Crisp Autumn Morning

This tea has one of my favourite kind of tea names – something conceptual/creative that conveys more of a feeling than a specific flavour or recreation of a food. Is that the most commercial approach to naming your tea? Arguably not – but I find those blends are typically less disappointing on average because you’re not comparing the flavour mentally against an actual thing…

I’ll give you an example…

This tea is very bright, tart and flavourful with really punchy notes of cranberry that remind me of a mix of tart cranberry juice and sweet and tangy cranberry jelly. It’s very autumnal, good hot but clearly would also ice super well. Leans into the natural sweetness of the apple, and the hibiscus boosts those puckering notes and adds body while blending pretty natural to the red fruit vibes. It definitely conveys that feeling of a crisp autumnal day thanks to my mental association with cranberry and Thanksgiving but also the crisp and tart/clean flavour of the cranberry.

Now… What if you called this tea Cranberry Cider?

Well, I wouldn’t be upset at that because cranberry and apple are the main flavours and prominent ingredients – so it makes sense on that level. However, there’s more freedom in how you would interpret that. Is a Cranberry Cider sweet or tart? Both? What is the balance there. Should I get more apple or should I get more cranberry? Is it boozy? Spiced? I’m definitely not saying it wouldn’t work under that name and I think, arguably, it’s a more commercial name – but there’s also just a higher potential for it to not match my mental idea of what that tea should taste like.

Anyway – all that to say that I did really enjoy this one and the name is cool. It’s possibly my favourite so far other than maybe Strawberry Fondue. The flavour is simple but well executed and it reminds me a lot of Cranberry Purifier – which is another cranberry tea I adore a lot from Tea Squared. In general, I think, I just have a strong preference for cranberry teas.