This is probably the only mint tea I’ve ever had that’s had any of the freshness you’d expect from a product containing mint. The spearmint must make all the difference here, and instead of that usual weedy, bitter, dull flavour, there’s a fresh, clean mint taste with a backdrop of grassy, non-bitter green tea. The mint flavour is a very pure one, a “straight from the leaf” taste. I’m taken aback by some of the average reviews Kusmi has had. I’ve found the brand pretty reliably good so far, and that’s relying on the tea bag set I got, so the quality I’m tasting probably isn’t even the best they have to offer. Surprisingly (given that in Be Cool it’s peppermint and here it’s spearmint) the mint flavor is kind of reminiscent of that in Be Cool, but the green tea makes it less in-your-face minty. Since I’ve found a number of minty teas average at best in the past, I’m shocked that I’ve found this one so well carried out. If you’ve disliked mint teas in the past, I’d recommend sampling this one. It has the downside of not being caffeine free like pure mint teas are, but I’ve found the combination of the mint and green here really works.
This tea’s flavour was really set off with just a little sweetener, but I had the first two cups of it with none, and that worked, too. I also tried it iced, and that surprisingly clean, refreshing flavour it has is much more conducive to serving cold than the usual (and frankly off putting) taste of mint teas. It was very refreshing. It wold go especially well with some fresh mint and lemon or lime juice/zest. Vodka could also work if it’s that kind of moment for you. Like all of the Kusmi products I’ve used, I’ve successfully re-steeped this. I don’t know how well it’d work if you were more anal about the correct steeping time than I am (and by “more anal,” I pretty much mean at all concerned about taking the tea bags out before it cools), you might not have as much luck getting this much flavour out again.
Overall, I don’t really know why some people have had negative things to say about Kusmi. Maybe it’s because it’s more of a “trendy,” image-conscious kind of brand than others, and tea purists might frown on the flavours. It may also be expensive compared to what one would pay for other brands (honestly, I don’t think much about this. If it looks/smells/sounds good, I’ll buy it), but to me, it’s a tolerable 75 euro cents per cup (at the more expensive rate that comes with using bags) and I haven’t been truly disappointed by a single flavour yet. I’m no tea expert, but to me, that’s a win. Admittedly, I might change my mind when I’ve tried some more premium-type teas, since I’ve mostly used supermarket brands up until now, but I’m pretty satisfied.
