I’m a Doctor Who fan and, even with the information that this is an “impossible girl” inspired tea, it still took me several seconds to figure out what the name of this blend meant. Maybe my brain was just really slow today? Hopefully you can figure it out faster. š
I steeped two teaspoons of this tea in ten ounces of 175-degree water for three minutes.
While steeping, it starts smelling fruity right away. This is a flavored tea (raspberry-pomegranate flavored) and the tea liquid is much darker than an unflavored green tea would. That might be from the raspberry, although it’s not really pink; it’s a sort of clear and handsome brown color with a reddish tinge.
First sip: It’s definitely fruity and sweet. Pomegranate and raspberry are both quite tart fruits, but the tartness isn’t coming through too strongly here, although yes, there is quite a bit of astringency. The fruity flavors complement each other well, and the green tea base sings backup; I’m hard put to it to distinguish its flavor components separately, yet I can still tell it’s there.
With sugar: Sweeter, of course. But surprisingly, I can taste the green tea base a bit more now. The sugar tames the astringency but doesn’t really bring out the fruity flavors like I hoped/assumed it would.
I bet this one would be great as iced tea too, but wouldn’t want to try milk with it because it might be too acidic for that.
All in all a fun tea, and one that I’d like to try iced (or as cold-brew) if I ever have the chance to try it again!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Fandom Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for Doctor Who teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pomegranate Detox from Tea Drift
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:Ā Oolong
Where to Buy:Ā Tea Drift
Tea Description:
You’ll truly enjoy this tea with a delightful fruity aroma. It’s a smooth, full-bodied tea with mild berry notes. This tea is tasty over ice or steaming hot.
Learn more about this tea here.
Tasterās Review:
The first thing to say about this one is that it smells so, so good. Strong, rich, fruity pomegranate, as soon as you open the bag! The leaf itself is a pretty thing to look at, too, with whole golden chrysanthemum flowers plus a few stray petals, and tightly rolled oolong pellets. The scent, though! I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3 minutes in water cooled to around 180 degrees.
Pomegranate Dragon Fruit Green/White Tea from ESP Emporium
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:Ā Ā Green/White
Where to Buy:Ā ESP Emporium
Tea Description:
Was the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden a pomegranate tree? Until this day, the pomegranate is considered a symbol of immortality and sensibility. Combined with the exotic dragonfruit and a touch of vanilla a paradisaical taste experience is formed. The unique blend of strong Sencha, select Kukicha and finest Pai Mu Tan ensures that this truly is a premium quality. Let yourself be seduced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Tasterās Review:
Pomegranate and green tea seem to be a fairly common pairing, and I have to admit it’s not one I’ve explored often enough given how much I actually like pomegranate – but the dragonfruit in this blend? That was the nail in the coffin, and the aspect that got me really truly excited for this blend. I absolutely adore the subtle pear/kiwi like flavour of dragonfruit and I used to buy quite a lot of it, but it’s really expensive ($3 a fruit) so I had to cut down.
This cold brew definitely puts more emphasis on the pomegranate though; it’s very sweet and juicy, with a really round and robust fruity flavour that just dominates over the entire drink. There is a little ‘extra’ fruit flavour that creeps into the end of the sip and aftertaste though. It reminds me quite a bit of a mild or more tame kiwi flavour which is definitely the dragonfruit. I didn’t really taste the vanilla for most of the drink. It wasn’t until the last few swigs that I thought it stood out as more than just additional sweetness.
As for the base, I struggled to taste the white tea, but the green was slightly present as a crisp, clear vegetal background note. It did a good job of being subtly present without cutting into the flavourings, which are definitely meant to be the focus of the blend.
This is definitely an enjoyable blend, well suited for summer.
Pom Tango Black from DAVIDsTEA
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Ā Black
Where to Buy:Ā Ā DAVIDsTEA
Tea Description:
This may have been a long, cold winter, but this exotic fruit-filled black tea is a sure sign of sunnier days ahead. Bursting with fruity pomegranate seeds and big, luscious pieces of mango, itās like a cross between your favourite breakfast tea and the best juice ever. And since spring weather can still be a bit unpredictable, youāll be happy to know itās equally amazing hot or iced. One cup and youāll feel like dancing for joy. Limited edition.
Learn more about this tea here.
Tasterās Review:
This is part five of a five part review of the DAVIDsTEA Summer Collection.
This is obviously a popular blend because this is the third, I believe, year it’s come back in a row! It’s also the only non-herbal blend in this years collection. This is my first time trying it. Similar to Just Peachy I’m not really big into mango as a flavour, though you wouldn’t be able to tell based on how much of it I’ve been drinking lately. This year I’ve been much more open to trying things I’ve previously avoided, so I figured it was time to try this one out and see what the big deal about it is.
I prepared it cold brewed for my first tasting; based on the smell of the dry leaf I’m expecting more mango flavour than pomegranate though the smell of the tea steeping did smell strongly of both mango and pomegranate so I could be pleasantly surprised here.
The first thing I taste is indeed a very strong mango flavour; but it’s vibrant and juicy and I don’t mind it at all. The pomegranate flavour is pretty strong too. I don’t think I’ve ever tried mango and pomegranate paired together in anything, but they work really well together! The sweet, almost berry-like pomegranate flavour and tropical mango have really great juxtaposition and are just phenomenally mouth watering. I really, really love the flavour of pomegranate but it’s one of those fruits that I never think about or crave so when I do have it I kind of have that moment where I mentally go “I love pomegranate – why don’t I eat it more often?”. I’m definitely doing that right now, and kicking myself for not trying it sooner.
Other notes observed are sweet red apple, not surprising given that pomegranate is often described as tasting like a cross of cranberry and apple, and very juicy, ripe orange. The black base is smooth and mild, providing the perfect background for the lovely array of fruit flavours. Overall, this is a hydrating, robust and ultimately fun tea. I can definitely see it lending itself well to hot preparation methods, or to tea soda!
I may end up purchasing more of it so I can test out both of those methods of prep, though I don’t see myself getting a larger quantity because like I’ve talked about neither of the primary flavours, mango and pomegranate, are ones I lean towards heavily in every day drinking. I finally understand the popularity of this blend, though!
Overall thoughts about the collection as a whole?
Just Peachy and this Strawberry Colada are my favourites and I _will_ be picking up more of each. I’m kind of leaning towards a full 100g of Just Peachy because it’s so different from the other tisanes that I have on hand, but while Strawberry Colada is my favourite I know I wont get more than 50g. I made the mistake of getting a ton of Tropicalia (over 100g) and the coconut turned before I finished all of it. This blend was solid, and I might pick up another sample size just to try it in a few other ways. Coconut Ice and Hard Candy were easily my least favourites, though neither were necessarily bad. But there’s no way I’ll be spending money on either again.
As a whole, I think this is the best collection DT has had in a long time – though more variety would be welcomed.
Pomegranate Burstā¢ Green Tea from Good Earth
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:Ā Green
Where to Buy:Ā Good EarthĀ online or Wherever Good Earth Teas are sold.
Tea Description:
Sure we all have responsibilities, but that doesnāt mean we have to settle into a routine. Break things up with the tingling intensity of Pomegranate Burstā¢. Blended with the goodness of green tea and the unexpected tart flavors of pomegranate and cherry, one sip will be enough to shake up an ordinary day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Tasterās Review:
I brewed this Pomegranate Burstā¢ Green Tea from Good Earth without knowing the ingredients in the tea – only knowing it’s a flavored green tea. Ā So, I brewed it the way I’d brew any other bagged green tea: Ā using 8 ounces of hot water (170Ā°F) and steeping for 2 minutes.
After I finished steeping the tea, I noticed the color – it’s a vivid ruby color, just like the color of a pomegranate aril. Ā This communicated “hibiscus” to me. Ā And after my first sip, yep … there’s hibiscus in this. Ā Ugh. Ā That first sip told me something else: Ā there’s stevia in this too. Double Ugh. Ā And it’s not even the natural leaf from the herb “stevia” it’sĀ steviol glycosides which is the chemical compound of stevia. Ā And I can taste that chemical taste from it too. Ā Triple UGH!
Served hot, this just isn’t my cup of tea. Ā I taste to much hibiscus and stevia and a syrupy cherry flavor (read: Ā cherry flavored cough syrup) for me to derive much enjoyment out of drinking it. Ā I do taste pomegranate and hints of raspberry. Ā Those flavors might be nice if my palate wasn’t overwhelmed by the flavor of hibiscus, chemical tasting stevia and cough syrup.
No green tea flavor to speak of here. Ā Just none.
Not one to want to give up on a tea so quickly, I decided to cold-brew a few bags in my half gallon pitcher, hoping that the cold brew might soften the overpowering flavors that I experienced with the hot steep. Ā I used 5 tea bags for 2 quarts of water and stashed it in the fridge for about 8 hours.
As an iced tea, this is a little bit better but not much. Ā The cherry flavor is not quite asĀ cough syrupy as when it’s brewed hot but it still has that cough medicine taste. Ā The chemical stevia notes are a little less apparent although I can still taste it. Ā To offset the flavor of the stevia somewhat and try to make the sweet taste more natural, I added some agave to it and this addition helped make the drink more palatable.
On the positive side: Ā I do like that I taste the pomegranate and the raspberry and these two fruits have a pleasant fruity flavor. Ā The hibiscus is also less apparent as an iced tea. Ā This tastes a lot more like a fruit drink than a tea though.
I think it’s fair to say that this was not a win for me. Ā It wasn’t horrible but I find it difficult to move past that artificial taste of the stevia. Ā It really ruins this drink for me.
