Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Smith
Tea Description:
The Shadow knows that strawberry and South American lulo make a great team! A cup of Blue Shadow is a guaranteed improvement to any day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this Blue Shadow flavored Black Tea from The Tea Smith when I first opened my sampling that my SororiTea Sister, Azzrian, sent me. I could see black tea leaves and blue cornflower petals … and I could smell a delicious fruity aroma. But this did not prepare me for what I was about to taste!
Click on the pic to go there.
OK … WOW! This is really a unique cup of flavored black tea! I don’t know that I’ve ever tried a tea that has been flavored with the essence of lulo fruit before. In fact, before I sat down to write this review, I didn’t even know what the heck a lulo fruit was. As you can see from the photo to the right, it kind of looks like an orange that has had some funky, twisted romance with a kiwi fruit. And since I’ve never tried a lulo, I’m not sure exactly what it is I’m supposed to be tasting.
I taste the strawberry, distinctly. It is a bright strawberry note, sweet with notes of berry tartness. I also taste a citrus-y note that tastes a little bit like lime … more like lime than orange – and I kind of expected it to taste a little more orange-y if for no other reason than the fact that the photo looks like it should taste like an orange (and kiwi). I don’t taste anything vaguely resembling a kiwi … but if Wikipedia is correct and this fruit tastes like a cross between a lime and a rhubarb, then the fact that I taste distinct strawberry notes makes even more sense to me, because the few strawberry-rhubarb teas I’ve had, I notice that the rhubarb is the perfect accent to the strawberry … making it taste more like strawberry.
The black tea is in there too. It’s a milder tasting black tea – I suspect that a Ceylon was used in this blend. It has a strong enough flavor to be tasted, but not so strong that it takes over. It allows the flavors to do their thing, and in this case, I’m really glad that I can taste the flavors, because the strawberry is juicy and delicious (and it’s making me happy strawberry season is almost here!) … and I have this unique opportunity to try the essence of lulo … which is not a orange-y, kiwi tasting fruit even though the fruit looks like someone left the oranges and kiwis in the fruitbowl alone together overnight.
A very unique and delicious flavored tea … I really like this one quite a bit. Sweet … and makes a FABULOUS iced tea!
Great post, I had never heard of a lulo fruit before. The tea sounds delicious! I’ve just opened an online tea store, I’ve got over 40 different teas at the moment, and looking to expanded in the flavored section so thanks for the tips on your site. Come and check it out and let me know what you think 🙂
I too had never heard of this fruit before reading this post! It looks like it’s a type of nightshade, making it related to tomatos.
I love the tremendous diversity of fruits out there. Yesterday I actually ate a Guava for the first time, and it was delicious! I love expanding my knowledge and experience in the realm of fruit.