095/365
Sticking with the valentine’s theme. The first thing that strikes me is that it’s a lot more artificial in terms of scent than I remember it being, although granted that was four years ago at least. This one used to be part of Bluebird’s main range, but it’s now a limited edition seasonal. I picked it up this year for old time’s sake, and because I like to revisit things from time to time…
I made this one up as a latte, using 2 tsp of tea in 200ml water, 200ml milk, 1 tsp of honey and 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence. Brewed, it’s less artificial and more syrupy, although it still doesn’t resemble anything in nature.
The main flavour is artificial strawberry, and it’s pretty strong and overpowering. There’s an undertone of cocoa, which adds a light bitterness and slightly drying quality. It’s not really chocolate which is how it was billed, but it’s cocoa shells contributing the flavour so that’s hardly a surprise. The rose is pretty much non-existent, but in fairness that’s okay with me. It probably would have been a step too far in flavour terms.
I’m finding this one rich and fairly cloying, even as a latte. I imagine it’s more palatable than it would have been straight, purely because it’s not as concentrated, but it’s still fairly borderline. I don’t mind it, but it’s not my favourite Bluebird.
