Southern Cross is only available in Australia. It is one of the many tea souvenirs I bought for myself in Melbourne. It is super tangy. I have tied the bag containing the dry leaves with a rubber band and put it in the original tin. I then put the tin in my drawer and guess what, now I am overwhelmed by the aroma of passionfruit every time I open the drawer! I guess that says how much flavouring they have added to the tea… it’s really too much I think. Not to mention that I am getting fed up with the scent because it never goes away….
When steeped, the aroma is equally powerful – anyone who enters my office can tell I am having a fruity tea. Taste-wise, it is deceptively sweet and citrusy. I say “deceptively” because it’s actually rather spicy too, but the spiciness is masked to a large extent by the sweetness of marigold. I wasn’t aware of the piquancy until I sensed a mild tingle on my tongue and found my mouth getting drier and drier as I continued to drink the tea. I didn’t enjoy the sensation, and that’s why I am never a fan of spiced tea. Too bad… now I’ve learnt that eucalyptus is spicy!
This tea reminds me of Arctic Fire by T2 because they are both black tea scented with fruity flavours and cornflowers. Though my verdict is that it is no match to the dreamy Arctic Fire, which is subtly sweet and fragrant, non-spicy and with a floral undertone. Ooo, I am missing Arctic Fire so badly…
