Pineapple Lychee Hibiscus Tea

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: 6 ounces, filtered, boiling
Steep Time: a little over 7 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: pineapple, sweet, hint of lychee, didn’t’ notice the hibiscus
Steeped Tea Smell: pineapple, hibiscus, perhaps a hint of lychee
Flavor: sweet, pineapple, hibiscus
Body: Full
Aftertaste: lychee, but the canned kind not fresh
Liquor: deep dark red

Today was a day to come home to a happy surprise, some hibiscus tea from Meghann M. The package smelled fabulous as soon as I opened it.

I had to have some, and I had to have it NOW!

This was a good choice.

Post-Steep Additives: none, it was sweet enough!

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/republic-of-tea-teabag-herbal-tea.html

Brewed iced tea using 2 bags of this tea, 6oz hot water which I steeped for 7 minutes and then poured over 6oz of ice water. Check out the deep red liquor on this tea: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meghannm/

I tried this iced first rather than hot because it is an amazingly beautiful day outside. This makes a great bright flavored iced tea. The Pineapple really stands out as a fresh juicy pineapple. I can taste the lychee in the aftertaste. I was surprised to find the hibiscus is not too tart, and it wasn’t the prominent flavor, more the pineapple, then the hibiscus, then the lychee. This is so good!

I’ve been eyeing this tea with some degree of trepidation since I got in a trade. Anyone who knows me knows I hate hibiscus, but when everyone started raving about RoT’s hibiscus-based flavoured teas I was curious enough to give it a shot – benefit of the doubt and all that.

The tea of course turned the usual bright red colour when I poured the water into my mug. Initally the steeping tea smelled like pineapple but after it had a few minutes in the water it started to smell more like lychee.

The tea itself…wasn’t half-bad, somewhat to my surprise. Yes, the hibiscus is readily apparent but it’s not as horribly tart as it could have been. It’s paired with a slight sweetness and the fruity flavours of pineapple and lychee are both easy to pick out and they distract my tongue from the evil red stuff. :D

Either me or my boyfriend purchased a little sample baggie of this from Central Market about a year ago. Stumbled upon it unexpectedly and brewed some up for the two of us in a coffee press. I am wary about hibiscus and blends with a lot of citrusy ingredients because it is really easy to overdo the tartness, so I was conservative in the amount of tea and the steep time. I am also wary of hibiscus due to so many negative experiences with Tazo Passion tea at work. The smell of hibiscus alone can turn me off quickly. Not to mention my former love of making raspberry passion tea lemonades to take home with me until I spilled it all over the car on the drive home… twice.

Annnnyway, this stuff brews up a beautiful (and expected) shade of hot pink. It smells fruity and tart. It tastes… like hibiscus. I’m getting a pretty interesting kool-aid taste, but not particularly lychee-y or pineapple-y. It’s definitely a slightly different, and pleasant, flavor. Very juicy and begging to be iced.

This is one of those teas that is just likable because it’s sweet and tangy and fruity. Even people who don’t drink tea will probably enjoy this one. I’m sure it would play nice with different lemonades/limeades or mixed in a fruit juice or a fruit punch too. Maybe a lemon-lime soda? Good for a summer picnic by the lake.

That being said, I can appreciate this tea, but it’s just not my thing.

I am not a fan of this tea at all, I don’t taste pineapple and the lychee flavor tastes “off” to me.

Bright and fruity blend. I’ve enjoyed it as both iced and hot. I like a little sugar in mine, but it is just fine without.

Simply amazing. one of my favorite teas. tastes just like lychee. mmm good

4 bags in a 6 cup teapot filled to 3/4….added ice after a 5 minute steep. And then put it into my pretty glass pitcher. Good for iced, but I am pretty sure I will not repurchase once this tin is gone.