Steep this one past the polite five minutes, up to ten, and you get a peachy, pale cup that tastes like the inside of an apple strudel: sweet, appley, with a little tartness from the hibiscus and rose hips underneath. The blend is built on dried apple pieces, hibiscus blossoms, rose hips and sultanas, rounded out with almonds and natural flavouring (it does contain nuts, worth flagging for anyone with an allergy). Tasting notes run from rose and hibiscus through fruity, lemon, apple, date, honey and a faint nutty finish, and the liquor itself stays light and peachy rather than deep or dark.
Fruit tisanes like this one are often assumed to be a modern invention, but the category is old. Some tea historians argue it predates "real" tea by millennia. It has a particular foothold in America, tied to its history there: during the Revolution, when black and green tea grew scarce, colonists brewed whatever herbs and fruits they had on hand instead, and that habit of steeping fruit rather than leaf never quite went away.
There is no caffeine in this cup, which makes it an easy choice late in the day, for anyone cutting back on caffeine, or for pregnant drinkers. It won't match the antioxidant content of a true tea made from Camellia sinensis, but a fruit tisane like this one still carries some. It also runs a fraction of the calories of a sugary soft drink, for what that is worth. The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company packs it fresh to order rather than holding stock on a shelf.
To brew, use freshly boiled water and steep for five to ten minutes. It stands on its own without milk or sugar, though a spoonful of honey or a twist of lemon suits it if you want more sweetness or brightness.
