I’m a fan of citrus teas, but as a general rule I have to admit I don’t like fruity teas. Despite this, when my sister offered me a bag – the box proper is hers – I accepted.
“It has hibiscus and rose hips,” she told me, waving the bag tantalizingly in front of my face. I generally love these in tea, so I went for it.
Now, before I talk about my reaction, let me note that until very, very recently I was not really aware that there was a “right” way to make tea. While the concept of tea being good for more than one brewing registered dimly in the back of my head, I was somehow able to ignore the concept of overdoing it.
So, I had let the tea brew for about five minutes before trying it. I already didn’t like it – too sickly sweet/tart for my taste. I like citrus teas, as I said, but this tea was tart in a way that I just didn’t find appealing. I admit that after the first few sips I pretty much left the tea on the table and went to do something else. And then, when I came back an hour later, it was even worse. Cold, of course, and overbrewed because I’d stupidly left bag in the mug. It tasted like a particularly unripened mango that was somehow too sweet at the same time. (I had not added sugar – I never do)
At any rate, I choked down the rest and told my sister the next day not to worry about me stealing her tea. I just really disliked it. Since I did it incorrectly, I’ll likely give the tea a second chance at some point down the line. However, considering how much I disliked it even when it was freshly done, I’m not holding my breath on changing my mind.
It’ll be a while before I get back to it.
PS – this tea is STRONG, did I mention that?