Tea Blog

Name: Caribe

Brand: Harney & Sons

Type: Green and black tea blend, flavored

Form: Silky tea bags

Review: Caribe is, as its name suggests, a tea flavored with the tropics in mind. It is a blend of both green tea, black tea, marigold, and cornflower with strawberry, coconut, guava and hibiscus flavors added. The tea infuses to a medium-bodied liquor with strong fruit flavors, but also with a decided green tea taste as well. (The black tea mainly gives this tea its body and only becomes noticeable in the finish.)

The flavor blending is well done, though the strawberry dominates in the nose. On the palate, however, the guava becomes more prominent. Mercifully, the hibiscus does not dominate, and only offers a bit of tartness. The coconut, on the other hand, doesn’t make much of an appearance.

This is a nice spring/summer tea, and I found it most enjoyable as both a hot tea and as an iced tea. Adventurous sorts might want to try experimenting with this tea in a cocktail or tropical punch: The flavor is strong enough to stand up to the addition of alcohol or other mixers.

Preparation Tips: Caribe is a blend of green and black teas, which can make brewing temperatures tricky. Green tea can become bitter and disagreeable if scorched by too-hot water; Black tea benefits from the flavor extraction that only near-boiling water temperatures can provide. What to do?

I recommend bringing the water temperature down to about 185F. The fruit flavors in this tea are fairly intense, so I don’t think you will miss much flavor from the black leaves. On the other hand, I have found that this tea can get slightly bitter if infused at a higher temperature. You can also try ice brewing this tea: Put two teabags in eight ounces of water and then refrigerate for 5-8 hours. Super flavorful and refreshing, with no hint of bitterness.

[Editor’s note: Our blog is chock full of great articles on this topic. Use our search feature to find them!]

© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.