Fortnum & Mason Tea Advent Calendar - Day 7 Apricot, Honey and Lavender Infusion

 



This... was not at all what I was expecting.

You see, I had an Apricot tea from Republic of Tea a little bit ago (I know, I know I'm slacking on my reviews, I'll get to it I promise) and for some reason, I expected this blend to resemble that one.  It does NOT.  Of course, the blend I was referencing in my expectation was a black tea with apricot, and this is an infusion with honey and lavender - so WHY I thought they would be at all similar baffles me in hindsight - but none the less, in the early morning hours those were my expectations.  Those expectations were shattered upon my very first sip.


Upon the first sip, the Apricot came in on the top note, followed in the mid note by the rush of apple coated in the lavender.  The blackberry and liquorice start the end note, but it's the honey that mellows the finish.  The aftertaste is a mix of the apricot, the lavender, the rosehip and the lemon peel.  The apple and honey bring an AMAZING amount of natural sweetness to the blend.  Even with that sweetness, the lavender started to be the dominant flavor by the middle of the cup with the apricot taking over the end note and aftertaste.  By the end of the cup, as the tea cooled, the honey felt almost cloying... but only almost.



In other words, it was interesting and fun to dissect, but it's not a tea I can drink more than one cup of at a time.  The sweetness and the florals build as I go through the cup and start to get to much for me.


Final thoughts:  A fascinating and tasty cuppa, but not a blend I would buy more of for myself.

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