This was the iced tea that I made for myself to accompany me to the University this afternoon while I visited Robyn (while I was there I pawned off the rest of the unflavoured MATCHAccino and the straight green tea, with a super long name, that I tried earlier today – hopefully she’ll have more luck).
In making this tea this morning I brewed two cups. The first was a very over leafed cup (about a tablespoon) brewed for somewhere around seven minutes. The second was the same leaves steeped for around eight or nine minutes, which produced a much weaker cup in comparison to the incredibly strong cup I got in the first brew. They were then poured together in my water bottle and tossed in the freezer to chill while I finished getting ready.
I think I like this cold pretty much the same as I like it hot. It’s VERY citrus smelling – and not so much a sweet citrus but a sour one. When I smell the dry leaf I get hit with grapefruit and orange slices (and man, there ARE actual dried out orange slices in the leaf – when I use my teaball I have to break them in small pieces so they actually fit), and hibiscus. Yeah, if you’re not a hibiscus lover or fan probably stay away from this one. I personally like hibiscus, so for me it’s not a big deal.
Drinking this today, my tea tasted slightly metallic, but I know that’s from the fact I’m using a lower quality metal water bottle instead of something like a timolino (I really need to buy one, once I have steady paychecks), so it’s not the tea’s fault at all. Taste wise, this sort of reminds me or what orange juice and pink lemonade would taste like mixed together – but more watery and a little less flavourful. Lots of sour citrus and orange flavour, with some tartness to it. Definitely a large kick of hibiscus flavour right alongside the citrus as well.
Definitely more of a summer tea (I bought it in the summer, and drank lots more of it in the summer compared to my drinking it now), and something that doesn’t strike me at a “before bed” tea to relax. It’s totally more like juice. Something to drink with your breakfast or, like I did today, take with you as an iced tea on a day out.
My favourite way to enjoy this one, overall, is hot mixed about 50/50 with DT’s Peppermint Amour. You still get all the citrus flavour, but it’s much more refreshing and the peppermint, I find, really helps to negate the tartness.
