Bottled Tea

 

A series examining unsweetened ready-made tea

Ready-made bottled tea is now found at just about every supermarket and convenience store. The fact is not all bottled tea is equal.

Deciding to separate the good from the not so good, we are going to be sampling several bottled teas over the next few months. Our only criteria for choosing which ones to review are that they actually contain real tea and don’t contain any sweetener of any kind. Our goal is to highlight ready-made tea in its most unadulterated state.

This week we are taking on Honest Tea. For the sample, we chose “Just Green Tea” which of course does not contain sweetener. Honest Tea also has a black tea that does not contain sweetener.

Upon first examination, the color of the liquor was a deep yellow green. This definitely deviates from the artificially colored tea so often seen. The ingredient list on the bottle says that the tea is made with purified water, Fair Trade Certified green tea and natural flavor to balance acidity.

Besides being a Fair Trade product, the bottle also indicates that the tea is USDA Organic, Gluten Free, does not contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), is part of a Plant a Tree and is in a recyclable glass container.

Inspecting the liquid, we could see that it was slightly cloudy which indicates tea solids. At the bottom of the bottle, there were even some tea leaf remnants — something that adds character and is unique. Often similar products are very clear with no tea solids or remnants.

Upon opening the product, the nose held slight floral, citrus tones. The pleasant scent with revealed even more as we poured the liquor in a tea glass. There was even a slight hint honey in the aroma.

Preparing for the tasting, our palates were clean and free of any other flavors. The first tasting showed this to be a bold brew. It was not too strong, but it definitely wasn’t weak. It was slightly astringent and the finish was floral yet vegetal.

Because preference for flavor and scents is subjective, our remarks on the taste, smell and appearance of this tea is our own opinion. People should try it and come to their own conclusion. In short, from our stance, this tea had a very pleasant flavor and would make a good choice for anyone looking for a quality ready-made green tea without sweetener.

As for where to purchase Honest Tea, the company maintains a store locator page at their website (www.honesttea.com) which also includes details about their company, philosophy and their products.

Stay tuned for our next review in the weeks to come.

Disclosure: Teapot Diversion does not accept compensation or solicitations for reviews of any products from any company. The choice to do reviews is the sole discretion of Teapot Diversion Team. All advertisements that appear on Teapot Diversions is at the control of Google AdSense.

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Comments

[Alex Zorach / RateTea.net]

I like honest tea best among the bottled teas that are most widely available in the U.S., and it's one of the brands I point people to. And, I'm happy that they are now offering an unsweetened variety.

But I still don't like bottled tea. One other matter of concern (which I discuss, with a citation, on RateTea.net's page on bottled tea) is that the antioxidants in tea start breaking down after it's brewed. Even bottled teas well before their expiration date likely are not particularly antioxidant-rich.

It's more work, but I think brewing tea from scratch and drinking it up in a few days is probably the best bet when it comes to iced tea. Honest tea may be good, but it can't compete with home-brew!

[Teapot Diversions]

Very good point, Alex. I speak for all of us over here and can tell you that the Teapot Diversions Crew would agree with you. Unfortunately, in our "ready-made" world people often want it NOW. There are many ways to make tea very quickly, but some still don't have the time to spare and will turn to the convenience store for their beverage. In that case, high quality bottled tea is probably the best choice they can make out of the many available.

Thank you very much for reading and commenting!