Granny Squibb's

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16oz Glass
BevNET Review: The Black Currant and Raspberry flavors of Granny Squibb’s teas taste pretty similar, so we’re going to focus on this one, Black Currant, which was our preferred variety. Maybe it’s slightly less marketable than the ubiquitous combination of raspberry and black tea, but this is a better tasting blend and one that feels a little bit more nostalgic (and, therefore, fits with the vibe of the brand slightly better). This particular variety uses black tea, sugar, blackcurrant juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and natural flavor. There’s a nice base of black tea at the heart of this product, which has been given a moderate level of sweetness from the added sugar. From there, the black currant juice has a tart flavor that’s almost cranberry-like. Plus, it has more depth of flavor than the raspberry variety, which is another reason why we like this variety better. The lemon and lime juices help join everything together, with the citrus helping to keep the sweet and tart flavors at bay. Visually, this definitely is one of their most polished looking flavors, with a clean front panel, a nicely executed retro/nostalgic theme, and minimal text needed to describe the product. It’s definitely easy to figure out what this product is and it does a nice job of whetting the palate. Overall, a nice entry from Granny Squibb’s. Reviewed on: 11/12/2012

Product Type:Tea: Sweetened; Container: 16oz Glass
BevNET Review: Granny Squibb’s Classic Lemon Tea is likely to be viewed as the flagship flavor of the brand, so it’s important that this product really hit on all fronts. On the outside, it presents itself well, with a “classic” look that definitely feels like it is in line with a product that’s delivering the classic flavor of black tea, lemon, and sugar. Plus, we like that they’ve switched to a more simple glass bottle and one that’s known for iced tea. That, combined with the clean look to the front panel, definitely make this a credible and authentic looking product. Inside the bottle, there’s a sweet tasting mixture, which, being completely honest, is too sweet. Especially when compared to some of the other flavors, like the raspberry and blackcurrant flavors, which have fewer grams of sugar. As it stands right now, the sweetness is too cloying and we think they should dial it down. Overall, very nice presentation, but the sweetness is just too much. Reviewed on: 11/12/2012

Product Type:Tea: Unsweetened; Container: 16oz Glass
BevNET Review: Of the unsweetened flavors that have been added to the Granny Squibb’s line, the unsweetened lemon and mint tea flavor is the most natural combination. As the name suggests, it’s a very straightforward blend of the black tea, lemon, and mint. From a flavor perspective it’s spot on, with just the right amount of each flavor. And for five calories, it delivers plenty of flavor. However, since is so simple, it feels like something that could be easily switched out for another comparable product. Visually, the product has a vibe of nostalgia and retro, which seems to work for a product named Granny Squibb’s. However, the visual differences between the unsweetened and sweetened products might not be sufficient -- you really have to read to tell the difference. In addition, we’re not fond of the “not always sweet” callout, which is confusing (is this flavor sometimes sweet?). Last, we’d like to see something other than a stock cap on the top of this product. Overall, it’s a nice effort that, with some refinement, is definitely a legitimate choice when it comes to premium RTD tea. Reviewed on: 11/12/2012

Product Type:Tea: Unsweetened; Container: 16oz Glass
BevNET Review: The Unsweetened Mojito Lime Tea variety of Granny Squibb’s tea is a blend of black tea, mint, and lime juice concentrate (the mint and lime being the “mojito”). The acidic flavor of this product is a bit much, with the black tea and lime both smacking you in the mouth pretty hard. It’s a flavor that doesn’t seem to translate perfectly to being unsweetened (which is the same thing we’d say for their unsweetened black currant and raspberry flavors). That said, we don’t really see the need for them to take a sweetened flavor and do exactly the same thing when it’s in unsweetened form. Instead, we’d prefer that they choose flavors that really shine without sweetness. In addition to making a better tasting product, this would help alleviate any confusion that might come about from having both a sweetened and unsweetened version of the same flavor (we’re sure that one will be mistaken for the other at some point). Overall, we prefer this flavor’s sweetened counterpart (and the same can be said for black currant and raspberry). Reviewed on: 11/12/2012