Tea Tasting: Teavana's Youthberry White Tea

I'm not entirely sure why they call it "Youthberry."   It's a white tea with a lot of different mixed fruits -- red currants, açai berry, hibiscus, rose petals, candied pineapple, mango pieces and Fuji and golden delicious apples.  

The resulting tisane is sharp, bright and fruity.  The tart fruits come out more prominently than the sweet fruits, unless I add honey.   This is one of the few teas where I really want the sweetener to even out the flavors.  Also be very careful not to over-cook this one with a hotter water than is appropriate for white tea.  White teas are best at 175 degrees.  If you use hotter water, it makes the resulting tisane less flavorful.

Teavana recommends blending the Youthberry with its Wild Orange Blossom herbal tea and even sells it pre-blended.    I like the blended version better than the straight Youthberry.  It's a smoother flavor, with a better balance between the sweet and tart aspects.