Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Southern Boy Teas
Tea Description:
Now THIS is the good stuff. Don’t let the uncomplicated, single flavor of this tea give you the impression that is is some humdrum tea. This is a BEAUTIFUL blend of premium shou mei fannings with organic black currant flavors. This is a crowd-pleaser and a thirst-quencher. You’re going to want a few of these, trust me.
Learn more about this iced tea here.
Learn how to subscribe to SBT’s tea of the week here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I was so excited to try the first White Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas. And it looks like SBT chose one of my favorite white tea creations from 52Teas to work with, the Black Currant Bai Mu Dan! The 52Teas blend tasted amazing iced and this does too!
Of course, this Black Currant White Iced Tea was made with a Shou Mei base rather than a Bai Mu Dan so it’s a little different right from the off. But this is still every bit as refreshing as I remember that tea tasting. Tart black currant flavor that contrasts with the sweet white tea base. These two components were made for one another!
The Shou Mei is also a stronger tasting tea than a typical Bai Mu Dan. It’s sweet and hay-like. I like the crisp, airy flavor that reminds me of the way the air tastes after a hay cutting. You have to be out where they cut hay to experience that, of course. I grew up in such a place. Or, if you don’t want to take a drive out to the country, you can just brew a pitcher of this iced tea and get some of that same flavor in a glass.
Actually, I think that the iced tea is better than the air in the country. The air in the country can sometimes also smell a bit like the cows and horses that eat the hay. And that’s not my favorite smell.
To brew this tea, I went with the hot brew method. I heated 1 quart of water in the kettle of my tea maker to 160°F and then dropped the sachet into the water and let it steep for 2 1/2 minutes. The parameters on the package suggest “not more than 90 seconds” but 90 seconds just didn’t seem long enough for me at such a low temperature. So I made the decision to go with a little more time and I’m glad I did. I’m really happy with the resulting flavor! For the second quart, I resteeped the sachet for 3 minutes. I combined both quarts in my iced tea pitcher and stashed it in the ice box.
After several hours of cool time, I am left with a pitcher full of yummy black currant iced tea. I love the white tea base. It’s crisp and refreshing. I look forward to the other white tea creations that SBT comes up with!
