Rose and lemon lead the nose here, but the finish drifts toward mango and lychee, with banana filling in the middle and a faint sweetness that reads like honey rather than sugar. This is a China black tea base worked with fruit and floral character until it lands somewhere between a proper black tea and a fruit cup — the kind of thing that reads as more of a summer drink than a wake-up cup, even though the base is a straightforward black tea.
The tropical fruit character comes through most clearly cold. Tea & Coffee packs this one to order rather than holding stock, and the intent is clearly for it to work as an iced tea, though a black tea base this sturdy holds up fine hot too, particularly once the weather turns and you want something with a bit more warmth than iced tea offers but still want that fruit-forward profile.
Brew it hot water off a full boil, five grams to a filter or infuser, and give it three to five minutes to steep. Because the tea carries so much fruit and floral character already, it doesn't need much dressing up — a lot of people will take it plain, or black as the notes suggest. That said, a spoon of honey plays well against the citrus, and a sprig of peppermint picks up on the tea's own cooling quality if you're serving it iced. A slice of lemon does something similar, sharpening the citrus note already present rather than fighting it. Lychee and mango tend to be the notes people notice first on the first sip, with banana settling in underneath as the cup cools, and the rose carrying through from the aroma to the finish.