Hibiscus Splash (formerly ME to WE Kenya)

2021 Sipdown 31/365!
(DavidsTea 83)

This is the “Me to We Tea”-named iteration, circa Feb 2016. It smelled ok upon opening, but I got a hit of rancidity/nasty hibiscus while brewing. However – I stuck the mug in the fridge, as was my intention all along, and when I got to drinking it the next day, it was actually quite refreshing and pleasant as an iced tea. Uncertain where that weird smell had come from; usually it translates into unpleasant flavour too. Nice tartness and fruitiness. I couldn’t really pick out any particular flavours, but it certainly served its purpose. I believe I might still have some “Hibiscus Splash” hanging around somewhere, and if I like that too, maybe I’ll pick up a bit for some iced tea variety.

This is one that I wasn’t very excited to try until I opened the bag. The scent was like candy, and I knew I’d enjoy it. I drink this cold, and the flavor is much milder than I expected considering the ingredients. It’s not too tart at all. It’s light and fruity and sweet. I’ve had it three times this week, and my subsequent cups haven’t measured up to my first one, but I have enjoyed them. It’s not too hibiscus-heavy, just pleasantly tropical, more like cherry or fruit punch. I don’t plan to purchase it again, but I liked it.

I had a craving this evening for sour candy that could not be fulfilled (hello Spooky Season cravings!), and so I thought to myself I’d turn to a tea instead – something fruity and tart would likely fill that hankering! I had a couple of packets of Hibiscus Splash from a box of iced tea samplers DT released in summer of 2020, and thought I’d go for it, remembering how it had been the most tart of the lot.

The fact that I was not disappointed at all should give some indication of the flavours happening here. Sharp and tangy, quite sweet (but I don’t find it’s crossed the line into TOO sweet – but for some it might!), it’s toeing the line from becoming too sour, on a long, generous steep. (I should point out, I’ve only drunk it hot – I’m not a big fan of iced teas – but I did want to try more sweet, fruity blends – hence I bought the Iced Tea box!) It reminds me a lot of White Cranberry Bark, however WCB has that white chocolate smoothness that helps to mellow it out, gives it a creamy flavour, while this particular tea is rather a bit sharper with regards to its tartness. The sweetness of Hibiscus Splash isn’t so strong as the literal Jolly Rancher-type candy flavour I was craving, but there’s a more subliminal flavour that is similar which lingers in the mouth rather than on the tongue. In the summer, I think it might be one of those drinks that makes you thirstier as you drink it – particularly if you are going so far as to drink it hot!

It’s scratching the itch I had – but it’s not something I’d turn to every day. Rainbow Lemonade, which was in the same sampler box, has slightly more “gentle” flavours, so if you wanted a step down from the punchiness of this, I might suggest going in that direction. Or wander further along towards White Cranberry Bark for something smoother but still sweet and a little tart.

Just like cherry juice. Definitely make as an iced tea.

Had this iced at DavidsTea as the tea of the day. The color is a deep, burgundy red and the flavor reminds me of fruit punch. It’s quite tart, even sweetened, obviously due to the hibiscus but also the cranberries in this blend. I also tasted raspberry and cherry cough syrup. There’s Stevia in there which I wish they’d left out because it leaves behind a weird aftertaste in the mouth.

This would be a good tea for those who want something tangy that tastes like fruit juice. I feel like there there was too much going on flavor wise in this tea and prefer a more straightforward hibiscus flavor.

In store sample

The cherry part of the red herbals was right there in centre of flavourland. But it is not cherry like real cherry, but rather cherry like in cheap Halloween candy. I’ll take hibiscus over this any day.

Well, I tried to fix the picture but couldn’t get it to take. Oddly enough, there are images further down the page that seem to show up just fine.

This smells and tastes a lot like the Caribbean Crush of yesterday, but more. More color (a deep, dark red) and more flavor (described below). It may be that the hibiscus is stronger and that’s pushing a synergistic effect with all the other flavors.

This one also reminds me a lot of the late, great Teavana offering, Caribbean Breeze — a bit of a black cherry flavor, but sweeter than my notes show for Caribbean Breeze and less tart. It also has the strawberry leaning flavor I described in Caribbean Breeze.

It’s reminiscent of Tazo Passion as well, but it has a more robust flavor that I think comes mostly from not being in a teabag.

The aroma is fruit punch-like after steeping. In the packet, it’s pretty eyewateringly strong unsweetened black cherry.

This gets the same rating as Caribbean Breeze as a thank you for being a nice stand in for one of my old faves.

This tastes like fruit punch. I love the incentive to give, but I think I’d rather donate directly. Shrug. If this weren’t a donation tea, it’s wayy overpriced, but most things in DT seem that way nowadays

Love this tea. It’s got such a wonderful, juicy flavor and today – a great banana-ish flavor as well (for some reason).

Definitely best when allowed to steep for a ridiculously long time or on its first steep. Yum!

First impressions of this when I tried this in the store was Tastier, Juicier Red Kool-Aid. I automatically wanted to pick some up, and it’s an even better feeling knowing that proceeds go to charity.

I’ve had this a few times iced at home now and my initial major delight is waning. It does taste like cherries and cranberries mostly, then raspberry in the background. Like I’ve been finding with a few of their fruit blends lately, the flavouring they add to it usually ends up overpowering the actual fruit in here. The first couple times I had this, I couldn’t detect any stevia, but it seems like as I get closer to the bottom of my time, my glasses are getting sweeter and sweater, although it doesn’t have that overpowering, obvious stevia note that other blends have. Not yet, at least.

This strongly reminds me of another fruit blend I had from Bayswater. Maybe their Juicy Cherry? That reminds me of how I’d love to make an order but they make the process so annoying.