My Darling Clementine – It’s Better Than You Realize

My Overall Impression (Score of 91.75 %)

My busy summer of travel along with overcast days and smoke from wildfires led to less opportunities to brew sun tea.  Trust me, I did make some as I would drink gallons of it if I could.  However, in order to evaluate brews consistently (for this site), I always look for the same weather patterns.  This year was hard but I was able to get a few in.

My Darling Clementine was a brew that I picked up last year when I traveled to California.  The owner was super helpful and it’s a beautiful shop that has a great variety of unique blends.  This one stuck out for a few reasons.  Its exceptionally fruit forward and floral which inspired me to purchase some.  I absolutely love clementines and always have some in my fridge to cook with or eat (you should think about adding one to a tomato sauce to simmer down, squeeze out the juice into the sauce and discard).  Plus, who does not love a little hand-held snack created by nature?

How can I describe this other that the first word I can think of is aggressive.  You open the package and this tea has arrived as it permeates the area.  As an iced tea, just WOW sums it up.  From the delicate notes, to its clean palate and lovely acid balance, its simply just a great blend.  I checked their website and it’s not listed presently.  However, I’m hoping and praying that it’s more a seasonal blend and will come back.  Reach out and grab some if they offer it again.  Better yet, check out their selections as they have plenty to like and try.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

• “This is combo of spring citrus and fall relaxation rolled into one on your palate. From the first appraisal out of the package to its refreshing taste, its darn yummy!”

The Price

The price on 2/6/25 was $11 per 50 grams.

Broken down:

• 50 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 16
• 16 brews per price = app. 69 cents per brew (4 cups or 1 Quart).
• Cost per cup is app 17 cents per cup

I really hope they bring this back as you can not beat the flavor profile for the price point.

Aromas

• Opening the package, you are blown away with the big fruit forward aromas of citrus and berries (it’s a tad artificial but not unpleasant).
• This is followed by lovely floral notes, that are very inviting.
• Once brewed and chilled, the citrus notes are muted (due to the chill) but more of the green malt character is shown. This is vegetable driven (notes of fresh green beans) with the citrus, berries and floral notes still there.

Flavors

• The citrus is profound with subtle notes of lemon rind and lemon oil, tangerine and clementine pith with the juice sweetness.
• This is followed by green malt notes (cross between bean sprouts/beans/spinach/fresh peas) for its taste profile. Some floral but hard to detect.
• The great creamy texture on the palate (reminds me of soft cheese) with low acids and tannins.
• It has great structure for the blend of the acidity, mouthfeel, tannins and off dry sweetness.

Scores

• Aromas (4.55/5)
• Flavors (9.15/10)
• Overall impression (4.65/5)
  • Total score = 91.75 percent (18.35/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• I’m a big fan of poaching chicken breasts or thighs and pulling the meat to use in dishes or freeze for later. In this case, poached chicken in green tea would be beautiful with some sauteed pears in lettuce wraps.
• My squash plants this year were eaten by bugs. However, I ran to the store to get some yellow squash, lightly sauteed them to soften and pureed this with tangerine juice for a chilled soup for a great appetizer option.  BTW, I dusted the soup with cardamom to finish.
• I attempted to make spinach wraps one time. Now I purchase them (much easier and less bad words), dice up some oranges and toss with either grilled or smoked chicken and your cheese and lettuce of choice to have a quick and healthy entrée/ lunch.
• Marinated small mozzarella balls (the marinade being citrus juice used to make the vinaigrette base) are amazing. These are universal for charcuterie plates or toss into a green salad (or just reach in the bowl and eat).
• We are moving into the Fall which means it’s time for heavy meals and desserts. I love pound cake as a quick snack after dinner so making a citrus based glazed pound cake works amazing with this brew.
• Use the tangerine juice and brandy for flambeed crepes for a great dessert. It’s a great interesting twist.  BTW, Trader Joes sells tangerine juice if you do not want to squeeze any fruit.
• I love carbonara (like every 7-10 days its on the menu). To add some character and change it up, I love to sauté some shrimp and add a splash of citrus and agave to glaze the shrimp to serve on the side.  Yes, a good carbonara needs nothing.  However, it’s better with more protein and shrimp and pancetta pair exceptionally well.