Using this for the sipdown prompt “A tea the flavor of your favorite jelly bean.” Yup, I’m one of those “black licorice jellybean” people. My grandpa used to buy bags of only black licorice flavored jellybeans, thinking they were safe from the grandkids… alas, they were not safe from me. (Sadly, he always knew who had eaten them…)
This bag smells delightfully like black licorice from the dry leaf aroma. I’m fairly certain that was what I was hoping for when I ordered the sample size.
The tea steeps a deceptive red color (there is hibiscus in the blend, which seems an odd choice in a licorice tea, and I’m one of hibi’s few fans…) Sadly the strong licorice aroma of the dry leaf is lost in the steeped cup, due to the hibiscus, which is coming out strongly on the nose.
The taste… huh. Well, I like hibiscus and I like black licorice, so I’m okay with this… it tastes like a weird combination of both. The hibiscus base does create a sort of thick and syrupy mouthfeel that does work well for the licorice notes, but it has such a strong fruity/tart flavor that just doesn’t really match. The result is a little black licorice, a little sour cherry. I was hoping the included chili wouldn’t be noticable, but my spice-sensitive palate is whollaped at the back of the throat by it in the aftertaste.
In concept, this should be something I’d like. Chili aside, I like all the pieces to the puzzle… but those pieces just don’t go together for me. If this didn’t have the hibiscus and chili, it would be right up my alley! I really wanted a strong OOMPH black licorice tea that was herbal that I could enjoy at night. I’ll be able to finish the sampler fairly easily (there really aren’t that many cups in it considering the giant star anise pieces) but it isn’t a tea I’d order again.
Disappointing!
Flavors: Fruity, Hibiscus, Licorice, Spicy, Tart, Thick
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
This, uh, does not sound good to me at all. Hahahaha.
I was right there with you when you said ‘black licorice jelly bean’ but this tea sounds disappointingly muddled.
Yes, I was really hoping for “black licorice jelly bean” but the base and spice ruined it. Maybe one day I’ll come across my perfect black licorice-flavored herbal tea!
This, uh, does not sound good to me at all. Hahahaha.
I was right there with you when you said ‘black licorice jelly bean’ but this tea sounds disappointingly muddled.
Yes, I was really hoping for “black licorice jelly bean” but the base and spice ruined it. Maybe one day I’ll come across my perfect black licorice-flavored herbal tea!