85

191/365

Finally getting back to Bluebird’s spring collection, now the weather has improved. I’m not a huge liquorice fan, so the idea of this one as a hot tea filled me with trepidation. Instead, I decided to cold brew 4 tsp in lemonade, and I’m actually quite pleased with the result. It’s sweet, for sure, but I was expecting that; what I like is that the sweetness is mostly coming from the lemonade. Even though I can tell there’s liquorice root in here, I’m not finding it as cloying as I usually do. I’m not really sure why – maybe lemonade and liquorice are just a good combination? It’s like the impact of the liquorice has somehow been toned down, and that’s something I can definitely appreciate!

As for raspberry liquorice laces? I don’t think it’s quite there in flavour terms. The sweets are so super artificial, and the raspberry flavouring here is almost too natural to really nail it. That seems like an odd thing to say, but there you go. Taken out of context, I actually like that the raspberry is fresh and flavour-accurate; it’s a touch tart, a touch sour, fruity, and refreshing. Basically, an ideal spring/summer cold brew. The sweetness of the liquorice and lemonade bring things towards a sweeter, more candy-like conclusion, but it’s not a flavour doppleganger for the sweets. I don’t think it would even be possible to capture that flavour exactly in a liquid, unless you were willing to use more chemical or artificial flavour constituents, and that’s not something Bluebird do. Instead, it’s a sweet, fresh-tasting, raspberry lemonade, and I’m happy with that. It’s another I’ll be sad to say goodbye to this weekend, when the collection retires.

Preparation
Iced 8 min or more 4 tsp 25 OZ / 750 ML

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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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