Berkshire Apple and Fig

Hey, Steepster, been a while! I’m back with a post I wrote a few days ago on my iPod.

I’m having this iced and unsweetened at a new cafe in Decatur, Cozee Teas. It’s so new that I can’t even check in on Facebook and frankly, though the place is cute, it’s seemingly very low budget, and I worry that it won’t be here long. It’s almost empty of customers, and a bit cluttered, decorated with some new and some vintage furniture. Plus, a glass of iced tea cost me more than four dollars, and that disappointed me a bit.

Anyway, the tea tastes like a Ceylon blend. It’s very fruity, and pleasantly sweet on its own. The fig flavor is stronger than the apple, which sort of rests in the background. Something about it also reminds me of black cherry. It’s refreshing, but I feel like it needs something. After a little agave nectar, the fruit flavors are even more bright, but the black tea is more muted. So I’m not sure if that was a good choice or not. But all around, this is a nice, tasty fruit tea… but not really worth what I paid for it…

When I brewed this the first time, I used boiling water (212 degrees) for the black tea, expecting full-bodied black tea behavior. A little disappointed in the bitterness, I dropped the temp for a fresh pot the second time around and was rewarded with a red cognac color and a smooth, tasty cup. Figs and apple are as promised, which I raised with a squirt of stevia liquid. A little sweetness is all that was needed, however. Overall, a rewarding cup of tea. Very drinkable. The color is my favorite attribute in this tea, however. I’ve taken to drinking it in a wine glass, just so I can fully appreciate it!

I got a cup of this to go at a tea shop near where I live. They told me they source their black teas from a wholesaler, and this tea on Steepster was the one whose manufacturer/vendor most closely matches the name of the wholesaler the tea shop mentioned.

Anyway, assuming this is the right tea, I quite enjoyed it. The blend was very mild and there was no astringency. The apple and fig notes were distinct, but well blended, with the depth and body of the fig giving way to the brightness and sparkle of the apple at the end of the sip. Nice clear amber liquor as well.

The next time I go back to that tea shop (Jazzberry Tea House), I’ll buy some of this, as well as some of their other loose-leaf blends.

I found Cozee Teas by accident when I was in the area for a Saturday. I walked in, because how do you not at least walk into a tea shop?

I found this tea on sale, and after smelling it, I knew I had to add it to my collection. I love fruity teas, especially black teas. I did love that I could differentiate both the fig and apple taste. Both were an excellent complement for the mild black tea.

This is a comforting tea I drink in the middle of the day.