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What’s the difference between a blueberry and a bilberry? This isn’t a setup for a joke by the way, it’s the question I was presented with when embarking on this Offblak rooibos tea. Down Time calls itself ‘a blueberry and mint flavour infusion’, but there are no blueberries listed in the ingredients. It does however contain bilberries.
Following my research, I have now discovered that the bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a close relation of the blueberry and also goes by the name of European blueberry. Other names for the bilberry are whimberry and whortleberry. Why Offblak passed up the opportunity to call this “Whortleberry tea” is beyond me quite frankly.
As for the tea itself? Well, I’m actually not sure how I feel about it. Rooibos and mint are quite an odd combination. The fruity bilwhortles form a sort of bridge between the warm toasty rooibos and the fresh, slightly astringent, mint leaves.
I’ve had four cups of the stuff already so I clearly don’t hate it, but it’s definitely weird. I think further tea drinking research will determine whether it’s good-weird or bad-weird. I’ll either decide that it’s an acquired taste that is worth acquiring or find that I can’t face another cup of the stuff.
It certainly doesn’t lack flavour that’s for sure. It has all the flavours. It’s a bit like taking a random selection of Jelly Belly jelly beans and cramming them into your mouth in one go. You’d get a weird taste combo but who knows, it might just work.
Today’s featured book is A Mere Interlude by Thomas Hardy.
