Benner Loose Leaf Watermelon Strawberry Mint Flavored Black Tea

A cup of hot tea is part of my morning routine just about every day. It’s a soothing ritual that helps me get ready to face the day, and the great thing about tea is that it comes in an endless array of flavors and varieties. My tea shelf in my pantry is stocked with everything from traditional English breakfast or black tea to green tea to Earl Grey, along with more exotic flavors like English rose black tea, lemon pound cake, candy cane, and various fruity teas. I purchase my tea from a variety of places, including Aldi.

In the spring of 2020, Aldi sold three types of loose leaf tea, along with cute tea infusers. I picked up a canister of each flavor that year: peach lemon herbal tea, berry flavored green tea, and a breakfast blend black tea. I also bought a tea infuser that looks like a black cat.

This year, in 2021, Aldi brought back the peach lemon and berry green tea flavors from 2020. However, they dropped the breakfast black tea, which is unfortunate because it was a favorite in our house, especially when served with a splash of heavy whipping cream.

Aldi also sold a new loose leaf tea flavor this year: watermelon strawberry mint black tea. I was uncertain about such a unique and busy-sounding flavor combination, but Aldi’s cousin Trader Joe’s sold a watermelon mint black tea at one point, and The Republic of Tea sells their own version for making iced tea, so this flavor combination — minus the strawberry — is not all that new. I decided to give the Aldi tea a shot.

Benner Loose Leaf Watermelon Strawberry Mint Flavored Black Tea cost $4.99 for a 3-ounce container at the time of publication.

This tea is an Aldi Find, which means it’s only in stores for a short time. It’s exclusive to Aldi, and Aldi does not offer online ordering for its specials once they sell out at stores, so if you want this, don’t delay.

Ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

Ingredients are: black tea, spearmint, licorice, natural flavor, peppermint, orange peel, and dried watermelon.

To brew hot tea, the canister says to bring fresh cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea in a tea infuser and place in a cup. Pour 6 to 8 ounces of hot water over the tea infuser and steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove the tea infuser from the cup after steeping.

(Remember to place your used tea leaves in your countertop compost bin and outdoor tumbling composter. Once broken down, they’re great for the garden or as a top dressing for your lawn.)

Benner Loose Leaf Watermelon Strawberry Mint Flavored Black Tea in the canister.

I wasn’t sure what I would think of this tea, but I actually like it. This tea is very aromatic when you open the canister, with sweet notes of watermelon coming through clearly, and it smells a bit like pink bubble gum with light notes of mint.

Benner Loose Leaf Watermelon Strawberry Mint Flavored Black Tea after steeping in my mug, with my cat tea infuser purchased at Aldi in 2020.

The tea tastes similar to how it smells, with a primary flavor of watermelon and a very, very mild mint aftertaste. It was hard to pick out much distinct strawberry flavor, but that’s okay. I also didn’t taste the black tea much here, with the watermelon being the strongest flavor. Overall, it’s a good tea and I’m glad I decided to try it.

The Verdict:

Benner Loose Leaf Watermelon Strawberry Mint Flavored Black Tea is a unique flavor combination, with primary notes of watermelon and mild mint. It’s an aromatic tea with a light sweet scent. If you like fruity teas, this is a good summer tea to try.