Topsy Turvy Tea Blend (Disney)

When I went to Disney World the last thing I was thinking of was tea. But lo-and-behold, there it was! Staring me in the face at the Epcot gift store I was in! Of the two teas I saw that were loose leaf, I bought both! My first review is of this Topsy Turvy Tea Blend.

Disney isn’t known for their food products. More for their vast collection of films and animated features as well as their collection of theme parks. Disney is more known for creativity than anything else. That being said, this Topsy Turvy Tea Blend caught my eye. And not just for the cheshire cat on it’s tin.

I could spend an hour or so discussing the relative uniqueness of the stylized packaging, even though it’s in a pretty standard tin shape. But we’re more interested in the tea here, so let’s go.

The loose leaves are medium length and twisted tight and of a blackish-grey hue. Blended with copies amounts of calendula sand safflower petals keeps this tea colorful and interesting. Once brewed the leaves produce a burgundy liquor.

The aroma of the loose material is light and overwhelmingly full of bergamot, the citrus fruit which gives Earl Grey its flavor and aroma. There are barely noticeable stone fruit scents if you spend the time to seek them out. Once brewed, the aroma turns more to oranges with undertones of bergamot and something lightly floral.

The flavor is full of punch. While Disney bills this tea as medium strength, they provide exactly zero guidance on preparation including quantity of tea to use per cup, water temperature or steep time. There’s a great deal of astringency to the brew at brew intervals from 2.5 to 4 minutes which overshadows the citrus and honeyed stone fruit flavors you can catch when brewed at a much lighter 2 minutes.

Based solely on the dry aroma I didn’t expect this brew to be as strong as it was. Experimentation is required to achieve the desired taste which makes this tea particularly bold. Icing this tea may produce better results.

Fans of  astringent CTC black teas and breakfast teas may enjoy this tea from Disney.

NOTE: I could not locate the correct tin size on Disney’s website. I have linked to a collection containing three different blends in smaller stacked tins.