The Perfect Pear

This was last night’s early evening tea. I’ve not tried all that many pear teas before – it seems to be a bit of a neglected flavour. I used 1 tsp of leaf, and gave it three minutes in boiling water. No additions.

The first thing that catches my eye (of course) is the sparkles. The cup shimmers with gold, and it’s almost hypnotic watching it swirl and eddy. This is definitely a tea that would look good served in a clear glass teapot! To taste, the pear flavour is pleasantly juicy, if a little candy like. It’s not Della Terra’s floral pear flavouring, though, which I dislike based on how perfumey it is. Instead, it reminds me mostly of a pear drop.

This seems pretty much to be a straight-up pear tea, with no complications or additional flavours, and I like that about it. This was much more of a hit with me than Della Terra’s Spiced Pear blend, for example.

An enjoyable cup, and another sample I’ll have no problem finishing up. A potential future repurchase.

The last time I tried this tea I remember it being far from perfect. The malt tones from the black base were too strong for the pear and at times it got lost in translation. Today I am trying to use up teas from my cupboard and this one is what I have at the moment, remember what it was like last time I decided to put lashings of honey into this batch. It’s made all the difference. Now the pear comes through much stronger and the malt and smoke is left as a gentle after taste, the honey is noticeable but paired with the pear it’s like a sweet/candy but in a nice way. Last time I said it was mild but the honey brings out the sweetness of the pear and gives it a juicy quality. I love biting into a large, ripe pear for the juice to dribble down my chin, this tea reminds me of that. So since honey makes all the difference I will increase my rating a little.

I love pear tea and because of the TheTeaFairy was kind enough to send me some of this to try.
I think I have been spoiled by the Joy’s Teaspoon version – this just does not compare. It’s ok but the pear gets lost in the black base.

Opening the bag, I was blown away by pear, in a ‘holy moley is this tea or shampoo?’ kind of way. It was overpoweringly pear with the slightest floral tinge — definitely reminiscent of body lotion or shampoo or pretty smelly things.

Brewed, this tea smells more floral and less pear. What’s left in the filter smells really pear-y, but what’s in my cup is definitely floral first, then black tea, than pear. Luckily, taste for me it was the inverse. The pear hit my tongue like a juicy, drippy bordering on over-ripe pear, followed by a mellowness that the black tea offered, ending on a citrusy floral note. Huh.

The taste is a tad artificial with just a touch of cloying sweetness. But for whatever reason or mood, I actually really like it. It’s akin to eating a pear candy, or a baked pear where all the natural sugars are released and you end up with something sweet and dessert-y.

This isn’t a vibrant springy pear tea. It’s more get in you face with dessert pear tea. And for that reason, I guess I find myself wanting something more than pear here. I think next time I’ll steep with a cinnamon stick and drink with milk for a pretty killer spiced poached pear tea.