A strong, vegetal fruity note is the first thing I noticed about this, slightly weaker than in the Sakurambo Vert version, but still prominent next to a leafy aroma. Something about it brings to mind freshly cut grass, but in a pleasant way, like a freshly mown grass on an organic fruit farm. There are cute red peppercorns and alleged rosemary mixed in the leaves, though my batch seems to have a minimal amount.
The flavour of this is not particularly “cherry,” it’s fruity but this more suggests a green, slightly under-ripe fruit. Refreshing and astringent but not a classic juicy red cherry taste. It’s very refreshing and a lovely tea overall but I would not have guessed cherry was the blender’s intention if I’d tasted it blind.
If you’re looking for a good black with astringent notes of mystery fruit, you couldn’t do much better than this. Very smooth and enjoyable. I’ve bought this again and again, but just beware that it’s not really as described if you’re thinking of a classic sweet cherry.
Flavors: Astringent, Dry Grass, Tart, Vegetal
