This was among the better bagged, fruit-flavored black teas I've had. Raspberry teas are uncommon in my experience, so I figured to try some that I saw on a hotel tray in Gillette, Wyoming. Their water ain't the greatest, so I drank one there and also took a bag home. Upon ripping open the foil-lined pouch (s.o.p. for Bigelow, and a positive), the dry-bag aroma was dominantly fruity, with a background maltiness suggesting they use Assam in the base tea. Would the flavor deliver after such a promising intro?

The liquid brewed up dark, fast, yet still translucent, with a hint of malt in the cup aroma and taste—not as obvious as in the dry aroma, but reinforcing the notion that a little Assam was in there. That's a good thing. [Still, I wish tea companies would be more open about the origins of the product in these mass-produced flavored blends, so we're not left to merely guess.] Mostly it sported just a strong fruit flavor that didn't overwhelm the base tea, but certainly asserted dominance. Vanilla is obviously among the "other natural flavors" as well, given the readily apparent creaminess, probably to take the edge off raspberry's natural sourness. That's OK with me, not being a fan of sour tea tastes. The vanilla rendered a smooth, rich, easygoing feel, somewhat like raspberry-vanilla ice cream. The wet-bag aroma is mostly spent tea, and not much fruit, so this blend is suitably efficient at releasing the natural flavoring(s) into the cup.

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