SBT: RadioactiviTEA

Backlog: I have been drinking this all afternoon. This one is really, surprisingly good. I had my reservations, mostly because I usually prefer strong, bold teas like this served hot, and I usually want a lighter tea for iced tea.

But, this one is really excellent: bold but not overly aggressive, it has a deliciously smooth character and a hint of fruity notes in the background, with a wonderful fruity quality. Absolutely delicious and very refreshing.

this was a gift from the awesome CHAroma… and i can’t even tell you what it tasted like!

this last january my wife and i were dismayed when a steady drip of water started through the ceiling in the living room. the last three weeks have been comprised of my wife and son clambering up and down scaffolding making the necessary repairs (while i stayed below in a cast).

this tea kept them going on a black asphalt roof last weekend when it was crazy hot. they both loved it. thanks frank!

I kind of forgot to set the timer for this one, but I think it was steeped for about 3 minutes. The dry leaf aroma is a lovely black tea that screams I WANT TO BE MADE INTO ICED TEA!!! I poured myself a glass and added sweetener. The verdict? This tea is much mellower than I was expecting. It brews up very dark, so I was a little intimidated at first.

But I’m on my second glass now! This tea is very smooth and flavorful. If you like unflavored iced tea, this is the one for you! It’s a nice balance of bold and smooth. Personally, I prefer the flavored SBTs. This isn’t bad by any means. It’s just not very exciting, and I love how creative and unique the SBT line is. This was nice for a change of pace though.

This will be my first SBT and I must say I am very excited, both at the prospect of tasting a new tea and for receiving this one’s supposed radio active ultra caffeine effects. Yesterday I worked a long shift and not long after I got home I got called in and asked to work today (my day off)…lets just say that I am far from being amused by all of these hours. At least now you can understand why I need a good caffeine boost.

The SBT range arrive in very large tea bags as they are for making a jug of iced tea but as I am at work today and have no jug handy I have had to cut open the bag and use a very generous 1 and half spoons full of tea to make enough for one pint of tea. Not how this is meant to be used but I believe I have a fairly accurate example infront of me. Made with boiled water for 3 minutes and poured over ice and left for a few minutes to cool.

Colour wise this is as you would expect of an assam, dark reddy brown (like autumn leaves at the end of the season).

Smell wise this is strongly earthy.

Now for the long awaited and needed taste. Boy that’s strong but in such a lovely way, it’s not just your standard assam at all. This has a lot of strength without any bitterness or sharpness to it and as an iced tea this is perfect. There is a slight sweetness blended with an earthy boost and malty finish.

About half way down my cup and all of a sudden BA BOOOOOOOOOOM!!! The caffeine has exploded into my system and is making me type a the speed of light (or so it feels). The last time I felt like this was when I had a few expresso’s (many years ago) with my husband and we walked down the street laughing and acting drunk from the buzz (when I say years ago it truly was, thinking back I was 15 so almost 10 years ago).
What a lovely memory to think back on :)

Well I usually don’t go so off topic….lets bring myself back to reality takes deep breath right there we are. I guess this truly is radioactive.

If you like your iced tea strong and unflavoured then you will love this one. I think this is now my favourite unflavoured iced tea :)

Today’s iced tea. We’re super-busy at work at the moment (I’ll be working Saturday, sadly, and extra hours all of next week), so I wanted a plain, simple, caffeinated tea to sip on that I wouldn’t have to concentrate on too much. This one fit the bill perfectly! It got my usual SBT treatment – 3 minutes in 1/4 litre of boiling water, topped up to 2 litres with cold and then into the fridge for around 10 hours overnight.

There’s not a lot to say about it. It’s the usual SBT base, as far as I can tell, only without any flavouring. It’s a solid, malty black tea with no bitterness or astringency. Just easy to drink, plain tea. I could add lemon, sugar, or both, but I probably won’t. It’s fine just as it is. I don’t usually go for plain when it comes to iced tea or cold brews, but today it’s a welcome simplicity.

Made as per package directions. Added some white sugar.

This one is pretty much a basic iced tea. No flavourings. And that is ok because I like it that way. There is a slight sweetness to the tea, (not the sugar I added, but from the assam blend). It is not bitter or astringent but I could see how it could become that if it is steeped for too long. It is not the smoothest of blends, but it is still ok.

Edit: re steeped for 3 min. The colour of the liquor was quite dark so I added a full 2L of water, as it would do for the first steep. Sadly, the disappointment of the new blend SBT resteeps remains. It was actually fairly weak. I wish I would have added only 1L of water.