Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zoomdweebies
Tea Description:
After sharing some blueberry cordials with a friend, my helper, Shante wanted us to create a blueberry cordial tea. So here it is: our premium Indian black teas blended with organic chocolate, blueberry and brandy flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
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Taster’s Review:
I’m starting to notice that I need to drink at least a full glass of iced tea of whatever flavor I’m reviewing from Southern Boy Teas before I’m able to make a proper assessment of it. I need to finish the first glass and be about halfway through my second glass before I’m able to really offer a fair evaluation of the tea.
That’s because the flavors don’t really reach out and grab me from the first few sips. It isn’t until I reach the end of the first glass that I’m starting to notice the flavors. Then with the second glass … I notice that the flavors are still developing on my palate. By the time I’ve reached the mid-glass point of the second glass of iced tea, then I can really taste the flavors clearly.
And this is really a tasty iced tea!
I don’t know if it’s a “blueberry cordial” exactly, though. I find myself still searching for the chocolate notes. I can taste the blueberry very clearly. I get a strong sweet yet tart blueberry flavor with that familiar tingly berry sensation at the finish. That tingling, tart note lingers into the aftertaste.
I also taste notes of brandy. The notes of brandy are subtle but they’re there and they seem to accentuate the flavors of the blueberry rather than try to stand out on their own.
The chocolate is there too, but it’s something that I find myself needing to really focus on the sip to taste. Once I do focus on the sip – by sipping slowly with a slight ‘slurp’ to aerate the liquid on my palate – I can really taste the chocolate. So, I’m not saying that the chocolate notes are too delicate, I’m just saying that when taking a casual sip, they aren’t as noticeable as when I’m really trying to focus on what flavors I’m experiencing with this tea.
The black tea is also tasted in this. It’s not an aggressive flavor, but it’s tasted. It’s smooth and brisk. No bitterness and I’m not detecting any astringency either. It’s just smooth and pleasant. It isn’t a particularly bold tasting tea, but it isn’t something I’d call muted or even drab. I think it’s offering just the right amount of flavor for this particular blend: allowing the flavors of the blueberry cordial to shine through while still reminding me that I’m drinking black tea.
Overall, I think that this blend is a win. It might not be my favorite to come from Southern Boy Teas, but it’s one that I wouldn’t mind having again. I enjoyed it!
Cherry Cordial Black Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Information:
Ingredients: Premium black teas, organic cacao nibs, freeze-dried cherries, natural flavors.
This tea is available as part of the Box of Chocolates sampler.
Taster’s Review:
There was a time when chocolate covered cherries were my favorite confection. I used to actually crave them! It’s been a while since that time, and I’ve discovered new favorites. However, as I sip this tea, I find myself with that old craving!
This tea tastes very reminiscent of a really good cherry cordial. I can taste hints of the sweet liqueur center – creamy and just a little sweet, with just a hint of brandy. The chocolate tastes exquisitely rich: dark, delicious chocolate! YUM!
The cherry tastes sweet and just a little tangy. As I continue to sip, I notice the tartness of the cherry develops a bit, but it doesn’t really become sour. I like the way the cherry flavor develops here, because with the typical chocolate covered cherry, the flavor becomes too cloying before the flavors of the cherry have much chance to develop.
This is like a chocolate covered cherry – reinvented!
And what makes this even better than the confection is the black tea! The black tea base works really well with this blend, it tastes bold and even a little malty, and I’m not getting much bitterness from the cup. It is a very well-rounded cup of tea.
Even though I’ve only tried two of the six new teas in the Box of Chocolates sampler, this one is my favorite of the two I’ve tried. It’s not only reignited my love for cherry cordials, but, refined it … I don’t think I could settle for an ordinary cherry cordial after trying this amazing tea!