Spice Professors: Very Berry

I have a very cool boss. For the purposes of this blog he shall be called simply Mr M.

Last year Mr M went on several travels and brought me some very precious and much appreciated gifts. Firstly, he went to Liverpool. You may, or may not, know that I am a through and through Beatle nut. Not a day goes by when I don't listen to a Beatles song. Not a day goes by when I don't post some sort of Beatle picture onto Twitter. In fact my admiration for the four cheeky Liverpudlian's - otherwise known as 'my boys' - is so ingrained that during my recent bout with stomach flu took to singing 'Dear Prudence" inbetween heaving. They got me through the worst of it.

Anyway, whilst Mr M was in Liverpool he very kindly brought me two things. A really handy Beatle shopping bag and this gorgeous mug which is used almost daily.

The mug is ace. Not only does it hold A LOT of tea, it keeps it steaming hot for ages and ages.

At the end of last year Mr M went to New York and brought me back this pack of tea. And this evening I'm enjoying a cup tucked up warmly in bed. It's been a long (and at some points stressful) day and to be able to sleep, I know I have to get out in words what is buzzing in my head. And there is no better way to do that then blog.

The tea I'm reviewing is from Spice Professor's and it's herbal infusion called Very Berry.

Now, this blend is not available in the UK sadly as Spice Professors are based in New York and I will admit that it's a great shame as I think this blend would be a real hit in this country. It certainly has in this house!

Very Berry contains three things. Hibiscus petals, elderberries and raisins. Along with natural flavouring. A simple tea on the surface but one which the ingredients work so well together through excellent pairing.

This tea is incredibly aromatic when opening the packet. It's fresh and fruity with a interesting zing. 

Aesthetically, this is one of the most interesting tea's I've seen in a long time. It's just so very, very pretty. Against the dark blackness from the raisin's and elderberries you have the splash of shocking pink from the hibiscus petals. I can't find anything wrong with this tea so far.

As the cup is quite big I filled two teabags with the tea. One fully filled and the other half filled. I waited for the steeping and timed it for exactly four minutes - a perfect time for me when making fruit tea.

When you take the first sip of this blend the first flavour that comes through is the elderberries. The elderberries are quite sharp and this is the stronger of all the flavours in this tea. I like it's tartness, it makes the blend interesting and really keeps you on your toes.

Second to the elderberries is the sweet, succulent flavour of the raisins themselves. This is what got me really excited about the tea - raisin's. I have had raisin tea before and absolutely loved it. And it's no different in this tea. The sweetness is just the right balance to take the edge off the elderberries sharp flavour without being too much that it's uncomfortable to drink - I cannot stand overly sweet tea, so for me personally, this is the perfect blend between two flavours.

Swirling throughout this fruity infusion is the gorgeous floral flavour of the hibiscus petal's. I'm absolutely mad on floral tea as you regular readers will know, so I found this a delightful addition to this gorgeous blend.

With each sip of this tea you go through three very different stages. Firstly you get hit with the sharpness from the elderberries, secondly, you have the sweet sensation from the raisin's. And last, but not least, a light and airy floral flavour from the hibiscus.  So perfectly blended and created is this tea that you experience a full range of flavours and textures.

I am not hugely a fruit tea person. I will give them all a try but normally they don't make that much of a impression on me. However, this tea absolutely has. And because it's not available in the UK I've tended to limit how much of this tea I have. I have a cup a month and no more.

It's a real shame that I wont be able to experience anymore of their flavours. I saw their blueberry tea and said to myself "ooh that's interesting ..." absolutely forgetting I can't get the tea here. Not before adding the tea to the basket and looking for my purse!

But, I'm also very grateful that I was able to try a tea that normally I wouldn't of even known existed.

So, I have to end this by thanking Mr M for thinking of me and bringing this tea home to try. And I honestly have loved every sip.