Bentley's Pomegranate Black tea

Pomegranate shows up in everything these days, courtesy of it's new reputation as a "superfood.'  To be fair, pomegranate is a tasty and very healthy fruit, it just sounds like the latest trend, like Acai.  Once we start getting trendy liquor flavored with the latest miracle fruit, I start rolling my eyes.  But pomegranate really is very good for you, and tastes amazing, even if it is a huge pain to actually eat.  Besides, my wife bought this tea.

I tend to stay more to non-flavored teas.  Estate or blended green, white or black teas are my favorites, but my wife really enjoys fruit flavored teas (her favorite is strawberry shortcake, a blended black tea flavored with strawberries and cream...an upcoming review at some point.)  I don't mind the occasional flavored tea; some are quite nice.  Earl Grey, for instance, is probably the most widely known flavored tea, with added oil from bergamot, a citrus fruit.  And who hasn't had a cup of Earl Grey, even if just to say out loud: "Tea.  Earl Grey.  Hot."  I just find the added flavors can sometimes distract from the actual tea.

So, then, onto Bentley's Pomegranate black.  I've only found this in bags, and while there are some high quality teas available in bags, for the most part, bag tea is low quality, fannings and dust.  But, they're also damned convenient.  Feeling under the weather today, I just don't have the oomph to make loose tea, with all the extra steps.  So, two tea bags to a 10 oz. mug, water at a rolling boil, brew for about 4 minutes, add milk and sugar liberally.  And the result is actually pretty good.  There aren't really any nuances of flavor here; the blend of teas is pretty generic so that nothing stands out (fans of Scotch, compare to a boring blend like Johnny Walker or Cutty Sark).  The pomegranate flavor takes center stage, but it blends smoothly with the tea, and leaves a mild sweet finish.  Overall, nothing fancy or delicate, but a good quick cup of sweet, hearty tea that makes a nice pickup on a winter afternoon.  This is really the kind of tea that got me drinking the stuff in the first place.  My first proper cup of tea, about ten or eleven years ago, was from a Red Rose tea bag, and even with all the far bigger and better teas I've found, I still like Red Rose...it's hearty, pleasant, and a cinch to make a cup.  Not Lipton, though, that stuff is gross.

Score:  70 (C-) Nothing exciting, but a pleasant cup, and teabags make the process painless.