Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
There really IS such a thing as a pineberry. Supposedly it’s a strawberry that tastes like a pineapple and looks like the image on our label, which to me looks kind of like what marshmallows would look like if marshmallows were a fruit.
So, of course OUR take on the Pineberry is probably nothing like what a real Pineberry tastes like, which I imagine not very many people would know anyway, but rather what I imagine a Pineberry SHOULD taste like.
I think it should taste like sweet, golden honeybush with accents of pineapple, strawberry and marshmallow–so I created this blend with real freeze-dried pineapple and strawberry bits and marshmallow root. It’s a little different, but then, so is 52teas.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Note: As I was writing this review, it seemed to come out more as a note to Frank (Chief Zoomdweebie at 52Teas) than it did a review … but it is still a review … so, since it does seem a bit like a note to Frank, I decided to craft it that way … I hope you enjoy my slightly different approach to a review today.
Dear Frank:
I’ve never tasted a pineberry. In fact, until I read the description of this tisane during the week of it’s release (April 8), I had never even heard of a pineberry. And since this Pineberry Honeybush from 52Teas is based upon what you think a Pineberry should taste like – I guess I will have to wait until a time when and if I should ever come across a pineberry in a market somewhere before I actually taste one.
However, I do like what your imaginary pineberry tastes like. Sweet with notes of strawberry, pineapple, and a lovely hint of marshmallow. YUM! And … I swear that I can taste an ever-so-subtle hint of pepper in this too, and I find that note to be so intriguing.
The honeybush is sweet and honey-esque, as I would expect it to be, with hints of a nutty background. I like that the honeybush is not a prominent flavor but that I can taste it, and it contributes to the overall cup in a very pleasant way. Perhaps the aforementioned hints of spice come from the honeybush, although I must admit that I don’t recall ever tasting spice notes from honeybush before (unless it was a spiced honeybush blend!)
I really like the way the sweet, nutty tones of the honeybush meld with the pineapple, and I think that you should explore the combination of pineapple and honeybush further. How about Pineapple Fondue Tisane: pineapple, chocolate, and honeybush, and put some marshmallow in there just for fun too … and while we’re exploring imaginary blends, I also really like the way the pineapple and the marshmallow work here, so a pineapple marshmallow green tea (or perhaps a white tea?) would be quite tasty too, I think.
And then there is the strawberry. The strawberry is sweet with just a whisper of tart. The strawberry notes taste authentic … no artificial strawberry flavors here! The strawberry with the marshmallow work nicely too. And since you’ve done Boo-Berry a few times, I think it’s time to work on FrankenBerry for Halloween this year: A strawberry marshmallow green tea.
Overall, I really enjoyed this Pineberry Honeybush a lot more than I thought I would. And I was pretty sure I’d like it, because your honeybush blends are usually tasty, and really, how do you go wrong with pineapple and strawberry and marshmallow? Answer: YOU don’t, and you didn’t.
Thank you for another delightful tisane.
Your Favorite Customer,
LiberTEAS