Black Currant

Day 4 of the 12 days of Christmas.

Finally getting to try this, I didn’t have time to steep it before work on Monday & I can’t drink black teas after 5pm. Or I get no sleep.

Alright so this is definetly berry smelling. I’m not exactly sure what black currants taste like. So this is berry like, almost raspberry-ey. A little on the artificial berry, but still very nice. I over steeped it a bit, so it does have a touch of astringency. But overall a really nice tea

pic
http://instagr.am/p/TWQ2D8MGSO/

I’m so happy I ordered this!

Tea #12 from Traveling Tea Box C

Backlog.

The dry leaf has a very sweet smell, so I was feeling pretty optimistic about this tea. I haven’t had much luck with other currant teas. The flavor is quite strong, and a bit tart. This tastes like a pretty typical flavored black tea from H&S (most of which I enjoy quite a bit), so I’m starting to think the problem is that I don’t really like currants.

I can definitely recognize why people would like this tea, so it earned quite a few points there, but lost some for not being as well balanced as other H&S flavored black teas.

The music is playing and my dancing shoes are tied. I’m ready to move. There are certain things in life that just simply thrive in combination. Cheese and wine being one. Laurel and Hardy are another. How about black tea combined with black currant?

Stick your nose in a canister of Harney and Sons’ black currant and you’re quickly engaged with a strong, berry-like scent. Taste this tea and you are experiencing a certain harmony. Black currant, which first originated in Tibet and later brought into Europe, provides a tart, slightly sour taste. When combined with the black tea, an inviting balance is met. The strong nature of the black tea with the tart notes of the black currant dance in lock step. Too many flavored black teas on the market have their flavoring overwhelm the tea. Not so here. Harney and Sons uses the black currant as a tasteful, nuanced enhancement. Never is the black currant overpowering. This is well executed.

For those that like lemon in their black tea, this black currant can make a nice, milder alternative. Less acidic and less sour than lemon, yet still exhibiting a well-mannered tartness. This is one of my favorite flavored-black teas. Now, excuse me while I sip some more and waltz.

I’ve been drinking a lot of this for the past week, especially with Jim’s family visiting. My sister-in-law seems to really like it. :) One of my favorite Harney & Sons teas.

Really really really enjoyed this tea! I absolutely love Black Currants so when my co-worker brought this tea to work i couldnt resist! The tin it came in smells amazing and i couldnt wait the 3 mins while it brewed. When i was finally able to take my first sip, i felt like i was in heaven! The flavor did not quite match up to the sweetness of the smell but it was still a wonderful taste. It has no astrigency even after it cools down a bit which is lovely! This is a spectacular tea and i hope all who drink it love it as much as i did!

The dry leaves smell positively yummy .. A deep, sweet, fruity aroma, and I swear I can even detect a chocolate note in there somewhere – like a rich Black Forest cake! And yes I know Black Forest’s don’t have currents, but that’s what instantly came to mind , Jam & Chocolate :)

Only once brewed it seemed to me to lose that yummy scent, and the flavour too was all tea and no fruit :(

I came online to read what others had to say about it as I sipped, and to be honest I’m pretty darn confused, both by it’s description & the other reviewers experiences as I personally found it needed at least two good spoonfuls of sugar to get any sweetness from it .. I certainly couldn’t taste any fruit .. So I figured I needed to try brewing a little cooler and a little quicker in hopes of less tannins and more fruit flavour ..

Take #2 – Nope pretty much the same deal; strong tea with maybe just a hint of fruit, if I really stretch my imagination .. Hmm .. How’s about cold?

Take #3 – Oh ok now we’re talking .. Still strong black tea as the dominant flavour, but definitely tea with fruit!

This is actually a super nice drink COLD .. Reminds me a little of cherry cola (yes another odd flavour connection), only this is much much better .. I could definitely desire a glass come summer :P

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this yet, as it is probably my favorite tea of the moment. Black Currant has a lovely, rich black tea base, typical of other Harney blends, with the perfect amount of fruity flavor in every sip and no astringency whatsoever. The first time I tried it, as a teabag from a Harney sampler, I was inspired to order 4 oz worth. I have had this hot and iced, I have steeped it for three minutes and eight minutes, and it has always been delicious.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, I never had black currant flavored anything before this tea. I am sorry that’s the case, because they have a distinctive and tasty flavor and scent that permeates this tea blend, without tasting artificial in any way. There is a hint of natural sweetness to the tea that makes it taste like a treat, but it’s not so sweet that it’s a dessert tea. I will drink this any time of day.

Pretty excellent black currant tea, I tend to like fruity black teas though, so I’m easy to please :). I’m looking forward to mixing this with some stronger black tea that I have, as I think I’d like the currant to be a bit more subdued. Better that it’s a stronger currant flavor, though, one can always dilute it!

At the moment, this is my comfort tea, my every morning go-to tea. Fruity and delicious.