Love Affair Rooibos Blend from Defthlesen & Balk

Love-AffairTisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Rooibos

Where to Buy:  Amoda Teas

Tisane Description:

Maybe it’s the unusual addition of rhubarb, maybe it’s the cute little candy hearts… but there is something making this a chocolate and strawberries blend like no other. It’s creamy, chocolate-y, fruity and honeyed without being overly sweet. You could sip this with your V-day dessert and not go into a sugar coma.

Learn more about this tisane here.

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Taster’s Review:

This is the second of the three teas/tisanes that I received in this month’s Tea Tasting Box from Amoda Teas.  (Have you subscribed yet?  You can do so with the link above, and you really should!  It’s really fun to receive a package form Amoda Teas!)

I admit to finding myself a wee bit disappointed by this Love Affair Rooibos Blend from Defthlesen & Balk.  Oh, it tastes alright, but, it’s not quite as good as I hoped for.  When I see “Chocolate and Strawberries” in the description, I’m hoping for some seriously yummy tea.  You know what I mean?

And I must confess that I am a little spoiled, because for Valentine’s Day this year, my hubby bought me a dozen chocolate covered strawberries.  So, my tasting of this tisane comes off of indulging in juicy, ripe strawberries that had been generously coated in various types of chocolate (some were dark chocolate, others were milk chocolate and some had white chocolate drizzle) … and they were just sinfully decadent.

And … unfortunately, this tisane just isn’t nearly as decadent.  The rooibos blend tastes mostly of strawberries and rooibos, and the result is a nutty, sweet, fruity, tisane with hints of chocolate.  The strawberry tastes sweet with a tartness that reveals itself in the aftertaste … the tart notes are further accentuated with the rhubarb … even so, this is definitely more sweet than tart.  (That is a good thing in my opinion!)

The chocolate is rather subtle, and a bit too subtle in the opinion of this chocoholic.  If someone says chocolate … I want CHOCOLATE.  I don’t want hints of chocolate.  I don’t want a subdued undertone of chocolate.  I want CHOCOLATE.  And I’m not getting that here.  As the tisane continues to cool, I notice the chocolate a little more, but it never becomes a strong enough flavor to please my chocoholic palate.

The rose presents a very gentle floral note, and I do like that … it’s a nice contrast to the sweet and fruity notes.  Overall, a pleasant enough cup, it just doesn’t live up to my expectations.