Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge February 2022: A Grapefruit Tea
I’m a huge fan of the Butiki blend with the same name; this one uses a green tea blend for a base instead of a Kenyan CTC, but I otherwise find it comparable to memory. I like it a lot and am frankly surprised to see such a “me” tea neglected at the back of the cupboard (I didn’t know I had it. It would’ve been consumed long before now if I’d had even an inkling of its existence).
First off, this blend smells amazing: juicy, bright grapefruit embraced by a cloud of caramelized burnt sugar and vanilla that leans in a vaguely creamy direction. Yum. To taste, I found the tea largely delivered on that aroma, with a few steeping inconsistencies here and there.
My main complaint is that I wish it used a black tea base (I personally love my grapefruit with malt sugar notes). The green blend is alright though. It’s not too invasive or bold – allowing the grapefruit to breathe and stay light on its feet.
Flavors: Acidic, Burnt Sugar, Caramelized Sugar, Citrus, Fruity, Grapefruit, Smooth, Vanilla, Vegetal