A Totally Scientific Analysis of CIBO's New Bottled Iced Tea

CIBO's iced tea is one of those things that unintentionally spawned a life of its own. Like its sibling beverage, the Uva Nera, the Te Freddo--lemon, in particular--has developed its own cult following since the Italian casual-dining chain opened in 1997. 

Renowned by many as the best iced tea in Metro Manila, CIBO's Te Freddo al Limone is a brewed then blended refreshment that's distinct but pleasantly light, with the right blend of tartness and sweetness. It uses black tea leaves which leaves a lightly but pleasantly bitter finish. You can easily detect the calamansi flavor in the way each sip gently catches at your throat. Like everything else in the restaurant, it is a reliable comfort. 

CIBO owner and Asia's Best Chef Margarita Fores gave the Philippines more than just prestige this year. Yesterday, September 29, she finally released bottled versions of her famous drink. Now, every order of a Te Freddo will be accompanied with the server asking, "Take-out or dine-in?" Curious iced tea lovers that we are, we decided to analyze this new marvel in a bottle, in the most scientific way we can without actually doing science.

IMAGE Sasha Lim Uy

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The verdict? We've realized that the best CIBO iced tea is the one you have at the moment. And with these bottles, we can enjoy it virtually any time and anywhere.