Loyd Cranberry & Raspberry Tea Review
I saw this box winking at me from a discount shelf a while back and couldn’t resist picking it up. It was one of my best impulse purchases this year and it’s kept me happy all summer long.
A lot of berry blends like Loyd Cranberry and Raspberry tend to have this generic berry flavour with added sweetness. Finding a berry blend without that can be a bit of mission! Luckily, this one is available on Amazon UK so it’s not too much trouble getting your hands on some.
After dozens of cups, I’ve found the best way to brew this for a delicious berry tea. Read how below.
Cranberry and Raspberry Tea at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Blend: Mainly hibiscus flower with a variety of berries and flavourings
- Flavour: Tart and juicy berries with raspberry dominating the cranberry
Juicy and tart berry drink that’s not too generic with flavourful raspberry notes. A really lovely berry tea when brewed hot or cold that I have no trouble recommending.
Full Review - Cranberry Raspberry Tea
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Type: Pyramid sachet
- Ingredients: Hibiscus flower, apple, black chokeberry, raspberry, flavourings, cranberry, liquorice, blackberry leaf
- Health Benefits: Heal wounds, support the immune system, maintain healthy teeth and bones
- Flavour Notes: Juicy, tart, raspberries, cranberries, rich, simple
- Aroma: Sweet, strong and tart generic berries
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Amazon
First impressions – this tea smells great. Opening the packet (which I’m sad isn’t resealable or airtight in the slightest) the tartness of the raspberry and cranberry hits you. The raspberry smells fresh and real while the cranberries are more concentrated. The aroma is sweet but not sickeningly so.
It brews a deep raspberry red which is possibly one of my favourite colours and it perfectly matches the flavour of the herbal/fruit tea – rich, deep and flavourful.
It’s juicy and quite tart. Often that translates into a drying sensation in the mouth but this one was quite juicy and moisture-replenishing. I’d put this down to the apple. It’s rich, yet simple. The flavour notes aren’t complex but you can tell that the ingredients besides the cranberry and raspberry are adding to the experience because it has a body to it and an additional sweetness that tastes natural but isn’t from the berries.
Rounded – that’s how I’d describe it.
It’s sweeter with a subtle yet detectable apple note when cold brewed. It’s certainly a good berry tea.
How to Brew Berry Herbal Tea
Hot or cold, it’s very tasty and hard not to like.
Hot: boiling water, max 3 minutes. 2:30 is about right for my palate.
Cold: 1 tea sachet in a mug/cup of water, store in the fridge, it’s ready in as little as 3 hours. Leave for up to 10 hours for a strong brew.
Most cold brew teas (like the Whittard summer collection I’m reviewing at the moment) take around 12 hours to brew nicely. Some, like Whittard Peach Bellini, take a good 24 hours to create a good strong flavour. Don’t underestimate how quickly Loyd Cranberry and Raspberry tea brews.
It goes with most foods or you could have it on its own. Honey or sugar to taste, if you like it sweet.
Why Loyd Tea UK?
Loyd’s slogan on the box is “The Magic Experience” which is a bit… well, it’s an exaggeration. The tea is good but it’s not outstanding. Nonetheless, the tea sachets are biodegradable and the ingredients inside are good quality. Sure, there is flavouring included but there’s also a variety of tasty berries that I wasn’t expecting. It’s well balanced. The apple gives it a bit more body, while the hibiscus flower plays up the natural tartness of cranberries and raspberries. The liquorice root adds sweetness without being strong enough to add anise flavours. Pukka could learn a good lesson here about appropriate liquorice use.
A quick look at their website shows a decent range of teas with all the popular options, plus some information on their ecological efforts to join the Rainforest Alliance. Not bad at all.
Raspberry and Cranberry Health Benefits
Both these berries, plus the main ingredient hibiscus flower, are very high in vitamin C. You can taste it in that tart sourness of the tea. That makes it great for:
- Healing wounds and regenerating cells quickly.
- Supporting the immune system (we all know this about vitamin C).
- Maintain healthy teeth, bones and cartilage.
- Treat scurvy – it’s not relevant much nowadays, but good to know!
The other ingredients, from apple to blackberry leaf, are a good source of fibre so you could try this tea to help the digestive system as well.
As Loyd Cranberry and Raspberry tea also contains liquorice root, those suffering hypertension should avoid guzzling down vast amounts of it.
Summary
A nice tea! I had nothing really to complain about. It’s a simple tea, which is why it won’t ever score that high… but don’t ever pass by a simple tea. When the tea maker gets it right, simple is often best. Uncomplicated. This is a tea I can see having in my cupboard all year round when I don’t fancy tackling complex tea flavours with every sip.
Thirsty for More?
There’s plenty to drool over at my tea blog, Izzy’s Corner at Immortal Wordsmith. My personal recommendation after this one? Check out Zest Tea Cinnamon Apple which is perfect for the transition from summer into autumn.