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!
