Unbridled Love Fruit Tea by Teavivre

Unbridled Love Fruit Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: TeaVivre's Fruit Tea's make great, low calorie, caffeine-free, refreshing drinks for anytime of the day. Made only from carefully matched flower petals, dried fruit and berries, they all have high levels of vitamins and minerals and – most importantly – taste and smell great! They are all fantastic to drink either hot or iced.
Ingredients: Apple, Roselle, Rose hip, Orange Peel and Black Currants

Directions: 3-4 teaspoons for 8oz of water. Brew at 212 ºF for 8 to 9 minutes
Website: Teavivre.com

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug, depression glass cup
Measured dry: 4 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 9 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

This tea has taken me on a bit of a journey. When the sample first arrived from Teavivre, I though it would simply be a nice, enjoyable cup to make the most of a long summer evening. I wasn't expecting it to become my husband's new favorite fruit blend, nor did I expect the quick trip back to my best friend's childhood home where we used to have fruit juice "tea" parties in the backyard.

First Steep: The dry smell is a curious blend... it's apple with a faintly floral, berry kick. One of the best things about infusing in glass is that you get to watch the steep slowly unfold. It's delightful to watch crimson ribbons snake down from the infuser basket and turn water into a liquor.

The color is a lovely blend of dark pink with an orange twist, and before I even take my first sip I can smell the delicate aroma of rose hips and apple. That translates well into the flavor, which continues to build on those elements and adds a black currant chaser. There is still a delicate flavor, by no means overwhelming but still made of stern enough stuff to build a nice cuppa.

This is like apple cider in a rose garden. As the cup begins to cool, slight orange hints sneak from their hiding places but remain firmly in the background. It is whole and refreshingly authentic without any of the artificial and/or perfumey notes that plague many other fruit or floral blends.

Re-Steep: Out of curiosity, I did attempt another steep.  It was a bit too light. This tea just gives its all in the first steep and doesn't save anything for later. It's a very, very faint apple and orange. The colorful streamers never appeared and most the color had more to do with raw sugar than anything else.

Second Attempt: I just picked up a white teapot as an early birthday present, and I couldn't resist making a fresh batch. My husband Jake absolutely loved it, and while I need to scale down my apple intake, he has no such worries and is avidly looking forward to enjoying this on winter mornings.

Prominent Notes: Apple and rose hips

Aftertaste: Black currant

Overall: A keeper!