I don’t have a ton of experience with good black/red teas yet. I used to only drink black tea with cream and, if I was feeling extravagant, a bit of maple sugar, so I only bought “grocery store fancy” black teas. The good stuff is so much different and I can’t imagine adding cream or sugar to it.
I got one mini Redhead, mostly because the minis are cute and the wrapper artwork was interesting. I decided to try it out because I wanted tea but I also really wanted to stuff my face with the ridiculous giant donut I’d picked up earlier in the day (bright blue glaze, rainbow sprinkles and cubes of confetti cake stuck on top! I ❤️ my local vegan donut shop, even if I do feel like a bit of a fraud going in because I’m only lacto-veg). I wanted something with stronger flavor that wouldn’t be overshadowed by the mountain of sugar I was about to eat. I ended up eating the donut while the water was heating so it wasn’t really that big of an issue. I’m glad it worked out that way because Redhead was more interesting than I was anticipating.
The brewed tea is a really pretty clear reddish color. Teas like this make me understand why Chinese black teas are sometimes called reds. Definitely more red than coffee-colored cheapo black teas I drown in cream. It smells lighter and fruitier than the black teas I’m used to. If I didn’t know better I might think it was a berry flavored tea. Berry is in the flavor too. Almost but not quite like a berry oatmeal. And there’s an odd thick feeling that coats my tongue. The only other tea I’ve had that feels this way in the mouth is the Imperial Gold Needle from Yunnan Sourcing. The flavor is pretty different but the mouthfeel is similar. This isn’t one I’d drink every day but I like it. I was disappointed when I saw the other mini cake in the little baggie with Redhead wasn’t another Redhead. I checked my order list. I guess I only ordered one, for some reason I thought I ordered two. The other mini was a freebie of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Exciting that there’s another tea to try that I didn’t know I had but a tiny bit disappointing that I don’t have another Redhead for later. Not sure I’d get a big cake but I’ll probably try to squeeze a couple more minis in my next order.
