My Overall Impression (Score of 85.5%)

Earlier this week was National Iced Tea Day.  We are almost mid-June, and the weather is getting warmer each day (yes for Texas, this is nothing).  During these months, I love brewing iced tea in the sun and wanted something different.  I find that some of the deeper, non-fruity black teas are ok, but ones that have fruit taste better to me.

I was looking though my tea stash and found this one.  The company is Ku Cha out of Colorado and when I traveled there earlier this year, I was able to visit their shop.  I found their Blueberry Lavender Bliss option and picked up some for brewing in the summer.  This was a fantastic idea.

The aromas from the bag are so inviting that I could not wait to try this brew.  After waiting for the brewing time and cooling in the fridge, I was happily awarded with a great brew.  I normally avoid chocolate in my teas but this one’s very subtle notes were a joy.  Plus, the smoothness and lower acids will make this a fun tea to pair.  This is one I like to place in my insulated cup and sit on the patio to enjoy sunset.

The price on 6/10/24 is $18.95 for 4 oz (w) or 113 grams.

Broken down:

• 113 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 37 brews
• 37 brews from package = 50.6 cents per brew (4 – 8 oz servings)

After dividing out for 4 servings at 8 oz, the cost per cup is app. 13 cents per 8 oz serving.  This is a fantastic value for this flavor profile.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

“I need to drive to Shipshewana, IN Amish Country to get myself a Blueberry Fried Pie and sit in the car enjoying this with a cup of this brew for full bliss, relaxation and enjoyment.”

Aromas

• Opening the package, intense aromas of floral, blueberries, lavender, corn flowers and toasted malt greet you. There are notes of cocoa as well.
• This is followed by hints of ginger, star anise, dried raspberries, eucalyptus, mint, rosemary oil and an overall musty tone.
• Once brewed, it shows similar characteristics but highly muted (iced tea), but you can easily detect the blueberries and raspberries. The cocoa is more pronounced now.
• There are also hints of cornflowers, ginger, white pepper, and a dusty tone (hard to describe).

Flavors

• My first words were WOW. It’s a wonderful blend of berries, lavender, and cocoa.
• It reminded me of a blueberry pie crust (just the hint of blueberries on the crust itself).
• This is an off dry brew with the sweetness coming from the blueberries and lower acid levels.
• It’s exceptionally clean and easy to sip due to the lower acid levels, showing a bit of texture (dust) on the palate .
• Great medium body and acidity.

Scores

• Aromas (4.4/5)
• Flavors (8.3/10)
• Overall impression (4.3/5)
  • Total score = 85.5 percent (17.1/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• This brew screams fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. During this time of year, I tend to grab handfuls at a time to enjoy and this would be a great match.  For an interesting twist, you can drizzle some dark chocolate over the berries.
• Blueberry fried pies or a blueberry pie with a shortbread crust. Do not forget the dollop of cream.
• A lovely summer salad with butter lettuce, fresh vegetables (no tomatoes) and some dried berries would be a wonderful complement to this brew.
• I love summer when I grill salmon over cedar planks for that extra flavor kick. Why not glaze the salmon with a blueberry jam or blackberry BBQ sauce to work with the tea.
• This one will seem weird, but I know it will work. The brew (maybe the cornflowers) reminds me of fresh peaches.  I would love to infuse a batch of this tea in a simple syrup to sprinkle a bit of the this over the fresh sliced peaches.