My quest for an acceptable cow’s milk alternative for black tea continues with almond milk, specifically Silk Unsweet Almond Milk. Previously I tried Silk Original Soymilk with unsatisfactory results. I had higher hopes for almond milk based on its reputed mild flavor.
The milk by itself had a very light (unsurprisingly) almond flavor. I detected a bitter aftertaste that I assume would be lessened by sweetener.
Like I did with the soy milk, I added the almond milk to a cup of Red Rose Orange Pekoe tea. The result was a bit acrid — as if the bitterness of both the tea and almond milk worked in conjunction — and didn’t taste much like tea. Adding sugar made it more palatable but still unacceptable as the milk’s flavor overpowered the tea.
Perhaps this search for a dairy alternative is pointless. Nothing tastes like real milk but real milk. Dairy alternatives seem to suppress the tea’s flavor instead of complementing it. Maybe it’s time I make a decision: either accept a little dairy in my life or stop drinking this style of tea.
