The Good: Amazing aroma, Great spiced taste
The Bad: Individually wrapped, Caffeine free, Doesn't taste much like peach
The Basics: A good herbal tea, Perfect Peach might not live up to its namesake, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.
Despite my recent experiences with them, there are actually quite a few Bigelow teas that I enjoy. I am not sure how I came upon Perfect Peach, but I think my wife brought it home for me. Regardless, for the first time in a long time, I am having a new Bigelow tea experience and the truth is, I am enjoying it despite being split on the overall execution of Perfect Peach.
Perfect Peach falls into a group of teas that taste good, but do not quite taste like the fruit they are claiming to, at least, not on its own. Even so, it smells wonderful, tastes good and is one that is very easy to recommend to those who enjoy herbal teas.
Basics
Perfect Peach is an herbal tea from Bigelow. It is a tea that is naturally caffeine free and it is a very strong black tea. Perfect Peach comes in Bigelow's standard individually-wrapped tea bags, means that each tea bag has a wax papery envelope it is sealed in for freshness. Each tea bag has a five-inch string with a little paper tab at the end, which is quite a bit more waste than I like from a tea bag. When I make pots of tea, I tend to use two bags and making a steeping pot of Perfect Peach reminds me of why I like the easy environmentalism of Celestial Seasonings' stringless bags. A box of Perfect Peach comes with 20 individually-wrapped tea bags.
Perfect Peach is marketed as a peach-flavored tea and it reaches that potential only with the addition of sugar or agave nectar. But when it does rise up to have the full flavor, it truly is peach flavored and delicious. On its own, though, the Perfect Peach is a spiced herb tea that tastes vaguely sweet and wonderfully spiced.
Ease of Preparation
Perfect Peach is an herb tea, which means preparation is as easy as boiling a pot of water! Perfect Peach, as the directions clearly state, require water that is boiling. A single tea bag will make the standard 8 oz. coffee mug worth of tea, though reusing the tea bags yields a mug full which is about 3/4 strength. It was only when reusing the teabag I found the tea to have an aftertaste and if one is a teabag miser, the sour aftertaste may be enough to discourage one from using these bags for a second mug or pot.
To prepare Perfect Peach, simply boil up some water, and pour it over the tea bags in a cup, mug or steeping pot. This tea is recommended to take three to five minutes to steep and with boiling water, the tea was ready at the four minute mark and letting it steep longer does not truly change the results. Letting the tea steep more than five minutes does not net any additional flavor, nor does it denature the flavor of the tea. However, after brewing for five minutes, trying to reuse the teabag is likely to net the consumer a fair second cup or pot.
Taste
Perfect Peach is enhanced by a wonderful aroma. Smelling the tea, the consumer is invited in by the smell of cloves, cinnamon and other autumn scents. The tea smells only faintly like peach but not at all like tea, which makes sense because there are no tea leaves in this tea. Instantly, the scent encourages one to try the beverage and the strength of the aroma is truly enticing.
Bigelow's Perfect Peach has a light, citrus taste. The flavor is vaguely fruity and as the tea cools, it actually tastes quite a bit more like strawberry than peach. The aftertaste is slightly tart, like real fruit and while it might not be the most pure or accurate taste of peach - the closest I can describe it as is vaguely citrus because it does not taste like peach on its own - it still tastes deliciously fruity and spicy.
With a teaspoon of sugar or a squirt of agave, Bigelow Perfect Peach rises to the occasion of good taste. With just a little sugar, the tea comes alive with a true and delicious fruity taste which is clear to those who enjoy peaches as the flavor of peaches. The generic soury taste dissipates and instead, the tea takes on the sweet taste of fresh peaches, warmed by the sun. The flavor is distinct and truly peach and the sweetness does not overwhelm the flavor, though it enhances the full body of peach flavor that one would hope the tea would have, instead of allowing the initial sourness to overtake the rest of the flavor.
Because this is a citrus herb tea, milk should not be added to it.
Cold, Perfect Peach is sour and less palatable than when it is served hot.
Nutrition
That Bigelow’s Perfect Peach tastes unlike peaches is somewhat unsurprising, as peaches are the third ingredient, behind rose hips and hibiscus. Perfect Peach tea is all natural, Kosher, and does not contain caffeine. Were it not for the sugar I add whenever I make Perfect Peach, this tea would be devoid of any nutritional value. It contains no calories, fat, sodium, carbohydrates or protein.
Storage/Clean-up
Bigelow's Perfect Peach is a fairly light herb tea. As a result, cleanup is rather simple, save on fabrics. The mugs and steeping pot easily rinse out. This tea will stain if it is left on fabrics, so simply do not let the tea cups or mugs linger on light colored materials that might stain!
Perfect Peach is easy to clean up after - the tea bags may be disposed in the garbage, or composted if you have a good garden and/or compost pile. One of the nice things about this tea - like most - is that so long as it is kept cool and dry, it can last for a long time and it is easy to clean up. However, like all Bigelow teas, there is extra waste from the strings, paper tabs and individual wrappings around each bag.
Overall
Perfect Peach is a good tea, but because lately I've tried to avoid adding unnecessary sugar to my teas, it is a tougher sell than I would have liked. This is a tea which pretty much requires the sugar in order to truly embody the full flavor of peach. But because it is delightful on its own, it is still worth buying.
For other Bigelow tea reviews of mine, please check out:
Ginger Snappish
White Chocolate Kisses
Sweet Dreams
5.5/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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