Anniversary Bonus Tea for July 2022!
I’m not sure if I should be calling this a v.2 or if I should just call it my Iced Tea version – but this version is quite different from the original Rainbow Sherbet from Frank’s era, it’s also different from the two reblended versions: the first I blended in 2015/2016 as part of the Kickstarter incentive package & the second I blended in 2017 as a Featured reblend in 2017. This might be a little more similar to Frank’s iced tea version as I used a similar base (a CTC from the Iyerpadi estate).
To the Iyerpadi black tea, I added freeze-dried raspberries as well as air-dried oranges & limes – as well as vanilla bean for some creaminess. This is spectacular. It tastes like someone melted some rainbow sherbet into my teacup. Sweet, fruity & delicious! It’s also vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free & all natural!
ingredient: black tea
organic ingredients: raspberries, oranges, limes, vanilla beans & natural flavors
more about this tea: It’s been a long while since I’ve had some rainbow sherbet black tea from 52Teas! (I can’t remember even trying a rainbow sherbet from another tea company) so when I decided I wanted to make two bonus teas this year for our landmark anniversary (SEVEN years!) & I got some of this Iyerpadi black tea from my supplier, I knew I wanted to reblend the rainbow sherbet, but with this base!
I’m really glad I did, because this tea is OUTSTANDING! I’m loving every sip. It’s so fruity & sweet – with just the right amount of creaminess to taste like a cold dessert treat (like sherbet). So lovely.
to brew: shake the pouch well – there are tiny vanilla beans in with the CTC Iyerpadi, so you want a fair distribution of the vanilla as well as the tea. Some of the raspberries have also been pulverized to a near powder consistency (more surface area = more raspberry flavor dispersed into the tea) so you want to make sure you’re getting a little bit of all the ingredients into your measurement of 2 ½ grams to 12 oz of near boiling water (205°F). Allow to steep for 2 ½ – 3 minutes. Strain & allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
As this was intended as an iced tea, you might want to allow it to cool completely and then refrigerate. This also makes a perfectly lovely hot cuppa, but since iced tea season is in full swing right now, you might want this iced. If you want to cold brew it, use the same measurements – and use freshly-filtered, cold water instead of nearly boiling water & allow it to brew for several hours – or overnight. Strain & enjoy!
serving suggestion: I love this iced (either cold-brewed or hot brewed!) I also enjoy this hot. I find that a teensy bit of sugar will enhance the overall flavors to make for a more dessert-y taste, but it’s quite nice without sweetener – so whatever suits you.
If you do intend to drink as a hot beverage, allow it to cool for the suggested 10 minutes (at least!) because the flavors will develop over that cool time. Your taste buds will thank you for your patience!
https://www.52teas.com/shop/p/rainbowsherbeticedblacktea
