It's Tea Jim, but not as we know it (Tetley Pomegranante Tea)

Member Name: allybally

Product:	Tetley Pomegranante Tea
Date:	23/03/07 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Organic, rich in antitoxants

Disadvantages: Tea shouldn't always be messed with

*Totally irrelevant fact - All pomegranates have exactly 365 seeds in them. A grocer told me this once, and being the sad case I am, I checked - several times!

I go through phases with my tea-drinking habits. Unlike most serious tea drinkers who are faithful to one brand, one flavour and one strength, I do like to experiment and try new varieties occasionally. Some experiments are, more successful than others.

Until now, I have only tried Tetley's standard tea bags and was actually surprised to see the range teas on offer. I was particularly surprised to find they did a pomegranate flavoured tea. Pomegranates are my favourite food, let alone fruit in the entire history of food so I knew I had to march down to Asda's and pick up a pack to try.

Tetley Tea Background
Tetley is one of the leaders within this market. Each week Tetley purchases over 1 million kilos of tea, to produce its different blends.

Nearly 150 years after Thomas Garaway first brought tea to Britain. The brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley began to "peddle" salt from the back of a pack horse on the Yorkshire Moors. It wasn't long before they added tea to their supplies and with the proceeds of these ventures, plus profits from investment, the brothers established themselves as tea merchants.
In 1856, having already established Tetley Brothers in Huddersfield, the brothers moved to London. Unfortunately, the brothers disagreed and parted company not long after the move. Joseph went into partnership with Joseph Ackland, and "Joseph Tetley & Company, Wholesale Tea Dealers" was formed. Over the next 20 years the business continued to grow.
Through a distribution agreement with Wright & Graham, Tetley's Teas became a major trade name in America. In 1913 Wright & Graham became Tetley Tea Incorporated.
1939 that Joseph Tetley & Company's British representative (T I Tetley-Jones) first went to America and brought back the idea of the tea bag. I was not until 1953, nearly 33 years after introduction onto the American market, that Tetley introduced the tea bag toBritain. This small, perforated innovation could probably be identified as Tetley's most successful and clear competitive edge.

In 1973, J. Lyons acquired the Tetley Tea Company, going on to launch decaffeinated tea bags in 1988 and round tea bags in 1989 making Tetley's the first company to introduce the innovative round bag onto the market.

In 1996 Tetley introduced Fruit Infusions and 2001 saw the launch of the Organic tea bags. They have since gone from strength to strength launching new ideas such as stay-fresh canisters, green teas, iced teas and a new range of fruit and herbal and Specialty teas.

Pomegranate Flavoured Tetley Tea

Ingredients
Naturally Caffeine free. Ingredients include Hibiscus, Rosehips, Cherry stalks, 10% natural pomegranate flavouring, other natural flavourings, linden flowers, liquorice Apple pieces, peach pieces, Anise and Ginger

Packaging
The tea bags come in a mall round carton with a blue plastic lid. The front of the container has pictures of Pomegranates on it and the Tetley Tea Logo we have all grown to recognise. They come in tubs of 20 bags

Cost
80p per carton

Availability
Tetley's is a popular brand and should therefore be available from most supermarkets. I bought mine from Asda's and a quick search tells me you can also get it at Sainsbury's, and Tesco's .

How's the Flavour
A bit like sugared water with only the bitterness of over-stewed tea to remind you of what it is. I usually love pomegranate so I had high hopes for this tea but unfortunately I struggled to even finish my first cup. I went on to make two further attempts in case I hadn't let it stew long enough but unfortunately, nothing seemed to improve my disappointment.

Although it is wet it somehow managed to have a very dry taste to it and the pomegranate flavouring was just barely noticeable. Instead, it reminded me of drinking the sugar and water nectar my mum used to leave out for the humming birds back home.
Pomegranates are usually a refreshing and subtle in flavour. There was no sense of refreshment here and the flavour was so subtle I could hardly find it. All I was left with was a bitter aftertaste and the urge to go get a real cup of tea.
Better luck next time Tetley

Summary: Traditional Tea flavoured with the sweetness of Pomegranate