Review: The Boston Tea Company’s Pomegranate Dream Green Tea

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Part of the

My humans are doing something for the first time on this blog. They are giving this tea TWO ratings, one for the hot version and one for the chilled version. See the comments section to find out why.

The Subject: Pomegranate Dream Green Tea from The Boston Tea Company.


Rating (hot version):

Rating (chilled version):

Water temperature: 160˚ F

Steeping time: 3 minutes (they recommend 1-3 minutes)

Tea type: Green
Scents, flavorings, etc.: Raspberry, unspecified natural flavorings
Aroma, dry: Fruit scent blended with grassy green tea scent
Aroma in the cup, plain: Fruit scent blended with grassy green tea scent
Taste, plain: Fruit taste melded into tea taste
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A
Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Lighter in color and taste

Chilled: Best we’ve tasted so far (see comments)

Comments:
Kudos on another tea where flavors have been added but not so much that they dominate the aroma and taste so much that we don’t detect the tea, too. There is a real balance between the fruit (primarily raspberry, not pomegranate) and the tea (appearance and taste makes us think Dragonwell — it would have been good if the company had specified).

Since the fruit taste in this is raspberry, hubby and I wanted to compare this tea to another one we’d tried. We find this one from Boston Tea Co. to be much more subtle. Our noses aren’t overwhelmed by the fruit scent when first opening the pouch. Both teas had a very evident flavor of raspberry in the liquid. The difference here is that the tea flavor also came through clearly yet not overly loud. Balance.

Overall, the flavor of this tea is very satisfying. It’s mild, smooth, slightly fruity, slightly grassy, and consistent even as it cools a bit in the cup. It’s definitely a sipper tea, which is also a good thing.

The 2nd infusion was about the same medium yellow color but had a lighter fruit taste. It was still mild and smooth with no aftertaste. Judging by the leaf piece sizes and the strength of this infusion, we could probably have done a 3rd infusion. Speaking of the leaves, they looked and smelled so good that we were tempted to add them into a salad.

One thing’s for sure: this is not on a par with teadust-in-a-bag versions. It’s so far above them that I feel sort of guilty even mentioning them, but I also thought it was worth pointing out that your money is much better spent on a tea like this. You get multiple infusions, better taste, and greater satisfaction as a tea drinker.

The chilled version was outstanding. There was no aroma, but this wasn’t surprising. Most chilled teas (and other beverages and foods) have little or no smell when chilled in the frig (foods containing garlic being a notable exception). The flavor, though, was nothing short of amazing. The fruitiness came through in perfect balance with the tea flavor. The liquid was clear and quite beautiful. This would be a great chilled tea for your kids. It is naturally sweet and needs no sugar. Yes, it has caffeine, but in a small amount that doesn’t detract from the overall healthy qualities of this green tea. All of you adults will find it very tasty and refreshing, especially as the thermometers continue to register temps near or in the triple digits.

We had to deduct a half teapot from the hot version because of the tea name (the chilled version was so good that we gave it a separate rating of 5 teapots). Going by the description provided with the tea, there is no pomegranate in this. As someone who is a stickler for using correct terms (such as not calling herbals by the term “tea”), naming something “Pomegranate Dream Green Tea” that has no pomegranate in it is not kosher. Pomegranate is increasingly touted as beneficial to men’s health, so this makes the misnomer even more egregious.

NOTE: This pouch is what the Boston Tea Company uses for samples. Their normal pouches are opaque, not clear, and block out light, very important for preserving your fine teas. Pouches are, overall, my favorite packaging, since, as the tea is used, excess air can be squeezed out before resealing, unlike tea tins and boxes.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.