SBT: Cherry Limeade

At first I thought this reminded me a little bit of Kool Aid. The base surprisingly isn’t really present, and it’s a very reminiscent of a childhood, candy-like lime flavor.

And then on my second glass I reflected.

This isn’t Kool Aid. This is melted lime jello with a splash of grenadine. And it’s way better than it sounds! Add real grenadine and it’s even better! I honestly wouldn’t mind having a full summer’s supply of this.

I really love this – I was expecting it to be sort of meh, for some reason. Wrong – it really did taste like limeade…less cherry than I would like in theory. I cold steeped it and after taking a few sips, squeezed half a lemon into it for a super refreshing, lemon/limeade-esque drink.

Today’s iced tea of choice. I know this one got three minutes in boiling water, because I used my timer. I can safely say, this time, that this bag got the standard SBT brewing treatment — 3 minutes in boiling water, topped up to 2 litres with cold, and into the fridge overnight. I’ve almost picked this one out to brew a couple of times, but I’ve always gone for something more familiar. Today, it finally got it’s turn!

It’s wonderful, as well. The base is in hiding, because I looked after it this time, although it’s still there in the background providing a solid base. The flavouring is primarily cherryade — it even tastes slightly fizzy, somehow — with a twist of lime. It’s a really nice combination, and although I was initially uncertain about the cherry/lime combination, it actually works really well. We’re talking artificial “pop” flavours, rather than actual “fresh fruit” cherry and lime here, but it’s absolutely reminiscent of the cherryade of my childhood, and I think that’s half the point. It’s a tiny bit sweet, a tiny bit sour from the lime, and pretty candy-like. I know I’m going to enjoy sipping on this one all day, and then tomorrow too. Inspired!

Nope, this isn’t one that I particularly like. I can taste the lime well but I don’t get cherry, and it certainly doesn’t remind me of cherry limeade. Hmm, and it’s not one that’s grown on me either.

Sipdown #19

The dry leaf aroma is potent. Phew! It certainly smells lime-y, although it’s also quite chemically and strong. The undiluted brewed tea aroma is…unappetizing. It just smells weird to me. Not like cherry or lime at all. Just a very strong black tea scent that borders on smoky. The diluted tea aroma is more like what I expected, although I’m still a little wary of that inexplicable harshness from the base.

Okay, so I seriously overleafed this tea. It says to brew it in 2 cups of water and then add 6 more cups. I only added 4.5 and I barely added any ice. So why does it taste so diluted? I’m getting mostly black tea with a tiny hint of cherry lime flavoring. The base tastes different from the other SBT black teas I’ve had, and the aftertaste turns bitter. Did Frank change to a different base from the original line of SBT teas released about 2-3 years ago?

This particular tea came in the fourth package design I’ve seen. I’m not sure what’s with the frequent packaging changes, although this last version does provide a lot of great, helpful information. I like the detailed steeping instructions and the alternate coldbrewing instructions. And this tea is organic?? Hmm, I didn’t know that. I guess that means it is a different base then because I don’t remember the first line of SBT teas being organic.

The more I sip it, the more I think I like it. But I have to say that it is mostly black tea with only a hint of lime. Perhaps there’s some cherry in here too but it’s definitely the quietest of the flavors. Maybe this would have been better if I coldbrewed it? I’d be interested to hear what others think of this because maybe I’m being over critical or I just botched the preparation somehow.

All in all, I feel that I have to give it a low (-ish) rating since it is not as expected and overall isn’t that yummy. I know Frank can do better than this. A few of the SBT flavors have blown my mind. (I’m looking at you, Pink Lemonade.) But this one is not spectacular.

This one was part of the SBT kickstarter way back in October 2013.

On first viewing, the tea bag is quite small as compared to the “older” SBT’s. I was not necessarily concerned about this, but it is just an observation. Both “new” and “old” packages list the same weight, so it is most likely the newer version is just more economical.

I am unsure if I have ever had cherry limeade. But I can imagine what it tastes like. Or what I think it should taste like.

Brewed this one up as per usual, 1 bag in 2 cups boiling water, white sugar added, brewed for 2 minutes, then filled the jug with cold water and chilled.

I was expecting a super tart cherry-lime-lemon-citrus flavour. But on first sip I was sadly disappointed. There are definite cherry and lime flavours but they are quite blunted and not tart or sour. Definitely artificial but not in a horrible way. I also felt it wasn’t sweet enough. But as I kept sipping, I thought, this is actually quite good. It is more along the lines of a real iced tea, vs a sugar crystal drink mix. (Duh!)

I can taste the black base a bit, it gives a smoothness and creaminess to the tea. No astringency or bitterness at all.

I have changed my mind, and I like this one now.

Backlog:

I was excited to try this flavor because I love the flavor combination of cherry and lime. I wish that those flavors were a little sharper in this tea. It’s still a really good iced tea, but the flavors are not quite as bright and distinct in this as I’d like them to be.