Tropical “Tea” ~ Ellis Island

After yesterday’s behemoth of a blog, you’ll forgive me if i cut this one a bit shorter…

While there’s a few weeks of warmth remaining, i’d like to review one or two more bottled iced teas. Iced tea is kind of great and it’s never really been popular outside of the U.S., which i think is a shame (though in some cases it’s probably for the best ^^;;).

I hadn’t heard of Ellis Island before, but it turns out to be brewed in Detroit. So yay for more Michigan tea production!

Unlike most bottled iced teas, unsweetened Tropical “Tea” (actually a tisane) from Ellis Island has quite an aroma. It smells, more or less, like hibiscus. In makeup, this little known bottled iced tisane consists of: water, rosehips, hibiscus, citric acid, natural flavors and peppermint leaves. I almost wish there was a higher concentration of peppermint leaves. I can’t say I really gravitate to hibiscus Herbals (oftentimes they give me a headache), but they are refreshing and healthy and definitely more fun to drink than water when you need something caffeine-free. Despite being unsweetened, Ellis Island’s Tropical tea does have a good deal of natural sweetness. Mind you, I don’t think this tea would be ruined by the addition of a bit of cane sugar. In other words, the rosehips and hibiscus makes this iced tea quite bitter.