Black tea forms the base here, but the personality comes from currants, strawberries and raspberries layered in with natural flavourings, giving a cup that leans fruity, tangy and sweet rather than brisk or malty. The tasting profile running through this blend goes berries and strawberry up front, with honey and vanilla rounding out the middle, a touch of milk, and a thick, coffee-like body underneath, more dessert than everyday builder's tea.
Tea & Coffee, the Kent-based company behind this blend, packs it to order rather than holding stock, which keeps the fruit notes from fading before it reaches a cup. The aroma of ripe berries carries straight into the first sip, and the fruity flavour lingers rather than dropping off quickly, so this isn't one to rush through.
To brew it, bring fresh water to a full boil, around 100 degrees Celsius, and use roughly one teaspoon of loose leaf per cup. Pour over the leaves and let them steep for about four minutes, shorter for a lighter cup, longer if the berry and vanilla notes should come forward more, since brewing time here has a real effect on strength. Strain before serving. It drinks well hot on its own, though a drizzle of honey or a splash of milk suits the vanilla and berry character if a softer cup is wanted. Expect somewhere between 50 and 70 mg of caffeine per cup, in line with other black teas.
As with black tea generally, it carries the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in the leaf, and black tea has long been drunk with an eye toward those properties, though that is a background note rather than the reason to reach for this particular blend.
