Hibiscus is one of those tasty ingredients that has such a distinct flavour that you know the second you take that first sip whether it’s in the tea blend or not. So, reviewing Fosters Berry Hibiscus tea, I was expecting to drown in tart hibiscus goodness.
It didn’t quite go down the way I expected though. While I will finish off this box of tea, I can’t say that I’ll ever buy it again.
Read my full review of Fosters Berry Hibiscus tea, including how to brew it and where to buy it, below.
Berry and Hibiscus Tea at a Glance
- Blend: Black tea with artificial hibiscus and berry flavourings
- Flavour: Smooth, weak black tea with vague hints of generic berries
A smooth and very subtle black tea with berry notes. It’s not unpleasant, but it doesn’t have any of the juicy, tart notes you’d expect from a hibiscus tea.
Full Review – Berry Black Tea
- Type: Square filter paper tea bags
- Tea: Black tea
- Additives: Hibiscus flavouring, generic berry flavouring
- Flavour Notes: Weak black tea, generic berries, hint of tartness
- Aroma: Astringent black tea, red currants
- Milk or Lemon: Sweetener if desired
- Where to Buy: Tesco (or search hibiscus tea on Amazon)
Knowing that of the nine teas in this tea set, all nine contain flavourings instead of natural fruit pieces and spices, really turns you off the tea before you even try it. But I persevered.
The aroma of the tea bags is full of astringent black tea notes with tart red currants. A good start!
But once it has brewed into a dark caramel black tea, the aroma weakens. You’re left with a cup of very weak black tea with hints of berry tartness. I was really underwhelmed.
The berry notes are far too weak and generic to pull out distinct flavours, and without any tartness, you just don’t get the sensation that a hibiscus tea should give you.
Overall, I feel that Fosters really shouldn’t have labelled this tea as Berry Hibiscus. It’s so misleading. If it was labelled as black tea with berry notes, it wouldn’t be nearly as disappointing to drink.
How to Brew Fosters Berry Hibiscus
We’re brewing black tea so use boiling water straight from the kettle. Fosters doesn’t provide a recommended brew time, so I began at 3 minutes and took a sip. It was so weak. So, I let another 2 minutes pass and took another sip.
At 5 minutes, the flavours are very weak but slightly more discernible.
Go for longer brew times with this tea. You could even try brewing two teabags per cup as well. Just don’t serve it with milk, even if it gets really dark. It just won’t go well with the supposed tartness of the berries.
A teaspoon of sugar or honey could help.
Why Fosters at Tesco?
If you’ve been reading my other Fosters tea reviews here on the blog, you’ll know that I have very poor impulse control when it comes to buying tea. I spotted this tea set on the shelves of Tesco and went ahead to buy it without a second thought.
But if I had taken a few moments to Google the brand (there’s no info online to be found), check for certifications (non-existent) and take a closer look at what’s in the tea blends (only fake flavourings, nothing genuine), I most certainly would have put it back on the shelf.
Lesson learnt. Don’t fall for the same mistake!
Summary
I cannot recommend this tea. Sorry, Fosters. Instead, I suggest you take a look at other hibiscus teas on Amazon. Pick up a fruit or black tea blend that contains genuine hibiscus pieces (not flavouring) to discover how great this tart and fruity flavour can be in a cup of tea.
Tea Recommendation
For a fruitier tea without the caffeinated black tea, I recommend reading my review of Twinings Blackcurrant Blueberry tea. It’s so much yummier than Fosters Berry Hibiscus and easier to get your hands on too.