma is still of berries, and I could be convinced that it’s a blueberry/cranberry mix. I have to admit that the flavour is somewhat unremarkable. It’s quite pleasant, but I’m having a tough time catching all of the crazy flavours that are supposed to be in here (and there’s clearly caraway and mustard seed in the blend). Mostly, it just tastes like a light, fruity berry tea to me. It does taste a bit different, but not enough for me to figure anything out. Oh – enough sipping, and I have finally encountered caraway and perhaps mustard. I think the sea lettuce is just blending with the green tea too well for me to pick it up. In a battle of berry-flavoured blends (as in, comparing this one to Organic Super Berry), I prefer this one because there’s no astringency. I really don’t like astringent blacks; they upset my stomach.
I am going to be good and re-steep at least once before I eat the tantalizing berries. I’m really terrible when there’s fruit in blends…
ETA: Second infusion (82C/4min) is similarly sweet/juicy/berry-like, with hints of the caraway and mustard showing up at the end of the sip, if at all. I ate the steeped fruit after this infusion, and there was a ton of flavour left!! So this tea probably could have gone for numerous additional infusions. Yum.
Sea Lettuce? Google here I come!
Hahaha, seaweed I think?