Republic teas usually are on the costly side; however, I grabbed this one on sale at a Dallas Whole Foods. "Value" is based on the normal prices for other Republic teas (retailing upwards of 8-10 bucks for 50-pouch columnar steel tins), and how this tea doesn't pack the punch it should for reputably strong flavors of this sort. Instead of a punch, it's more like a gentle, brief caress. That's fine for physical affection from one's mate, but I don't marry my tea. I prefer a tea that hits you in the face right off, and tells you with certainty what it is.

I had read some reviews here and elsewhere mentioning this tea's mildness. They ain't kidding! That's related largely to the lack of more product in each bag. The pouches also are a little smaller than most of that design, and unlike with most good teas using that bag shape, don't swell to more than 2/3 full even when wet. Being a fan of strong tea (and flavors), I therefore let most of the bags I've used so far steep extra minutes. Even a 10-minute soak still leaves my stirring spoon easily visible to the bottom of a cylindrical cup, and while enjoyable, a flavor and aroma on the "delicate" side, to put it delicately. Even then, it's mostly berry and tea. Republic's description of "subtle undertones" is overstating the sage element by a large margin. There's a faint, generic herbaceousness to it, but that could be imparted by anything cut from a plant. If I had to compare, I'd say: very faint alfalfa. In the mouth, this is a pleasant but weak blackberry tea, simple as that. I have to brew 3 (!) bags at once to get a passably robust blackberry black tea from this.

The wet-bag aroma may be the best part of the experience here. Most (but not all) the berry flavoring washes into the tea, leaving behind a very nice berry/sage balance I wish the tea itself had, multiplying the intensity of the combination by at least five. Again, not a bad tea at all, but if this tea were a person working out at the gym, it couldn't bench press a phone book.

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