Fig Leaves

Appearance. The Callmewine product description gives the colour as straw yellow with orange hues.^[1]

Nose. The same description reports aromas of almond, malt, tea and fig leaves, with toasted notes. The bottle label likewise names almond and malt.^[1]

Palate. The Callmewine product description calls the palate soft, elegant and harmonious, with sweet vegetal notes from fig leaf and delicate oxidative notes typical of tea. The label describes the same pairing of traits: delicate oxidative tea notes and the vegetal sweetness characteristic of fig leaf.^[1],[2]

The AKA Fig Leaves bottle label lists the ingredients as: black tea infusion (38%), Kombucha (water, raw cane sugar, black tea, green tea, Kombucha culture) (26%), fig leaf infusion (24%), Tibicos (water, sugar, tibicos culture) (12%), and yeast. The Callmewine product description gives a partly different account of the build, naming an Assam black tea base with raw cane sugar, a scoby, a fig leaf infusion and kefir water.^[2]

Black Tea Infusion — Base. The label puts black tea infusion at 38% of the blend, the largest single component. The Callmewine product description identifies the starting point more narrowly, stating that production begins with a base of Assam black tea infusion.^[1]

Fig Leaf Infusion — Vegetal Sweetness. Fig leaf infusion accounts for 24% of the blend on the label. The label attributes to fig leaf the vegetal sweetness that characterises the drink. The Callmewine product description says the fig leaf infusion is used during production and contributes further complexity.^[2]

The Callmewine product description sets out a two-stage fermentation. A scoby — a symbiotic culture of yeasts and bacteria — is added to ferment the liquid, producing a small amount of alcohol that is largely converted into organic acids. After this primary fermentation the drink is bottled with yeasts selected from Champagne, which carry out a second fermentation in the bottle following the Classic Method.^[1]

The same description reports two durations without relating them to one another. The second fermentation in bottle is given as three months. Ageing on the lees is given as up to 30 months.^[1]

Kombucha — Fermented Component. The label lists Kombucha at 26%, itself composed of water, raw cane sugar, black tea, green tea and Kombucha culture.^[2]

Tibicos (Water Kefir) — Complexity. The label lists Tibicos at 12%, made from water, sugar and tibicos culture. The Callmewine product description refers to the same component as kefir water and credits it, alongside the fig leaf infusion, with adding complexity.^[1]

Raw Cane Sugar — Fermentation Substrate. On the label, raw cane sugar appears inside the Kombucha component rather than as a standalone ingredient. The Callmewine product description instead states that raw cane sugar is added to the black tea infusion during production.^[1]

Yeast. Yeast closes the label's ingredient list, given without a percentage.^[2]

Specifications. Callmewine lists the alcohol content of Fig Leaves as 0.2%.^[1]

Production. The bottle label states that the product is Made in Italy.^[2]

Fig Leaves is a kombucha from AKA Teas combining black tea and fig leaf infusions. Callmewine describes a mixed refermentation of black tea with fig leaves, followed by three months of bottle fermentation with yeasts selected from Champagne.^[1],[2]