BISCOTTEA Gluten-Free Review

As I said a few days ago, I recently sent out a press release for BISCOTTEA's new line of gluten-free shortbread with baked-in tea. Today, I'm putting on my reviewer hat and reviewing the new products.

I have to say that I have had some less-than-stellar GF products in the past. Usually, I won't do PR or write copy for a company unless I've tried the products I'm writing about, but I know the BISCOTTEA brand and trusted that they wouldn't release anything that didn't meet their (and my) standards. I'm glad I trusted my instincts on this one! The samples I received yesterday were incredible -- flavorful, crunchy, buttery and delicious. While I didn't do a side-by-side tasting, I found the GF version to be nearly indistinguishable from the original. (The only thing I could discern was a slight cornstarch texture to the crumbs that differed from the original, but it wasn't a detriment and the mouth-feel was otherwise the same.) Although I'm not usually a "dunker," I tested the GF BISCOTTEA for those of you who ARE dunkers, and it held up very well. So far, my favorite flavor is the Earl Grey with Darjeeling, but it was a close call. The Blueberry with White Tea and the Chai flavors are also wonderful.

Aside from the great taste and texture, I was really glad to know that the GF line is batch-tested for gluten levels with a tolerance of only four parts per million, especially given the recent Whole Foods gluten scandal. It's an issue many of the GF bloggers I talked with had voiced concerns about, so it's good to know there are more (safe!) options out there for those who are particularly sensitive to gluten.