Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to buy: Talbott Teas
Company Description:
South African rooibos with orange peel and vanilla creme.
Taster’s Review:
This is really quite good… much better than I was expecting!
The dry leaf smells very orange – vibrantly orange! There isn’t a lot of “cream” scent or vanilla scent to the dry leaf aroma, and even less when the tea is brewed. But, the orange smells so sunny and delicious, that I’m finding it difficult to find fault with the lack of vanilla fragrance.
The flavor offers a good balance between sweet and tart. I really thought that this would end up too sweet, what with the sweet flavors of orange and vanilla, not to mention the natural sweetness of the rooibos. Then I read the ingredient list for this tisane, and I realized why it’s well balanced – the hibiscus!
In this instance, I think that hibiscus is a smart addition. I mean, I am a sweet tooth and I therefore have a great appreciation for things that are sweet, but, sometimes… it can be too sweet. And that was my worry for this blend. But thanks to the hibiscus, it isn’t.
And thankfully, the hibiscus is not overdone in this blend. It offers just the right amount of tartness to the blend while adding a palate-pleasing body to the cup, but the flavor is NOT hibiscus. Nor is the tea thick or syrupy. Just right!
The combination of the orange and the vanilla creme give this a creamsicle kind of taste. If I were to change anything about this particular blend, I would want the vanilla flavor to be a bit stronger, mostly because I’m really digging the way the creamy taste accents this blend.
The rooibos taste is light and nutty with faint wood notes. The flavor of the rooibos is significantly softer than that of the orange and the vanilla, but, I like it just fine like that.
This caffeine free blend would make a great treat any time of the day, and it’s bright, sweet taste is sure to be a hit with kids as well as adults. It’s easy to see why Talbott Teas are one of Oprah’s Favorite Things – this is fabulous!
