Hello precious teacups! Are you cold? I’m cold. I’m always cold, but I’m really cold now because it is winter where I am and so brutal outside that I half expect to see an AT-AT Walker wander past my window. Inside, though, inside is where the tea is and that will warm you up with much less work than a less-than-lively tauntaun.
The saving grace of weather like this is that it’s the perfect time to enjoy a good cuppa. I brewed this particular blend for 5 minutes using boiling water. It brews up the vibrant red you would expect from something containing hibiscus. The flavor is tart and juicy and overwhelmingly hibiscus and cranberry. I like this but I’m not picking up on any of the other ingredients.
I did get three solid steeps out of this tea. I abandoned the third cup and it was cold by the time I got back to it. Turns out this blend isn’t bad hot but it is miles better as an iced tea! It is a fantastic berry explosion in my mouth, much more nuanced than the hot brew. I might have known this if I had paid attention to the website categorizing this as a summer tea!
This blend makes an excellent base for a modified version of Lu Ann’s tea-infused hot chocolate recipe . I brewed the tea like normal, stirred in three heaping teaspoons of Cadbury Drinking Chocolate, added almond milk (maybe a shotglass’s worth, I was eyeballing it), and topped it off with vegan marshmallows. So good! The chocolate and sweetness tone down the hibiscus, allowing the cranberry, raspberry, peach, and strawberry notes to come out by turns.
So the lesson here is a) read instructions and b) don’t be afraid to experiment! This is a delicious herbal berry blend but I would have written it off as a hibiscus-heavy cup of boring if I had only had it as a plain cup of hot brew. Stay warm out there!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Siplicious
Description
This award winning “All-Canadian”, berry-delicious infusion is packed full of native berries bursting with the flavors of our True North Strong and Free.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Colonial Cranberrry from Mountain Witch Tea Co
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mountain Witch Tea Co
Tea Description:
This holiday favorite is a delightful blend of our finest black tea, dried cranberries, tart cranberry flavor and other berry essences. A perfect holiday treat to warm your spirit. This 4 oz. bag makes 50-60 cups. Enjoy hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ever want to have a tart tea? I think I have found the as- close-to- perfect tart tea to make an amazingly tart iced tea that I have come across so far.
Mountain Witch Tea Co has some of the best flavored black teas that I have had in a long time. I can’t say enough about Kelly’s Blood Orange and Mojave Desert Prickly Pear blends. No matter how I brew them, they are simply amazing and not finicky. The easiest flavored black teas I have ever brewed up.
So I knew that I would like this one. I was actually surprised tho. Brewed up hot, I didn’t care for this one. The black tea is still delicious but the cranberry tartness is a bit overwhelming. I think if there was a touch or two of vanilla to mellow out the tart this tea would be out of this world. Without it, it just seems like the tea is lacking. Hmm . . that sounds amazing. A cranberry vanilla black tea.
When I brewed this one cold- Oh my! That is what I was hoping for. The tartness pops and isn’t overwhelming and doesn’t dominate and takeover the brew. It is like this tea was made to be an iced tea. The cranberry flavor is delightful and really rounds out the cup. I don’t feel the need to add any sugar or sweeteners. Exactly what I was looking for and needing.
This isn’t my favorite offering from Kelly’s line of teas, but it is good. I can’t wait to brew up a pitcher of this for those hot summer days that are rapidly approaching! This one would also be awesome to serve up during the holidays with maybe some mulling spices added in or some vanilla beans. Oh! I can see it now. We are going to get “fancy” this holiday!
