Having recently reviewed a bunch of teas that contain goji, acai, or both, I was really expecting this tea to be so sweet to the point that it’s unbearable. But I should have had faith in Whittard of Chelsea! Whittard Goji Acai green tea is actually beautifully balanced and a great, revitalising cuppa.
In my full review below, I’ll take you through the aroma and flavour notes along with my preferred method for brewing. Whittard are one of my favourite brands and I’m lucky enough to be a part of their affiliate program, so you’ll find links directly to their site as well. If you don’t want to shop on Whittard’s official website, sometimes this tea is available on Amazon too.
Whittard Goji Acai Tea at a Glance
- Blend: Chinese green tea with goji, acai, and various sweet fruits
- Flavour: Cleansing green tea with mellow berry fruit sweetness
This berry tea is really lovely, with a gorgeous colour and an amazing flavour. The green tea is smooth and a great base for the mellow fruity notes. Berries, goji, and a hint of astringency are balanced well to create a rounded flavour.
Full Review – Goji and Acai Green Tea Blend
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: Chinese green tea
- Additives: Hibiscus flowers, rosehip peel, apple pieces, goji berries, raspberry pieces, acai fruit powder
- Flavour Notes: Cleansing, green tea, mellow fruits, sweet, berries, goji, astringent
- Aroma: Sweet sticky fruit, acai, strawberry jam, goji, refreshing, sencha
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Whittard Official Website
I have the loose leaf tea pouch of this tea, which contains the loose leaf within a plastic bag that isn’t recyclable. It’s a real shame, but at least it keeps the tea fresh. The tea aroma is sweet and sticky, like it’s doused in ripe fruit. Notes of acai and strawberry jam leap out, with refreshing hints of sweet goji. It’s really nice!
What’s even more amazing is the colour of this tea. I was expecting a dull gold yellow green, as most green teas lean this way. Instead, this tea is a pale and soft pink colour (a result of the hibiscus, I’m sure) which is slightly cloudy and dusty. The result is a cup of tea that looks like pink velvet.
The flavour is smooth and sweet but not over the top. The green tea base is cleansing and soft in the background with mellow fruit notes. Sweet berries and goji dominate the flavour and there’s also a hint of astringency that balances it out and brings the tea back down to earth.
You’ll really find this to be a cleansing and rejuvenating tea. The silky-smooth texture flows over your tongue and it’s hydrating as well. I can see myself relaxing after a long day with a cup of this tea.
How to Brew Green Tea with Fruit Pieces
To keep the astringency low and the green tea smooth, brew Whittard Goji Acai tea at 80°C. I used a generous teaspoon of loose leaf and brewed for 2 minutes at this temperature. You don’t want to brew it too heavily.
Furthermore, I recommend you pick out pieces of fruit from the blend to make sure they’re included in your infuser. That way, you’ll get a little bit of everything in every sip.
This tea is sweet enough but if you want, you could add a slice of lemon.
Why Whittard of Chelsea?
I really like Whittard of Chelsea teas because they are well blended and the tea quality is usually pretty great. This tea is from China, which hardly narrows down the origins, but it’s a lot more detail than most other high-street brands offer. You can see from my photos that the leaf is quite crushed in places and whole in others.
The fruit pieces are whole and you can actually see dried goji berries rehydrating in your tea infuser as it brews. This is really lovely to see and it’s good to know that there’s only a small amount of flavouring used.
I know that the loose leaf tea caddy is almost twice the price of the card pouch – even though they both contain 100g of tea – but the caddy is plastic-free and you can refill it in-store and save 50p each time.
Summary
This is a really pleasant fruity green tea that’s definitely sweet but also definitely not too sweet. It’s easy to brew and is low enough in caffeine to be enjoyed in the evening. I highly recommend you give it a try! Sometimes if you visit Whittard in store, they’ll offer you samples to taste before you purchase.
You can also find this tea online at Whittard’s official website (I believe they ship internationally).
Tea Recommendation
Another tea that’s surprisingly fruity, is T2 Green Rose. It’s smooth and tropical-sweet with this delicate rose flavour that powers through at the last minute, with a gorgeous long-lasting aftertaste. It’s really worth a try if you enjoy flavoured green teas like Whittard Goji Acai.