a pleasant tea that doesn't have a sting (Twinings Wild Blackberry and Nettle)

Member Name: jillycat

Product:	Twinings Wild Blackberry and Nettle
Date:	02/06/09 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: pleasent to taste good for aiding detox and digestion

Disadvantages: none

This is an herbal tea that I was persuaded to try after reading that nettle tea can help your body to detoxify. Now I decide rather than going gathering them myself and getting various nettle stings and making a witches like brew in my kitchen I would give these tea bags a try. Why not try just trying nettle tea you ask well I thought this would be a half waypoint as often when I try pure herbal tea it just tastes like dishwater so I was hoping the blackberry element would give it a refreshing kick.

Benefits of nettle tea

Nettle tea is also often suggested for sufferers of arthritis and gout, as it is reported to aid in the reduction levels of uric acid in the body. It is also excellent for detoxifying the body great if you have a hangover!



The box and tea bags
These tea bags come in a cardboard box that is fully recyclable box and are part of the Twinings well-being being range. There are 20 tea bags per pack and these are just like normal tea bags in shape and design.

On opening the box the blackberry smell is pleasantly noticeable. I can't say I got the slights whiff though of nettles and the hedgerow that they grow in. from the teabags just in the box


Brewing Instructions:
Allow one teabag per person. Add freshly boiled water immediately to the bag and leave to infuse for 2-3 minutes according to taste. Can be drunk hot or cold. Add honey to sweeten, if preferred. Always drink without milk.

How I have drunk this is to allow it to infuse for 5 minutes as I have found that this has given more of a blackberry taste and smell I then take the teabag out as if it lingers longer in the cup it can give it a bitter taste. When the water is on the teabag the smell that you notice is that of the blackberries and in fact because this is such a robust smell the other ingredients of nettle and liquorice and strawberry don't come through at all. Personally I have found this tea to be sweet enough and have never had to add honey to the taste.

The taste test
The first taste to hit you is again the blackberry but you are left with a lingering taste of summer fruit with a peppery taste. If you have tried strawberries with a grind of black pepper that is the taste. I think this is the nettle part of the tea coming through. Now it maybe my taste buds but the liquorice notes have never been overt so don't expect to get a taste like that of a liquorice allsorts here.

This tea is also nice cold with lots of ice which given the nice hot days we are having at the moment goes well as a soft drink for a barbecue and You could also try to make it up on a jug with some strawberries and cucumber to make a non-alcoholic pimms style drink.

Ingredients
Hibiscus, rosehips, blackberry leaves (10.2%), nettle leaves (10.2%), orange peel, blackberry flavouring, liquorice root, strawberry flavouring, blackberry pieces (1%).


Where from
This tends to be one of the herbal teas that you see in the bigger supermarkets rather than the your corner shop supermarkets. I have bought mine from Sainsburys and they often have these fruit teas as part of sales promotions they currently are on offer for 71 pence normally they retail for 95 pence a box

Overall I think this is a great herbal tea that is pleasant to drink both hot and cold that has some great health benfits

Summary: a great fruity and herbal tea that can aid detox nice hot and cold