The Worst Harney & Sons Iced Tea Tastes Way Too Artificial For Our Liking

Instead of looking for ways to elevate homemade iced tea, store-bought iced tea offers a convenient alternative. While fast-food iced teas can provide refreshing sips on the run, sometimes the simple joy of a cold beverage poured quickly at home is just the treat to uplift a dull afternoon. Whether you're looking to stock your kitchen with options or are planning a menu for a party, brands like Harney & Sons offer some delicious choices. Unfortunately, even with a variety of flavors to sample, a Tasting Table team member discovered that not all 9 flavors of Harney & Sons Iced Teas are tasty, particularly the Blueberry Green Fresh Brew Iced Tea.

Harney & Sons uses Chinese green tea, vanilla and blueberry flavors, lemongrass, and cornflowers to create this tea blend. It is a mixture that is intended to be served iced, but can also be consumed hot. Brewing the tea is easy enough. Simply pour boiled water over a tea bag, steep, then add cold water. Servings can be garnished with mint or citrus slices.  

Lovers of blueberry will be disappointed to learn that the company's Blueberry Green tea doesn't tick all the boxes in terms of flavor and presentation. In fact, our writer found that in addition to a "strange" color, this beverage's flavor tasted artificial. "Together, they create something off-putting and highly manufactured, not something you feel you've brewed," they explained.

Online reviews of this tea are mixed, with some samplers describing the taste as bitter or weak. "I have never had anything from Harney and Sons that I haven't loved. This tea tasted and smelled horrible," confessed one online reviewer on Harney & Sons' official website. "I had to throw it away." Another sampler described the blueberry flavor to be noticeably unusual, with a taste and smell that was akin to Play-Doh. Even with some doctoring up and experimentation with different brewing methods, this tea misses the mark for a refreshing glass of blueberry-enhanced tea. "Not palatable at all, fake blueberry taste," complained another tea drinker.

Fortunately, Harney & Sons has made several other fruity iced tea flavors like tropical mango, raspberry, and passion fruit. These iced tea flavors don't lead with the same kind of artificial experience as the Blueberry Green product. If cravings dictate that blueberries must be part of the beverage recipe, look to make your own blueberry brew or consider plopping frozen pieces of fruit into your glasses for a pretty garnish that doesn't taste fake.