Being the insane tea drinker I am, I want to love all of the amazing dessert honeybush and red rooibos blends that are out in the tea community. It seems that banana flavored teas for the most part have red rooibos in them. Just makes me sad since I am not a huge fan of red rooibos and sometimes even stray away from honeybush.
But when these huge boxes of honeybush and red rooibos tea bags arrived at my door, I had to prep my tea pot up because I was bound and determine to experience these teas.
The first one I tried was the Red Rooibos Chai Spice. This tea bag smelled amazing and I could barely pick out the red rooibos familiar smell. Familiar Masala Chai notes swirled around me while I steeped this tea. Unfortunately, first sip in, I was greeted with the familiar red rooibos taste and I couldn’t go any farther. The spices in this tea were delicious which made me sad this same recipe of spices wasn’t attached to a green tea or even honeybush- that would have been dynamite. As a side note, my hubby really enjoyed this tea. He thought this tea was smooth with a spicy kick.
Next up was the Red Rooibos Vanilla. Again, I prepped myself up a cup with fresh boiled water and allowed the tea to cool for a few moments. I loved the sweet notes the vanilla gave off, but I was also picking up that familiar red rooibos smell. I did take my first sip-and again- unfortunately- I just wasn’t able to go any further. The vanilla was quite nice, but I couldn’t get past the medicinal woodsy flavor the red rooibos was giving of. My husband also tried this tea and really liked it. He loved the sweet vanilla tones.
For the finale, I prepped the Honeybush Tea Bag . Brewed hot, this tea was a nice change of pace. I added in a lemon and enjoyed quite a nice cuppa while I helped my son with his homework. The honeybush was simple but mingled well with the lemon giving me this lovely honeybush lemon treat to finish out my day with. Cold brewed with lemon and limes, I was able to keep my tastebuds happy while I crossed off tasks at work. The honeybush in both instances gave way to a sweet background. I can see this tea being great cold brewed with fresh herbs like mint and fruits-I’m thinking strawberries- to enjoy over the last few days of summer we have left. My husband and I both felt this was the best tea of the three.
Even though I may not have been a huge fan of all of these teas, for the price you really can’t go wrong. I can see where these could be a huge hit with the rest of the Sisters and I can’t wait to see what they have to say. I’m hoping they expand their line to include possibly some herbal teas that do not include honeybush or red rooibos.
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Top Quali Tea
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Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal from Aromatica Fine Teas
With a name like Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal I was assuming it was a straight-up herbal tisane but when I finally checked out the package I noticed it also contained Green Rooibos. While I realize that rooibos is still technically in the realm of tisanes and not an actual tea we still have categories for Rooibos here at Sororitea Sisters. Without further jibber-jabber here’s my review for Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal from Aromatica Fine Teas.
Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal from Aromatica Fine Teas received 2nd Place at the 2014 North American Tea Championship. That’s a wonderful accomplishment! So of course I wondered WHY all of the high praise? I had to taste Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal from Aromatica Fine Teas for myself! And I’m glad I did!
Dry – prior to infusing – I thought Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal from Aromatica Fine Teas smells like vanilla flavored cereal. It was a very pleasing smell! Once I infused for about 5 minutes the scents of sweet vanilla and lemongrass filled my cup and the surroundings! The taste of Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal from Aromatica Fine Teas was very nice, too! First and foremost I could taste the lemongrass then the orange and vanilla!
Not only was I happy to see the use of GREEN Rooibos over regular Red Rooibos I was also delighted to see Vervain used in this herbal blend. Henry Beston’s ‘Herbs and the Earth’ which was written in 1935 said the following of Vervain…”To those interested in magic and religion, there is no herb in the garden more worthy of attention, for this simple plant without fragrance, without an outer look of power, without a flower of significance, was singled out from among all other plants and herbs as the most sacred of the growing things of earth between the Pillars of Hercules and the roots of the Caucasus.” Again…pretty high praise, right? So…YES…I enjoyed the ingredients in this tisane, I really liked the aroma and taste, and I can see why Lemongrass Vanilla Herbal from Aromatica Fine Teas was an award winner and it was well deserved!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Aromatica Fine Teas
Description
North American Tea Championship: 2nd Place – Flavored Herbal Blends category – 2014 Spring- Hot Teas Division
Bright, fresh lemon taste in a healthy herbal blend. Makes a great iced tea! Apple pieces, lemongrass, green rooibos, orange pieces, vervain, flavour, vanilla bits.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
