Am I a health nut? (Twinings White Pomegranate)

Member Name: sottovoce1982

Product:	Twinings White Pomegranate
Date:	01/11/07 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Healthy, natural, might be good for those who don't like green tea, and low in calories

Disadvantages: Somewhat expensive, almost bland, and not caffeine free

Twinings White Tea and Pomegranate (20 teabags)



It is true that I wrote more than one review about those healthy drinks yet I’m not a health nut; I just wanted to drink something light after eating a magnificent pepperoni pizza and I found this one. I was enthusiastic about Twinings White Tea and Pomegranate because I heard about white tea but never tried it before and also because I thought the pomegranate flavouring would help in case the tea tasted dreadful. I thought I should review white tea in particular as some people told me they hated green tea, and so I guess this lighter alternative, which is not really bitter by the way, is the one for them, but not exactly for me.


The tea I’m reviewing comes in a nice white box with a drawing of tea leaves and half a pomegranate on it. It contains 20 teabags and they are individually wrapped. I bought mine from The Cooperative for £1.89 which is not cheap (you can buy it from Tesco for a tiny bit less), but it is 100% natural as it contains 9% natural pomegranate flavouring in addition to the white tea. I think that choosing this flavour in particular is smart for it adds much to the drink although it affects the smell more than the taste really.


Now you might be astonished at the fact that I give this tea four stars and yet I say that it is bland and that the pomegranate is there mostly in the smell only… the taste should be the most important thing, shouldn’t it? Absolutely true, but being one who started drinking those useful and natural drinks years ago, I have to tell you that a bland drink that has a nice smell is considered a wonderful thing as far as those drinks are considered. After all, bland is better than bitter, and “smells fruity” is better than “smells icky”.


So, it is tasteless, any benefits? Yes, I read that it is even richer in antioxidants than green tea, and that all in all the benefits of green tea are almost concentrated in this one. However, I have an advice for you here, I mentioned in my review of green tea that it helps if you have constipation; white tea’s help is even greater, so you might want to be careful as for your consumption of it. Moreover, it is indeed useful yet it actually contains more caffeine than green tea. Of course, there are different kinds of white tea, and I read that the finest kinds contain even more caffeine than the rest.


They say on the box that it should be brewed for one minute only, and I admit when I first put the teabag in the cup that I wondered of what colour it would be. It is neither white nor colourless; it has the same colour like green tea and most herbal teas; greenish yellow. The more you brew it, the closer it gets to green tea in taste, but it remains lighter.


I checked www.twinings.co.uk to find out more about this kind of tea but unfortunately I did not find it. The sections include: Everyday Tea, Speciality Tea, Green Tea, Infusions, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and Iced Tea, but not White Tea. I hate it when the website does not provide enough information; this always means that I should look for it myself.





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In Short: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

<> Packaging: very nice, recyclable carton.

<> Smell: fruity and sweet but not very strong.

<> Taste: somewhere between green tea and boiling water, and I think it is more drinkable than green tea.

<> Price: 20 sachets for £1.79 - £1.89.

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*** Other available brands of white tea:

The following are the only brands of white tea, other than the one I’m reviewing, that I found on the websites of some supermarkets. One of them is from Tesco, the other is from Sainsbury’s and the third is from Asda. So, as you see it’s hard to find it. However, if you want to try white tea, there’s always a way. You can, for instance, try specialized shops or online I found the website: www.theteahouse.co.uk.


1. Clipper White Tea Bags 20’s: £1.49.
2. Clipper Organic white tea - lemon 25's: £1.49.
3. Birt & Tang White Peony Herbal Tea 20’s: £2.49.


*** For more information:

Tel. 0845 601 9612
ukwebsupport@twinings.com

Or you can fill in the form on their website:
http://www.twinings.co.uk/contact_us.asp

Head Office Location
South Way, Andover, SP10 5AQ
Phone: +44 (0) 1264 334 477
Fax: +44 (0) 1264 337 177

Summary: Too light for my taste; I might buy some again but I prefer green tea.