65

A work kitchen freebie. I feel like elderflower tea is a relatively rare thing in the UK, so I rarely pass up an opportunity to try one. This box was sitting out in our work kitchen, so obviously someone didn’t like it. It’s generally always worth a punt, though, isn’t it?

I gave the bag (a silk pyramid thingum – I don’t rate these any more highly than normal tea bags, to be honest) 4 minutes in boiling water. Probably I could have left it longer, but I’m impatient. To taste, it’s actually…pretty good. I can taste the elderflower, although the pear is clearly the primary flavour. If I had one criticism, it would be that it’s a little over-sweet. It reminds me a lot more of a pear drop than an actual pear, in that floral, sugary, powerfully intense way that pear drops sometimes have. The apple is lost entirely. I wouldn’t know it was there based on taste alone, and I don’t think it should have headline billing in the name – that’s kinda misleading, because this is not an apple tea. It’s a pear and elderflower tea, and nothing else.

I like it, though. If I found it in my local Tesco, I might even pick up a box.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

People who liked this

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

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

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer