184 Tasting Notes
Being doomed temporarily to decaf-land after being a hearty black tea drinker for decades was almost a death sentence. Really? It takes 2 decaf Tetley bags to make a vaguely reasonable mug of tea. Bleah. I came across this tea at our local Mitsuwa and DANG AM I GLAD!! First sniff takes me right to Crunchberry-ville!! The strawberry and vanilla smells really sweet, but it doesn’t translate to that level of sweetness in the mug. But it is nice. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. It tastes like a treat. A nommy self-indulgent treat. I used honey and milk with a teabag…I might add a bit more tea to the brew if I had loose leaf to make it stronger, but that’s my personal choice. If you like cap’n crunch, get this tea. If you love strawberries, get this tea…..aw heck, just get this tea. Especially if you’re living in decaf land. It’s worth it.
This is my go-to decaf tea when I need a cup of decaf (doctor’s orders). It has a robust taste, stands up to milk and honey well for a great, honest cup of black tea. This is a loose tea with broken leaves, so it brews up dark. Not malty, not bitter….just black tea goodness. I use just a bit more than I normally would to brew this to make up for the “decaf” (which usually brews a little weaker than regular tea). Well worth buying
Working class tea that makes a strong brew. The box doesn’t lie! It isn’t quality, you won’t get a memorable aroma or taste from Builders, but when you “just want a cup of strong tea”, this is a reasonable, affordable option. Makes PG Tips and Tetley seem like they’re making a half-hearted effort. I can find it at my local World Market and on Amazon. When we run out of our favorite tea, we’re always happy we have a box of Builders around.
Decaf tea…. a blasphemous term. It is harder to find a good decaf tea than it is to light a fire with a snail. Having been recently told by a doctor to cut down on the blessed caffeine, I’ve had no choice but to explore decaf teas. This tea was a bright surprise in the sea of powdery blandness that can be decaf black teas. The muscat grape flavor isn’t sweet, but adds a rather pleasant extra dimension with the fruitiness and the astringent taste. Not a bad astringent….just like the skins of grapes…which balances the “meh” of decaf really well. If you’re doomed to decaf, try this tea. It will give you a welcome alternative to the “usual”.
