Fruit and spice tea sounds great, but will it taste great? I was a little unsure of this tea at first. The right fruit and spice combination can be amazing. Think of apple and cinnamon, for example. But just generic fruit flavours and spice flavours? That could be a recipe for disaster.
In this full tea review of Mlesna Fruit and Spice tea, find out what this tea tastes like (or doesn’t taste like), how to brew it, and where to buy it. Don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list for monthly updates on the new teas I’ve reviewed!
Mlesna Fruit Spice Tea at a Glance
- Blend: Black tea with flavouring
- Flavour: Slightly bitter black tea. So boring!
This tea really isn’t great. It doesn’t have an overly pleasant flavour and it’s marred by bitterness. If there were notes of fruit and spice, it might be worth drinking.
Full Review – Mlesna Fruit & Spice Black Tea
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabags
- Tea: Black tea from Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Additives: Flavouring
- Flavour Notes: Bitter, plain, boring
- Aroma: Apple, liquorice, vinegar, aniseed
- Milk or Lemon: Milk
- Where to Buy: Amazon (selection box)
Ripping open the plastic foil packet (all these Mlesna teabags are individually wrapped), you’re hit with notes of liquorice and aniseed instantly. It’s powerful and sweet – but it’s definitely a spice! There’s also a stewed apple note and a distinctive sharp hit of vinegar.
It’s not as unpleasant as it sounds. Sweet and vinegary like apple cider vinegar. I’m not turning my nose up… yet.
Mlesna Fruit and Spice tea brews into a dark dusty brown tea with red tones in the light. The aroma is… meh. All those apple and sweet spice notes from the dry tea aroma have vanishes and you’re left with a generic black tea scent with a very VERY slight hint of aniseed.
The flavour is dull too. The spice and fruit notes are completely gone. Instead, it’s like drinking warm water with a hint of tea and quite a bit of bitterness. It starts on your tongue but covers your entire mouth after a few sips. Just unbearable bitterness.
If you can drink this tea without a grimace, you’re a saint.
How to Brew Mlesna Spice Fruit Tea
Boil the kettle, then leave the water to cool for a few minutes. This should drop the temperature down to 90 or 95°C. Doing this seems odd but it does curb the bitterness a little bit. Brew for 2 to 3 minutes, then add a good splash of milk and teaspoon of sweetener. I prefer honey, but you can add sugar or agave or anything else you like.
Eat as much as you can while drinking this tea to mask the bitterness and add some flavour.
Alternatively, you could use this tea in baking as a way to get rid of the teabags.
Why Mlesna Ceylon Tea?
Mlesna have a cool range of teas. From their maple syrup tea to this fruit and spice tea. Unfortunately, they’re very hit and miss. They have some great reviews on Amazon and across the web, particularly for their loose leaf teas.
Unfortunately, there teabags aren’t great at all. The quality is poor – you can see it’s mostly tea dust where I’ve ripped open a bag. Furthermore, they use flavouring rather than real fruit and spice pieces. Finally, other than the seal confirming that this is genuine Ceylon tea, there’s no natural or organic certification whatsoever.
Mlesna score poorly.
Summary
I don’t recommend this tea. It just doesn’t taste good anyway you brew it. But it must have some redeeming features as Mlesna continue to make and sell this tea online. You can check it out for yourself on Amazon using the button below or the link above.
Tea Recommendation
It’s not difficult, finding a tea better than Mlesna Fruit and Spice. If you need a little help finding a tea that’s truly delicious, head straight to my Tea Review Index. This is where I categorise all my tea reviews so you can quickly find something that’s more your cup of tea!