Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Taster’s Note: I drink tea all day, every day. I am sure that comes as no big surprise. But, around this time of year, my tea drinking habits shift a little bit. I still drink some hot tea, but not as much as I would during the cooler months. I don’t usually drink iced tea during those cooler months, but, in the summer time, I’m usually drinking iced tea by the gallon (or perhaps I should say half-gallon, since my iced tea pitcher is a half-gallon pitcher)!
Apparently 52Teas understands this, as they have recently unveiled their first “Iced Tea Series.” Their first series is comprised of five flavored black teas and includes some very intriguing flavors: Watermelon, Piña Colada, Prickly Pear, Plum and Root Beer.
Here, I will be reviewing the Watermelon Tea, with other the other flavors to be published in the coming weeks …
Taster’s Review:
When I first received my series of five iced tea blends from 52Teas, I decided to brew this one first. I love watermelon, and I really enjoyed the Zoomdweebies Watermelon Flavored Black Tea – so I was pretty confident that I would enjoy this as well.
While the packages are pre-measured for a gallon of tea, since I use a half-gallon pitcher for my iced tea, I used only half of the envelope. I steeped this in my Smart Tea Maker. I added the loose tea to the chamber of the brewing device, and then added enough boiling water to fill the chamber, and allowed it to steep for one and a half minutes. Then I emptied the device into my pitcher, and filled it again with boiling water, this time steeping for two minutes. I repeated this process again, using three minutes, and then finally four minutes. This almost filled my pitcher, but not quite. I then poured room temperature water into my brewing device, and drained it into the pitcher, and continued until the pitcher was full. This doesn’t really add much flavor to the brewed tea, but, it does cool the leaves down so that I can dispose of them.
The result is a spectacular tasting iced tea that doesn’t taste diluted when I add ice cubes to my glass. Sure, I could make tea ice cubes, but, there are three other people in my household, all of them use the ice cube trays and freezer space, and it seems like a waste of space and utensils to make tea ice cubes for just me. Besides which, my husband already complains that too much of the kitchen is taken up with my teas and accessories, I would never hear the end of it if I started making tea ice cubes!
Anyway… why don’t I tell you about the tea! That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? This is one of the best iced teas I’ve tasted. The black tea base is strong and not bitter, although, I will say that when it is too strongly brewed, it can come off a little bitter. Brewing it the way I did above, though, I’m not getting any bitterness from it at all.
The watermelon flavor really shines through. The melon tastes like the red portion of the fruit, just above the rind. Not the mushy red part, but, the mid-section that is firm and flavorful without being too sugary sweet. A hint of the sharp note you might taste when biting into the whiter flesh of the melon is there too.
A very delicious way to enjoy one of my favorite summertime fruits!
