Rift Valley Currant Purple Tea: Flavor and Brewing Guide
By Sourced. Blended. Shared. LMTC | Lake Missoula Tea Co. | Published: 2026-11-02
Category: Product Reviews
Rift Valley Currant is a tart, earthy black currant tea with layered purple liquor. Learn what it tastes like, how to steep it, and how to avoid a bitter cup.
Quick answer
Steep Rift Valley Currant in water just off the boil for 3 to 4 minutes, then taste before adding anything. Expect a tart, earthy black currant flavor with sweet murmurs and a layered purple liquor, not a berry-sweet tea.
What Rift Valley Currant actually tastes like
This is a black currant tea, and black currants are native to Europe. The cup leads with tartness and earthiness, with sweetness appearing as a murmur rather than a main note. If you come expecting a jammy berry tea, the first sip can read as sharp. Treat that as the point: the flavor is complex and layered, and the purple hues in the liquor are part of the experience.
Because the tea is built on black currants rather than a sweet fruit blend, small changes in steep time shift the balance. A shorter steep keeps the tartness bright; a longer one pulls out more earthy depth. Start in the middle and adjust from there.
The caffeine question
The supplied catalog information does not state a caffeine amount for Rift Valley Currant, so treat any exact milligram figure you see elsewhere with caution. Black currant fruit itself is not a tea leaf, but this is a blended tea and the full ingredient list and caffeine content are not provided in the catalog facts. If caffeine matters to you, check the packaging or contact the store before relying on it for a late-night cup.
Why this tea rewards a plain first cup
Sweeteners and milk can flatten the tart, earthy structure that makes Rift Valley Currant distinctive. Taste the plain liquor first, then decide whether a small amount of honey or a splash of milk improves your cup. The catalog price is USD 5.92 against a comparison price of USD 11.85, so it is a reasonable tea to experiment with rather than reserve for special occasions.
How to brew Rift Valley Currant step by step
- Measure the leaf: Use about 1 teaspoon of Rift Valley Currant per 8 ounces of water. If you take your tea strong, add a little more leaf rather than steeping longer. A common mistake is packing the infuser too full, which can make the cup muddy; leave room for the leaves to expand.
- Heat the water: Bring water to just off the boil, then let it settle for about 30 seconds before pouring. Avoid a rolling boil directly onto the leaves. Checkpoint: if the water is still bubbling hard, wait a moment; overly aggressive heat can push bitterness ahead of the tart fruit.
- Steep for 3 to 4 minutes: Start with 3 minutes, then taste. For more earthy depth, continue to 4 minutes. Do not walk away and let it steep indefinitely. Set a timer; the difference between a bright cup and a bitter one is often just one extra minute.
- Taste before you add anything: Sip the plain tea first. If it needs softening, add a small amount of honey or a splash of milk, then taste again before adding more. Add sweetener in small increments; the tartness is the tea's character, not a flaw to mask.
- Re-steep if you like: The catalog does not specify re-steeping guidance, so judge by the second cup. If the flavor holds, steep again for a slightly longer time; if it turns thin or harsh, stop. Keep the spent leaves only if the first cup was not overly bitter; bitter leaves rarely improve on a second steep.
Product facts
- Rift Valley Currant: Rift Valley Currant is a custom black currant tea with tart, earthy flavor, sweet murmurs, and purple liquor hues. Knowing the tea is tart and earthy rather than berry-sweet helps you set the right expectation and avoid overcorrecting with sugar.
Rift Valley Currant
