I have no idea whether Dunkin' Donuts has released iced green tea nationally or whether it's still in the regional experiment stage. But I drank it, so I'm talking about it.
It was adequate. Utterly, utterly adequate. A little bitterness in the finish, but otherwise pretty much unremarkable. It served the essential purpose of hydrating me without introducing too much caffeine, while having more of a flavor than water. Probably its greatest virtue was the fact that I could get it without sugar, unlike many of the bottled iced green teas on the market. I would drink it again voluntarily.
Regardless of how uninspiring I found Dunkin' Donuts' iced green tea, I am thankful for the fact that iced tea has become a "thing" now. I've never found carbonated beverages palatable, which doesn't leave a lot of options in the cold soft drink department.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Not quite tea: British Chip Shop, Haddonfield, NJ
+Kay White and I have been trying to go out together for tea since some time in November, but schedules, weather and a troublesome car have thwarted us. And life thwarted us slightly again: one shop was closed for the Easter holiday and the other had really limited hours.
Instead we went to a place called the British Chip Shop in Haddonfield, NJ, which was great, even though not exactly tea. The soups -- tomato with bacon and potato leek - were amazing. The tomato soup had all the right smokey notes from the bacon. The potato leek was nicely salty with cream.
I had some of the best fish and chips I've had since the old school places in Kearney closed down. There was some flavorful malt vinegar on the table; with the right amount of salt it was artery-clogging Brit/Scot heaven.
Despite the excellence of the chips, I made sure to save room for dessert -- a strawberry shortcake trifle.
In short, the British Chip Shop warmed my little Anglo-Scot heart, despite the absence of tea.
(This is not to say they didn't have tea at all; but it was a nice enough day that I wanted normal black iced tea not hot tea. They carry Taylor's hot teas, so perhaps at a future visit.).
Instead we went to a place called the British Chip Shop in Haddonfield, NJ, which was great, even though not exactly tea. The soups -- tomato with bacon and potato leek - were amazing. The tomato soup had all the right smokey notes from the bacon. The potato leek was nicely salty with cream.
I had some of the best fish and chips I've had since the old school places in Kearney closed down. There was some flavorful malt vinegar on the table; with the right amount of salt it was artery-clogging Brit/Scot heaven.
Despite the excellence of the chips, I made sure to save room for dessert -- a strawberry shortcake trifle.
In short, the British Chip Shop warmed my little Anglo-Scot heart, despite the absence of tea.
(This is not to say they didn't have tea at all; but it was a nice enough day that I wanted normal black iced tea not hot tea. They carry Taylor's hot teas, so perhaps at a future visit.).
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Iced Tea at Last!
I've made two brews specifically for icing in the last few days, which is wonderful because I'm so terribly over winter.
First, Republic of Tea's Downtown Abbey English Rose is precisely as delicious in iced tea form as I'd hoped. The sharper rose hip and hibiscus notes come out slightly more when this brew is iced.
Second, Celestial Seasoning's Black Cherry Berry makes an excellent fruity brew that is not too sweet and not too tart. A dash of orange-flavored sugar yields a bright and sweet cool drink.
First, Republic of Tea's Downtown Abbey English Rose is precisely as delicious in iced tea form as I'd hoped. The sharper rose hip and hibiscus notes come out slightly more when this brew is iced.
Second, Celestial Seasoning's Black Cherry Berry makes an excellent fruity brew that is not too sweet and not too tart. A dash of orange-flavored sugar yields a bright and sweet cool drink.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Bottle Iced Tea: POM Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea
It's finally warm here in the wilds of NJ, and I'm celebrating the day by reviewing bottled iced tea. POM makes several bottled iced teas with pomegranate as a main ingredient. Today I picked up Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea.
Although it claims to be tea, there's very little tea flavoring here. There's an ending bit of tea-like bitterness but the primary flavor is sweet and fruity. There's no high fructose corn syrup, which makes it tolerably sweet rather than sickly sweet. The sweetness comes from fruit juices and extracts.
The other "flaw" with the tea lies in its low caffeine content. This is, at best, a refreshing afternoon or evening fruit punch. Don't get me wrong: I like it. But it isn't tea.
Although it claims to be tea, there's very little tea flavoring here. There's an ending bit of tea-like bitterness but the primary flavor is sweet and fruity. There's no high fructose corn syrup, which makes it tolerably sweet rather than sickly sweet. The sweetness comes from fruit juices and extracts.
The other "flaw" with the tea lies in its low caffeine content. This is, at best, a refreshing afternoon or evening fruit punch. Don't get me wrong: I like it. But it isn't tea.
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