I bought this a bit impulsively—I love floral teas but hadn’t seen a lilac blend yet, so of course I had to try it out! I have lilacs in my front yard and the smell reminds me of beautiful warm spring nights, so I was hoping this tea would evoke the same feelings. Before I rate the actual tea I’d like to mention what a pleasant shopping experience I had with Strand—they actually charged me LESS for shipping than it actually cost (paid $4.95, label said it was $5.15). This might be a small thing, but high shipping charges will generally make me not want to shop at a company. They also sent a very generously sized sample even though I only bought one type of tea, and cookies! I’ve never received cookies along with a tea package, but they do fit rather well together so it was a nice surprise.
Well, on to the actual tea! I was a bit worried about this when I opened the bag, as it smelled really fake and fruity, with no trace of lilac at all. Thankfully the fake-ness disappeared once it was brewed, but it still smelled very fruity. And indeed, the actual tea tastes like a mix between a light floral blend and blueberry. I personally love blueberry, so this was more of a nice surprise than a bad one. The floral taste I suppose is lilac—it doesn’t taste like the smell the way jasmine does, and it’s very soft but still there. It’s sweeter than other floral blends I’ve tried, and very subtle. Going to try this iced soon, I think it would be a great summer beverage.
EDIT: On a hunch, I added a splash of milk to my second cup. Tasted like a blueberry muffin! Bumping up the rating a bit: this wasn’t what I expected at all, but it’s delicious.
I agree with you… shopping with Strand is a delight! I think I need to place an order with them again soon.