The delicate flavour of elderflower seems to be the ideal floral to pair with crisply sweet apples. You can find the pairing in juices, in alcohol, and of course, in teas. This is Red Seal Apple & Elderflower Infusion. Being a cold brew, it begs comparison with the one by Teekanne Cool Sensations.

Infusing one tea bag in 200 mL of cold water for 5 minutes yields a clear red liquor. There’s no hint of its flavour until the cup is brought right up to your mouth to reveal a something sweet and floral. This sweetness came through as notes of juicy apple in the head and increases in intensity towards the end of the body before a gentle floral hint from the elderflowers finishes the sip.

There’s no tartness to the apple flavour, which was evident in the infusion by Teekanne Cool Sensations, so the flavour reminds one of red apples rather than the green apples suggested on the box. A hint of tartness would have given a crisper flavour to the infusion, and a more pronounced elderflower would have been enjoyable. As it is, though, it’s a light and refreshing infusion, perfect for a hot summer’s day.

This Red Seal Apple & Elderflower Infusion contained 20 tea bags. It was packed in New Zealand and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2016.