Wild Raspberry

Made a big pitcher of iced tea using one bag of this and three bags of Lipton black tea. It was nice and refreshing. Lightly raspberry and it didn’t overpower the rest of the tea. If anything, I might want to add the bag earlier during the brewing process so the raspberry will pop out more.

The first thing I notice about this tea is the lemongrass. It was basically all I could see in the bag, and it’s the strongest smell when the tea is brewed. But there is some very pleasant raspberry flavor there, too. It’s a little tangy, and only slightly herbal tasting. Something sort of reminds me of soap in it, however, so I’m a little turned off toward it. I probably wouldn’t try this again.

Also, it’s decaf. That’s like the kiss of death in my collection.

The first cup of the morning. I found a loose package of this tea lurking about my cupboard, so I decided to give it a try! First sipping this tea, I experienced a pleasant fruity tartness — definitely not bitter. A few moments after I was hit with this incredible sweetness at the back of my tongue, it seemed almost artificial (I suspect it’s from the licorice root powder). I really enjoy this tea with the exception of that over-powering sweetness at the end.

I also avoided this one for a wile because I mistakenly thought it would be sour.

Two things get me about this bagged tea. The color and the taste.

It doesn’t have a strong aroma, but it’s fascinating to watch it steep. I pour the hot water over the bag quickly, then watch as the deep ruby red color pours out of the corners of the bag into the clear water, filling the bottom of the cup like a crime scene. When it stops, a quick swish of the bag disperses the infusion evenly before removing the bag. That first steep is such a pretty shade of dark rose.

The taste is good. Not too heavy on the hibiscus, you can definitely taste the raspberry and it does taste “real”. There’s a little bit of a grassy after-note, but this is a decent cuppa raspberry tea.

I highly recommend a brand of cookie called “Cougar Mountain”, made here in the Pacific NW USA. The specific cookie that marries perfectly with this tea is their soft and chewy Lemon Snickerdoodles. The light lemon cookie balances the strong raspberry beautifully. Nom Nom.

I like hot fruity tisanes – but I don’t remember a strong raspberry flavor which you would expect from the name. I will have to try a second cup.

The hibiscus…dear Odin, how it coats my tongue! Yuck!

At first all the flavors were overly bland/insipid, so I let it steep longer. Now there is the sickening hibiscus flavor which overpowers all, and some other kind of sweetness that tastes a little…off..

Thankfully this was just a random lone tea bag in the cabinet, and not a box of the stuff.

I tried this tea as part of a sampler. Definitely not my favorite. The flavor is strong, but too biting, almost sour, and somewhat artificial tasting. Bigelow’s red raspberry tea is preferable.

Fruity upfront with a sour pucker on the finish. Interesting. Would probably take sugar nicely, and also do well iced.

Better than I thought it would be. Very nice smell. I think it would be great on ice w/ Stevia.

It wasn’t as sour as I expected it to be – most raspberry teas make me pucker from the tartness. I suspect that a lot of the ‘raspberry’ flavouring was really the hibiscus (which is the first ingredient on the list and has a tart cranberry-ish taste). I’m not a big fan of raspberry-flavoured things in general, but this one isn’t bad at all.