Refreshing and fruity, this is a very unique raspberry tea.   Using the special (and insanely flavorful) Arctic Raspberry, or Rubus Arcticus, a berry which grows mainly in northern landscapes of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Northern Russia.  The Arctic Raspberry is considered a delicacy, and by some, the most flavorful berry in the world.

I haven’t tasted all the berries in the world so I can’t say decisively, but I can tell you that this is one thirst quenching, delicious berry. It tastes like a very intense, juicy raspberry, with something of a pomegranate flavor as well.  The black tea base caters perfectly to this flavor profile, making this a real treat anytime of year, whether hot or iced!

Apollo Tea describes this tea as:

Piquant and fruity raspberry notes. The distinctive arctic raspberry is very flavorful because of its short growing season.

Explorers, trappers and hunters who have found themselves lost in the far north have long held the arctic raspberry to be the tastiest of all naturally occurring survival foods. These little berries can be darker than their commercially grown counterparts and possess a stronger flavor with overtones of blueberry and elderberry. Peak growing season for the berry is July and August – the only months any plants will grow in the arctic regions. If you are unlucky enough to find yourself stranded in the remote north during those months just search out the tall, slender twigged bushes and start picking. Or, if you simply find yourself lost for ideas on a Sunday afternoon at home, brew a cup of this naturally sweet tea and imagine yourself commandeering a dog team through the barren wilds of Alaska. Mush! Mush!

What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?

Firstly… we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka – Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic ‘Ceylon’ tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly – perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This ‘dual peak period’ allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.

Secondly… we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat. Thirdly… we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat ‘soft ‘ and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.

One thing I can say for sure is that Apollo Tea is usually extremely thorough and detailed in their descriptions for their teas.  This description is no exception, however one particular sentence stuck out to me:

Or, if you simply find yourself lost for ideas on a Sunday afternoon at home, brew a cup of this naturally sweet tea and imagine yourself commandeering a dog team through the barren wilds of Alaska. Mush! Mush!

I’m writing this review on a Sunday, with a cup of this tea brewed.  Now all I need are the sled dogs!! Oh wait, here they are!

Here are my two sled dogs, King (a Malamute) and Jax (a Husky), as shown on the right there (Jax is the one in the back laying down. King is the big guy up front).  They are trained for sledding but we live here in Missouri where we get minimal snow.    So, the opportunity to show off my babies aside, the only thing missing from my perfect afternoon is Alaskan scenery!

However we got about 4 or 5 inches of snow this past weekend, and my dogs have been in heaven.  And this tea is the perfect tea for playing in the snow with my snow dogs!