This is today’s back to work iced tea. I’m trying to stick to my no-buy, and the choice of this tea is testament to that. I went through my bag of SBTs and picked out this one because I suspect it’s the oldest (except Maple Bacon, which, frankly, I’m terrified of). It’s always tempting to jump straight to the newer teas, but I’m trying to be more systematic about things. I’m also trying really hard not to buy any new tea until I get my cupboard down to a reasonable level (under 50, at least). There’s a long way to go yet, and it’s extremely difficult (with not a few close calls), but I’m succeeding so far.
Anyway, the tea. I’ve had this one before, and it was another SBT that gained a perfect 100 rating from me. It’s still by far the best “ice cream” tea I’ve ever tried, and today’s cup only confirms that my original opinion on this one holds even now. I know my tastes have changed over the last year, so I did wonder what I’d think of this one now, but I’m pleased that it’s something I can still enjoy.
This one got the standard SBT brewing treatment from me (2 mins in a quarter litre of boiling water, topped up to just about 2 litres with cold water, and into the fridge overnight). The main flavour I can pick out this morning is chocolate, followed by a creamy vanilla in the background. The strawberry is a little shy and fleeting, but it’s identifiable in the mid sip most of the time. I’m actually finding it hard not to gulp this one down – it’s so refreshing, and the flavour is absolutely fitting on a warm, just-about-summer day. I have enough with me for two cups, so I’ll drink one this morning and one later this afternoon. One thing I do notice with SBTs is that I get palate fatigue and can’t taste them anymore after a cup or two. Having a gap in between should help with that!
I think this one’s still available, and it comes highly recommended. It’s one I’ll look to repurchase if I allow myself to buy tea again at some point this century.
