Arizona Oak Brewed Teas- Sugar In 'Unsweetened' Tea?

Dalek says 'You are Inferior'

The folks over at Arizona provided a generous helping of their three new bottled 'Oak Brewed' teas. They are testing these teas in the NY metro area and will then be rolling them out across the country within the year. There are three teas to choose from: 'Unsweetened' (I added the quotes, more on that later), Lightly Sweet, and Lemon. The teas have American Oak chips added to the brewing process. They are not brewed in oak barrels, although the wine aging process was the inspiration for the teas. I can't say that I've ever had a tea aged in oak before, and I'm not sure if this will be the beginning of a new trend.

Since I had such a large shipment of tea, I recruited a few tea tasters to provide feedback. This was helpful since I don't usually drink sweetened bottled teas and I'm not the target audience. I've compiled the feedback from the tasters and myself, and this is what we found:

For all three teas, there is a strange woody/earthy 'oaky' flavor that is added to the black tea. Tasters didn't define it specifically as the oak, but we couldn't figure out what else it could be.

The highest marks went to the lemon tea, although to me it tasted the most like a regular bottled tea. It had a strong lemon flavor but was not bitingly acidic. It actually gave the tea a pleasant brightness. The 'oak' flavor is present but not as apparent. The sweetened tea was too sweet for those like myself that don't normally drink bottled teas, but those that do drink it found it to be fine. The sweetness was less cloying than the 'lightly sweet' tea. I don't usually drink sweet teas, but if I was travelling and looking for something to drink I may choose the lemon version of this. Assuming a true unsweetened tea is not available.

The 'lightly sweet' tea was not enjoyed by those of us that do not appreciate sweet tea. But those that usually drink sweetened tea thought it was pleasant. I actually didn't mind the oak flavor in this tea, perhaps because it toned down the sweetness. But some of the tasters thought this tea had a strange aftertaste.

The unsweetened tea had a very unpleasant acidic taste. It's really all I could focus on when I tried it. The funny thing is that even though this is labeled as an unsweetened tea, there are three sweeteners in the ingredients! Honey, sugar, and maple sugar are included. I usually prefer unsweetened teas in every circumstance, but when comparing these three teas, I actually thought it was the least successful. It didn't taste enough like black tea, and it was strangely bland yet too acidic without tasting like actual citrus. There is also a slightly sweet taste that our tasters found off-putting. If you are expecting an unsweetened tea, the hint of sweetness is not appreciated. Everyone thought this tea was also too weak, without much boldness that other unsweetened teas have. The tasters would only choose this tea if no other options were available at the store.

So the tasters didn't love the unsweetened tea, but there is a larger issue to highlight. As I mentioned before, there is sugar added to the unsweetened tea. Am I the only person appalled by this? Sure, it says on the label that the sweetener 'adds a dietary insignificant amount of sugar', but when I asked the Arizona rep about those that have sugar restrictions they replied 'only a person's doctor or nutritionist can tell them if this beverage is safe for them to drink'. If a consumer is looking for an unsweetened tea, and it says 'unsweetened' on the label, shouldn't that mean there is no sugar in the bottle? It also leads me to believe Arizona doesn't stand behind the taste of their tea since they need to add sweeteners to alter the taste.

My assumption is that pure tea drinkers like myself are not the target audience for this drink. If anyone has seen or tried these teas, what did you think? Also, what do you think of the 'unsweetened' tea that has added sugar?

Steep Thoughts- The 'There Must Be A Way To Incorporate Shake Shack In A Post' Edition

I drink hot tea all year long, even on the hottest days. But sometimes I just want a refreshing glass of  iced tea. I often prefer this with food. I usually go the plain unsweetened route, but when it comes to eating greasy comfort food an Arnold Palmer fits the bill. Named after the golfer that created it, this drink is 1/2 lemonade and 1/2 iced tea. The sweet and tart lemonade is a perfect compliment to the bitter tea. Sometimes this drink is also called a 'half and half'. If I see it on a restaurant menu, I'll usually order it. It's hard to find one with the correct balance of tea and lemonade, but when it is just right, it is perfection.

Today I had one at my favorite place for indulgence, Shake Shack. I refuse to eat at fast food chains, but Shake Shack's quality salty burger calls my name every few weeks. I just can't help myself. While sipping my drink, I realized that the acidity in the Arnold Palmer is perfect to cut the grease.

If you're looking to try a half and half but can't find a restaurant or cafe that serves them, I've had good luck with the Nantucket Nectars version. It's a little sweeter than I'd prefer, but still a good choice. I just noticed that the man himself created his own line of tea drinks. I'll have to look for them in the future. Has anyone tried them?

Have a happy weekend!

Today's Steep Thoughts

This week's installment of Steep Thoughts is actually a bit of a rant that went on in my head while steeping a much needed tea to cleanse my palate. Background: while grabbing lunch today, it was warm and I was feeling summery. I decided to try a brand of iced tea that I never usually pick up. I usually stick with Ito En's unsweetened tea when the mood strikes. But if you've been following my posts, you'll know that I've been on a sweetened tea kick lately. Because of this, I was feeling nostalgic for a particular brand's peach iced tea, which doesn't really taste like peach, or tea. But I used to drink it in my college days, and I have a fondness for the flavor. While looking at the iced teas in the grocery store, I noticed a White Peach iced tea from Inko's. I've never tried this brand before, so I thought I'd give it a try. I wish I had thought more rationally about how my palate has changed since college. But I let nostalgia guide me.

The label says 'Made with White Tea-which is documented as one of the rarest and healthiest teas in the world.' Rarest? Is white tea rare? I can get it in any tea shop, and I'm guessing Inko's couldn't charge less than $4 a bottle if it was rare. The label goes on to say, 'Inko's isn't loaded with sugar, nor does it leave you with any harsh, grassy aftertaste.' But I like both bitter and grassy teas! I wish I had read this before purchasing. I knew I was in for an overly-sweet beverage that did not taste like tea.

Well, it did not taste like tea. I did not detect any white tea, I only tasted syrupy sweetness with a slight hint of peach. The tea had a strange cloying consistency, and tasted almost chemical. The dominant sweet taste and whisper of peach did conjure up images of my college days, which I guess is a positive thing. I was drinking the tea outside in the sunshine, which made things better. I had the sun warm my face with a cool liquid to drink, which was a nice break from a hectic day.

With only a few exceptions, it seems sweetened iced teas are always sweeter than you are expecting. I imagine they are catering to an average American soda drinker, and not the tea enthusiast. if you are looking for a bottled tea that tastes like tea (and may have a strong grassy aftertaste!), try the Ito En unsweetened varieties.

When I came back from lunch, I brewed a fresh cup of Royal Yunnan from the newish tea company Tea Licious. The tea was malty, slightly sweet, and just what I needed to wash out the sticky sweetness of the White Peach Tea. Now I feel better. Perhaps the bottled tea will end my sweet tea kick.