Recently, our Target unveiled their new expanded grocery section, as Targets across the country are beginning to do. Since our Target is across the street, this is a real boon to our existence. Just about anything we need in a pinch can be found there, and we've even gotten some good deals on steak. It seems as though the Archer Farms brand has expanded along with the grocery department, including a line of tea.
Now, time and time again, I have turned up my nose at grocery store teas. Yet the packaging caught my attention. The attractive silver box featured a photograph of whole leaf tea and and a whole leaf pyramid tea bag. Target is the first grocery brand to offer a whole leaf teabag, as far as I know. I perused the flavors, finding some that reminded me of Mighty Leaf flavors, and finally picked up a box of Chocolate Berry Earl Grey, intrigued by the idea of something completely different. Flipping it over to look at the ingredients, I read: "Black tea leaves, rooibos leaves, carob, cocoa shell, organic and natural flavors (including bergamot), licorice root, raspberries, pink pepper." No warning for soy, no artificial flavors. I'm never thrilled to see the words "natural flavors" because there is not a strict definition for that phrase, but it is not always disappointing. So, I tossed it in my basket along with the cheese, eggs, and avocados. (No connection, just some of my favorite things).
I finally got around to trying it this morning after leaving it sitting on my countertop for a week or so. You see, although I love trying new Earl Greys, the berry and chocolate part had me a little worried. I wanted to be sure that I could be fair to the quality of the tea, whether or not I liked the actual flavor. I'm often not fond of berry or fruit flavors in black teas, and chocolate teas often fall flat.
Therefore, imagine my surprise when I couldn't stop slurping this tea in a most unladylike way. The chocolate berry is a more accurate description than Earl Grey. Every sip reminds me of the chocolate covered pomegranate seeds I down at my sister's house. Perhaps it's the inclusion of actual raspberry that makes this cup taste so real and fresh. Perhaps it's the slight teasing of the whiffs of pink peppercorns that keeps me interested enough to think over each sip. And maybe carob works better in tea than actual chocolate for giving that richness. This is one tea that may actually curb that craving for dessert, even without adding sugar.
The tea had none of the dusty bitterness so common to grocery store brands or cheaper brands, and none of the artificial taste that so many of the common tea brands have in their scented teas. I would rank this along with Revolution's teas. And I really can't recommend this flavor enough. I feel like I just ate a chocolate bar, with none of the sugary jitters. Nom nom nom.
