75

I think I’m attracted to weirdness in teas, and this one seemed like an ambitious flavour so I pretty much had to give it a try. I also love cherry cola, so it was pretty much a given from the moment I saw it. This one has been in my cupboard for a while, unopened. Today it finally saw the light of day! I used 1 tsp of leaf (plus a whole cherry!), and gave it 2.5 minutes in boiling water. No additions.

I hated my first sip. It made me scrunch my face up, and I’m not really sure why. The sheer oddity of the flavour combination? I’ve been fine from my second sip onwards – clearly I’m acclimatised! It has to be said, though, that this is a bit of an odd duck. The initial flavour is, I’d say, chocolate cake. The malty black tea base helps this effect, I think, and there’s some of Della Terra’s “cake” flavouring kicking around in the background. The thick, almost stodgy one (a la Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Blueberry Crumble, etc.) The cherry cola flavour emerges mid-sip, and it’s actually pretty accurate. It even tastes a little effervescent, although it’s hard to imagine how that is achieved. The cherry tastes pretty natural and juicy; not too chemical or medicinal, which is a relief, but the end of the sip is a little sugary – almost like sugar syrup. There’s some of Della Terra’s sparkly crystal sugar in this blend, so maybe it’s that now it’s sunk to the bottom of the cup. Pretty, though!

On the whole, this is a pretty odd combination of flavours. Cherry cola and chocolate cake are probably not two things I’d consume together. Having said that, I do actually really like this tea, now that I’ve gotten over the initial weirdness. Quite what that says about me, I don’t know!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp

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Bio

Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.

Location

Norfolk, UK

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