Twinings Sensation Range: Lime and Ginger

Last year I was fortunate to win a Twinings competition. It was the full range of their new Sensations line. The range is fantastic. You have herbal tea such as Camomile and Maple, fruit teas such as Blackcurrant and Rhubarb and minty tea, which is called Buttermint Sensation.

Today I made a cup of Lime and Ginger. It really is a zingy blend, which is made up of lime peel, ginger and tangerine.

Lime is quite a different choice to include as a infusion, and it makes a very welcome difference to lemon, which is normally included in any line of fruit tea. Having a preference for citrus flavoured stuff, Lime and Ginger was the first tea I tried when receiving my prize from Twinings.

Earlier on in the week I reviewed the Gingersnap Peach, and said that the ginger included in the tea came as a after bite, such was the sweetness of the peach. Well, pairing up lime and ginger, two very strong flavours makes for a completely different experience altogether.

The ginger, instead of being fairly discreet, like it is with Gingersnap Peach, is prominent. Taking the teabag from it's envelope, I sniffed the teabag and the ginger even smelt strong! This was not going to be a subtle tea to drink. This was really going to be a flavoursome brew.

When brewing the tea the two scents of lime and ginger work well together, in fact they compliment each other.

It said to brew the tea for four minutes, but I like leaving the teabag in for longer then that, as I like the strong flavour. As with all fruit teas, milk isn't needed, but a little bit of sugar could be added if you don't like citrus flavours being too sharp.

When fully brewed the tea makes for a light amber colour with a slight green tinge to it.

From the first sip your taste buds go on a awesome journey. The lime and ginger flavour's do not compete against one another. Ginger is the first taste you'll get, and it tickles your taste buds, then comes the sharp flavour of lime. With each sip, your mouth starts to ever so slightly (but not unpleastantly so) tingle. In a strange way, as the brew cools, the lime starts to highlight the ginger even more, and by the time you reach the end of the drink, it starts to taste almost sweet.

Lime and Ginger is a refreshing brew. And I find, after eating something like a curry, it does refresh and cleanse the palate. It's has a very strong aroma and a powerful taste, so it's not the sort of tea that you could drink cup after cup of. I have to be in the mood for Lime and Ginger, it's not a blend I drink daily, but when I really fancy a cup, I really enjoy it.

It's vastly different to anything else Twinings have in their shop. I'm really impressed with Twinings for using lime. It really works well, and would make a good fruit tea punch (see my blog on Apple Crunch for how you make a infusion tea into a cooling fruit punch).

Summary of Lime and Ginger

- Available in boxes of twenty individually wrapped envelopes. £2.29 for twenty.
- Brew for up to four minutes, but longer if you like a stronger taste.
- Do not add milk, but if you find the flavours too sharp, add a touch of sugar.