Twinings St Clements Tea Review
The name of this tea is pure genius. I have some fuzzy childhood memories of singing ‘oranges and lemons’ and sipping orange squash in the middle of the summer months – this fruit tea from Twinings instantly transports me back there.
St Clements is an orange-flavoured tea (see the ingredients list for why it’s not a true orange tea) that’s part of their fruit range. I’m brewing an individually wrapped teabag from the collection box but you can find these in larger boxes too. Just check my links to Amazon to find it for yourself.
But before you buy Twinings St Clements, read my full review below.
Twinings St Clements Tea at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
2.6/5
- Blend: Hibiscus and apple tea with citrus flavouring
- Flavour: Light orange infusion, not too sweet and very slightly tart
This is a refreshing fruit tea that’s not too sweet, not too fake, and not too tart. It’s certainly pleasant to drink, but whether it’s any better than a simple glass of orange squash is debatable.
Full Review – St Clements Orange Tea
Izzy's Rating
2.6/5
- Type: Tagged paper filter tea bag
- Ingredients: White hibiscus, rosehip, apple pieces, hibiscus, orange peel, roasted chicory root, natural orange flavouring, natural lemon flavouring, other natural flavourings
- Health Benefits: Boost the immune system with vitamin C
- Flavour Notes: Light orange squash, slightly tart, refreshing
- Aroma: Tart hibiscus, dried orange peel, concentrated orange squash, summer air
- Milk or Lemon: Lemon and/or honey
- Where to Buy: Amazon
Ripping open the packet, the first note you’ll find is tartness from the hibiscus. There’s nothing unusual about that, as hibiscus is used in the vast majority of fruit teas to add a little depth and fruity tartness (despite actually being a flower). I’m also detecting dried orange peel notes and the unmistakable scent of hot summer air in your childhood garden.
It brews into a very pale orange tea that’s not too dissimilar to freshly squeezed orange juice.
Unfortunately, the aroma of the brewed tea has lost that hibiscus tartness and instead reminds me of citrus-scented toilet cleaner – fake, strong, and slightly too sweet.
Luckily the flavour isn’t all that bad. It’s not entirely natural, but it is certainly refreshing. It’s neither too sweet nor too tart and is basically the same flavour as orange squash that’s too weak.
I’ll have no trouble polishing off this tea.
How to Brew St Clements Tea Bags
I followed the instructions and brewed using 100°C water for 2 minutes at first. Then I brewed another at 3 minutes – both were quite weak so don’t hesitate to go for even longer if you like your tea strong.
There’s a lot of versatility when it comes to fruit teas. They’re great hot, cold-brewed, iced, and for recipes. You can use them in baking or freeze them into ice lollies. You could even try making them into ice cream.
As it’s a caffeine-free tea, you can drink Twinings St Clements tea at any time of the day, but to me it really feels like an afternoon tea rather than a morning or evening tea.
Why Twinings Fruit Tea?
Twinings are a reliable brand. Sure, they’re not the best of the best, but they’re certainly a hell of a lot better than the bog-standard supermarket own-brand options. Their fruit and herbal teas are almost as popular as their Everyday, Breakfast, and Earl Grey blends.
The ingredients and flavouring are finely chopped and dusty, allowing for a quicker infusion. As there’s no traditional, caffeinated tea in this blend, it doesn’t matter too much what condition the ingredients are in.
St Clements Health Benefits
The dominant ingredients in this tea are white hibiscus, rosehip and apple. NOT citrus fruits. It’s disappointing that the orangey flavour is mostly from added flavouring, but at least the body of this tea is natural.
Both hibiscus and rosehip are high in vitamin C, so despite lacking orange and lemons you’ll still find that this tea boosts your immune system. Furthermore, hibiscus is a good source of iron and rosehips are plentiful with vitamin A and magnesium.
This isn’t a super tea, by any means. It isn’t designed to provide you with nutrition. But thanks to Twinings’ natural ingredients list you’ll find that it’s quite nutritious nonetheless.
Summary
I do recommend this tea but it’s not an essential tea to try. If you have a bottle of orange squash at home I’d give it a miss… but if you like orange flavours and want to avoid the excess sugar used in squash, this is a flavourful and healthy alternative. You can find it on Amazon or buy it directly from Twinings.
Tea Recommendation
If you are looking for a citrus tea that has a little more oomph behind it, check out my review of Basilur Turmeric Tea. It’s very refreshing with zingy citrus notes and grounding, earthy turmeric. If there was ever a super-tea, this would be it.