Honest Tea – Citrus Spice Decaf Review
Hey there, Libationers! Sorry for our abscence, but WiseGuise and I were attending a prestigious international black-tie beverage gala. What, you’ve never heard of such a thing? Well obviously they have to be held with the utmost secrecy – those damn paparazzi would have a field day if they knew about it!
Now it’s time for another entry from Honest Tea. This sultry bottle of Citrus Spice Decaf caught my eye from the top shelf at the grocery store, and I knew then and there I had to have it! Sweet citrus and savory spices combined with decaffinated black tea – just looking at it made me all warm and fuzzy.
Aroma – I crack it open and am met with the deep savory smell of cinnamon and cloves with hints of the orange and black tea background.
Taste – The complex splash of orange spice flavor is quickly overpowered by the bitterness of the black tea (or possibly some of the spices). That bitterness short-circuits my tongue’s flavor receptors for a couple seconds, and then it slowly yields to the longer-lasting clove, cinnamon, and cardamom tastes. There is a ton of spice in this bottle – you can actually see large bits of it floating everywhere within the glass bottle.
Have you ever tasted straight cinnamon or clove powder? Sure, they smell great, but if you eat them straight, you’re in for a bitter, nasty surprise. The sheer amount of spice in this bottle plus the natural bitterness of black tea make for quite a wallop. Combine that with the overall lack of sugar content (a miniscule 5g per 8oz serving), and you have one seriously bitter brew. If you like your coffee, tea, and liquor straight up, then you could probably handle it. If you’re one of those pansies like me who wants a little cream and sugar, you should probably stick with the “just a tad sweet” entries.
To Honest Tea, I would recommend either more sugar to compensate for the bitter flavor, or the addition of other flavors to minimize (or at least compete with) the bitterness. I know it’s weird to have a healthy drink blog ask for more sugar, but you must remember, we’re all about the perfect combination of health and flavor.
Rating: 2.5/5 – a solid premise, but just too bitter on delivery.
-Danithius-
User Reviews: 
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
About two months ago I discovered Citrus Spice Decaf at my local grocery store. Since I normally only drink decaffinated beverages I picked up a few bottles to try. My husband and I both absolutely loved the taste of this tea. It reminded us of the Kashmere Chai which we can no longer find in this area. I have not been able to find it on our store shelves since. Please don’t tell me that this tea is being eliminated from store shelves as well. If you are still making it, can you please tell me where I might be able to find it. I live in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.