My Overall Impression (Score of 87 %)

This has been a busy week with my new job and Fall rolling in.  The garden needs to be shut down and the house winterized.  MI has been cold this week too, meaning the heaters had to be turned on.  Fall is here and I’m loving it, but I feel swamped.  While I’ve been enjoying other teas, Pineapple Blues crossed over my desk, and I had to try it.  I’m a big fan of green teas but I’m not a fan of artificial flavored teas (you know what I’m referring to).

Pineapple Blues is a great blend of dried green tea with pieces of dried pineapple, mango, and blueberries in the mix.  In addition, they have blended in different flowers creating such an interesting brew.  I opened the package, and my nose was hit with sweet, candied fruit.  This follows along in the brew for a beautiful well-balanced tea.  This one is another great value that you will love. 

One suggestion – I would serve this in small pours or in an insulated cup.  When brewed at 175 F, the temperature drops quickly muting the brew.  Preheating the cups works as well so you can enjoy this fully.

The price as of 10/18/23 is $14.95 for 141 gm or 5 oz.

Broken down:

• 141 gm / 2 gm for steeping = 70 cups
• 70 cups from package = $0.21 per cup app

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 140 cups or approximately 11 cents per cup.  An Amazing value for this quality of tea.

SideNote:  When measuring, try to balance the dried fruit pieces and loose tea.  It’s very easy to measure too much dried fruit out and your brew will not be balanced.

Aromas

• In the pouch, you are greeted with big, candied fruit that has tropical notes of pineapple, mango, guava, citrus rind, and blueberries.
• The green malt is a bit muted (due to the intense fruit) but there. It’s a lovely blend mixed in with the different flowers (the red specks remind me of saffron).
• Once it’s brewed, the same fantastic aromas carry through. It also shows some minerality (reminded me of wet gravel) over the entire profile with hints of the flowers and saffron ( I kept thinking saffron risotto).

Flavors

• I loved the flavors of the fruit but the green malt shines to give it backbone.
• All of the ingredients are in a lovely balance, so you are not tasting one over the other. Refer to my sidenote above regarding measuring out the tea. 
• The brew has soft supple tones that show a great creamy mouthfeel. It’s off dry (due to the candied fruit) with great notes of tropical fruit.
• I love its structure over the profile. It has great depth.  Again, enjoy it hot while it’s fresh as when it cools, it loses potency quickly.
• This would be an interesting tea to try and brew next summer as an iced tea using the sun.

Scores

• Aromas (4.4/5)
• Flavors (8.6/10)
• Overall impression (4.4/5)
  • Total score = 87 percent (17.4/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• The first food that crossed my mind was a pineapple upside down cake which is hysterical because I do not care for it. Please note that as a Culinary Educator for 25 plus years, I’ve seen this cake in every version (good and bad) imaginable.  However, a good version of this would pair amazingly with this tea.
• Since the weather is getting cold, I like smoked or braised items. When thinking about different food pairings for this brew, my mind projected a slow smoked Boston Butt.  Now pork will work with this brew.  However, to help it match better, I would collect the pan drippings, defat them, and mix some of the dried tea into the drippings to flavor them.  I would hand shred the pork (which means just break it apart with my hands – Supple) and mix the flavored drippings back in.  BTW, I highly recommend fresh corn tortillas and cheese be handy.
• Since the smoker is lit, I never let empty space on the smoker go to waste. I would smoke a few chickens as well.  The chicken will be cooled, and hand pulled as well.  Now I can add this to a variety of dishes (from soups, fried rice to white chili) but my favorite is chicken salad.  Add in some golden raisins, a hint of diced bacon, toasted walnuts and serve this with Butter Lettuce as a salad or lettuce wrap.
• I love the holidays as I get to visit friends and family. One of the best things about this is going to a party and finding the whipped shortbread cookies.  These gems are addictive since I’d grab the whole container and hide somewhere to enjoy.  Think about the softness of the cookie linking to the mouthfeel of the tea as the flavors compliment.  You’re welcome 😊.