Elderflower is fast becoming one of my favourite florals. I first encountered it in a sample of elderflower Ricola I received back in my first year of university. It’s been so long that I’m not sure they still make the candy, but at the time, I thought it tasted decent even though I had no idea what elderflower was and didn’t find out until the last year when it started appearing everywhere in cosmetics, drinks, candles, and of course, tea.
This is Twinings Cranberry, Raspberry & Elderflower Infusion. I already have a cranberry and raspberry tea, so I was eager to taste the difference made by the addition of elderflower.
As with all Twinings teabags, there are no tiny elderflowers or freeze dried cubes of fruit visible. Infusing the teabag for 4 minutes in 200 mL of boiling water yields a clear, deep ruby liquor that smells strongly of those two fruits. The elderflower making its presence known only in the taste. A first sip gave a very acidic berry flavour – the sourness of cranberries and the sweetness of raspberries. The subtle, yet heady, floral elderflower notes came through in the body to give a refreshing quality to the tea that lingered in the aftertaste.
The acidity of berry teas tend to make them feel ‘heavy’, and the elderflower here cuts through it to create an uplifting and more enjoyable tea.
This Twinings Cranberry, Raspberry & Elderflower Infusion contained 20 tea bags. It was packed in New Zealand and purchased in Auckland, New Zealand in 2014.