Pure Leaf Real Brewed Iced Tea
Last summer, I volunteered at a hospital where I would get a $5 voucher to use at the cafe on my break each day. After weeks of picking out random things, I finally realized they sold Pure Leaf iced teas. I had tried of these iced teas in the past and enjoyed them, so I made it my mission to try all of the flavors of the Real Brewed Iced Tea. Unfortunately, I started this mission with only a few weeks of volunteering left, so I did have to purchase the rest of the flavors on my own (or have my mom purchase them for me) at various supermarkets. But it ended up being a good thing because my family enjoyed drinking them just as much as—if not more than—me.
Unsweetened Black Tea
Pure Leaf’s iced black tea has a simple black tea flavor that I can tell is “real brewed” tea. It does taste a little sweet even though it is unsweetened, but I think that is due to the citric acid. Citric acid is usually added to give food a longer shelf-life, but it does sometimes add a bit of flavor as well.
Unsweetened Green Tea
The iced green tea has a typical green tea flavor, but is not too bitter or grassy. It is a little lemony even though there is no lemon in the ingredients. I think the flavor once again comes from the citric acid. I do not know how close either of these iced teas were to expiring or how long they had been sitting in the fridge at the hospital cafe, so I would not be surprised if the citric acid only adds flavor as time goes on.
Unsweetened Black Tea with Lemon
This iced tea tastes similar to the regular unsweetened black tea, but it has a nice lemon flavor. The one I drank was not as sweet as the original unsweetened black tea, which leads me to believe my theory about the citric acid is correct.
Sweet Tea
The Pure Leaf Sweet Tea is very sweet, as expected. However, I did still taste a hint of black tea flavor, which was a pleasant surprise.
Extra Sweet Tea
Pure Leaf is more like Pure Sugar with this iced tea. Truthfully, this was not as sweet as I expected it to be, but I did still need to drink it in two separate sittings. My younger brother loved it—but he also makes chocolate milk that is more chocolate syrup than milk.
Lemon Flavor
Pure Leaf’s Lemon Flavor iced tea tastes similar to the unsweetened black tea with lemon flavor, but is definitely sweeter. The Lemon Flavor does come in a diet variety, but I did not try that because I do not like the taste of artificial sweeteners. The lemon flavor is pretty light, but there isn’t a strong tea flavor either.
Raspberry Flavor
Raspberry is one of my favorite flavors, and this raspberry iced tea does not disappoint. It is once again pretty sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Like the Lemon Flavor, the tea flavor is not very distinct in this iced tea.
Peach Flavor
Peach is another one of my favorite flavors, especially for tea, and once again Pure Leaf hits the mark on this one. Like the other flavors, this iced tea is a little bit sweet and has only a slight tea flavor. It tastes similar to Starbucks’ Peach Green Tea, but with black tea. This flavor as comes in a diet variety as well.
Pomegranate and Mint Flavors
I could not find these two flavors anywhere. I tried ordering the pomegranate flavor from two different ShopRite stores in two different states, and it was not delivered either time. Additionally, it was not sold at any other supermarket I looked at, nor was the Mint Flavor. Because of the pandemic, I did not have the ability to look for these flavors in drugstores or even quick-service restaurants that carry other Pure Leaf flavors.
Tea & Lemonade
Pure Leaf’s Tea & Lemonade has a typical iced tea-lemonade flavor that is similar to Arizona Iced Tea’s Arnold Palmer or Starbucks’ Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade. The lemonade adds sweetness and overpowers the flavor of the tea, which is honestly what I expected.
Honey Green Tea
The last of the Real Brewed Iced Teas, the Honey Green Tea is very sweet, with a strong honey flavor. There is also a slight green tea flavor that is, thankfully, not at all bitter. Though this is one of Pure Leaf’s sweeter teas, it is also a pretty unique flavor considering I have not sees many iced teas sweetened with honey.
Overall, Pure Leaf has some great grab-and-go iced tea options that can be picked up in supermarkets, convenience stores, and more. After trying all of the Real Brewed Iced Teas, I am interested in trying their organic and hibiscus iced teas, as well as their (new?) cold-brew iced teas.
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