 | "Drinkable, I suppose, but low-quality tea shavings and an almost imperceptible flavoring leave much to be desired..."
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As I wrote about a week ago, I’ve decided to make another go of my Quest for the Perfect Iced Tea (QPIT). China Mist was a company I’ve not tried before, but I’d read enough glowing reviews to convince me they were worth an experimental 50 buck purchase. The one flavor they had that I really looked forward to trying was their Prickly Pear Iced Tea. So when the shipment arrived, before I even checked the remaining contents of the box, I tore open the Prickly Pear packaging and put a quart of water on to boil.
Each box of China Mist’s iced tea contains four large sachets, and each of those makes a half gallon (two quarts) of tea. They recommended steeping one bag in a quart of near-boiling water for 5 minutes, then pouring another quart of cold water into the mix. Seemed reasonable enough, and so it was done. Two hours in the fridge and I was ready to enjoy my first China Mist iced tea.
A little history, before I get to my review.
Back in the 20th century, when I was a wide-eyed college undergraduate, I spent a summer on an archaeological dig in New Mexico. There I was introduced to many things, such as rattlesnakes, cowboy boots, and rattlesnakes hiding in cowboy boots. But more germane to this discussion, I was introduced to the prickly pear. In the Southwest, they make just about everything out of this wonder-fruit. Jams, jellies, salsas, ice creams and yes, even iced tea. It was there, in Santa Fe, that I had my first taste of prickly pear iced tea, and man oh man, it was out of this world. Alas, it is what you call a “regional delicacy”. Ask for a prickly pear here on the East Coast and the best you’ll get is a puzzled stare.
So my last ten years have been prickly-pearless, apart from one or two quick business trips to Texas where I was briefly - and teasingly - reunited with this forbidden fruit.
Which brings us back to the present, and to my tall, frosty glass of China Mist Prickly Pear iced tea. How does it compare? Well… its a good iced tea. Not great, but solidly drinkable. Its not quite the taste extravaganza I was hoping for, though I’m realistic enough to understand that a mix of leaves and essences rarely, if ever, compares to fresh brewed tea with fresh prickly pear juice in it. But even with those allowances I wasn’t completely satisfied. The prickly pear flavor is extremely modest, almost indiscernable. And after every swallow there’s a not entirely unpleasant, but still slightly unnatural aftertaste… I can only describe it as slightly creamy, perhaps even chalky. Its very brief, but definitely there.
The end result is a decent iced tea, but its not quite the crisp, clean, refreshing experience I’m looking for. That “creamy” aftertaste actually seems to make me thirstier, as opposed to quenching my thirst, and so ultimately I have to say this tea fell short of my expectations. Nevertheless, as tea experiments go - and they can go horribly, horribly wrong sometimes - this one wasn’t all that bad. Just not something I’d order again.
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Stephen Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Stephen's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Stephen. |
February 26th, 2008 at 1:37 am
You can’t buy Prickly Pears where you are? Every produce stand in california seems to have a cardboard sign labeled “TUNA” tied to a milk crate full of them.