My new peppermint passion (Tetley Peppermint Punch)

Member Name: fizzywizzy

Product:	Tetley Peppermint Punch
Date:	31/07/07 (157 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tasty, caffeine free, currently a bargain

Disadvantages: Murky colour, unknown residue

Recently I have cut down on my caffeine intake, not that it was especially high, but I have limited myself to no more than one good coffee a day so I have been looking for something to drink while at work. Always one for a bargain, I spotted these Tetley Peppermint Punch teabags at the very attractive price of just 39 Pence for twenty in Morrisons and pounced.

I was not sure about buying something like this from Tetley because I associate the brand with traditional tea which I do not drink at all. Furthermore, I am wary of some of these fruit and herbal teas because I find them too sweet, tasting too artificial and being lurid colours which I find unnecessary. However, the combination of the price and the attractive packaging that boasted that the tea is “naturally caffeine free” persuaded me to give this product a try.

Usually I would not say much on the packaging for a product like this, it is, after all the taste that is paramount, but if it were not for the packaging I might not have noticed the product at all. The product comes in a cardboard tube, about ten centimetres tall with a metal base and a resealable tightfitting plastic lid. All the components appear to be recyclable but this is very much the kind of container I would keep to use for other things. The greens and aquas used for the design are attractive and natural looking and there is a picture of a single mint leaf which all contribute to the concept of this as a natural and healthy product.

If this has tempted you, read on…

When you open the container there is a lovely gentle whiff of peppermint, more like peppermint candies than a fresh herb but not too sickly. If you sniff one of the teabags, though, the smell is quite strong and quite medicinal.

When you pour on the hot water the smell is not immediately noticeable but the colour change of the water is. Initially it turns the water a lovely pale lime shade but after a second or two this becomes very dark and, for me, quite unappealing; to be blunt it looked like the contents of my mop bucket just before I pour it down the drain.

Nevertheless, the smell is now starting to develop nicely and it is vital, as I have learned from mistakes, not to let the bag steep too long as it is very easy with this product to cross the line between just right and stewed. Tetley suggest between three and five minutes, but I find two and a half sufficient.

The packaging notes suggest sweetening the tea with sugar or honey and even though I must admit to having a sweet tooth, I have not felt the need to sweeten this particular brand.

The initial taste is of the lovely fresh peppermint leaves and it’s predominantly herbal. Tetley claim that the only ingredient is the finest European peppermint leaves and I have to say that, unlike others I have tried, this does taste very natural and more like a homemade peppermint tea made from the contents of my window box than any packaged product I have tried before. The aftertaste is slightly sweeter and more reminiscent of peppermint sweets like Imperial mints, not too sugary but a sweeter note than the herbal mint. I especially like the way I feel refreshed after a cup of Peppermint Punch and I can taste the flavour for a good while after I’ve enjoyed a brew.

Apart from the murky colour, the only thing I don’t like about this product is the odd residue that starts to appear swimming near the bottom as the base of my mug (fine bone china if you please, I loathe an earthenware drinking vessel!). What is it? Is it normal? I don’t know, I don’t really drink tea. I’ve never noticed it before……oh well, drink it anyway, it’s probably harmeless….

Overall I would recommend Tetley Peppermint Punch, especially if you can get it at the promotional price. It has a good flavour that isn’t too overpowering and that tastes natural as well as the added bonus of being caffeine free.

Summary: A refreshing and tasty alternative to tea and coffee