Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Earl Grey’s lesser known cousin, Earl Pink preferred an herbal tea with raspberry and bergamot. In honor of him, we’ve created this blend of caffeine-free green rooibos blended with freeze-dried raspberry bits (lots and lots of them) and natural and organic bergamot and raspberry flavors. Thanks to my lovely wife for help with the name. I’m not sure I have the skills to Photoshop a tongue onto the portrait of Earl Grey for an “Earl Raspberry”.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I find that I’m always a little hesitant to try rooibos blends that have been flavored with bergamot … and such was the case with this Earl Pink Tisane from 52Teas. I think I must have had an Earl Grey Rooibos blend at some point that I found really disappointing, although, I don’t remember where it came from now.
Fortunately, I do not find this Earl Pink Tisane to be disappointing. The dry leaf is beautifully fragrant, with lovely bergamot and raspberry notes. It smells very fresh and inviting. Once the tisane is brewed, the fragrance wanes. I still smell hints of raspberry and a barely-there note of bergamot, but it is nowhere near as aromatic as the dry leaf.
The flavor is deliciously sweet. The green rooibos has a light, fruity flavor that almost sparkles on the tongue, and this seems to pair remarkably well with bergamot. Not as well as black tea pairs with bergamot, of course … that’s a classic! But, the light, crisp flavor of the green rooibos together with the invigorating, tangy flavor of the bergamot just seems to meld together really nicely.
And then there is the raspberry! There are LOTS of little bits of raspberry in the dry leaf, and the raspberry flavor is sweet and tart, and has a pleasing fruit taste. I don’t know if it’s because it is combined with the bergamot – which sometimes does come off tasting a little bit “perfume-y” – or if it’s because of the flavoring used, but, it does taste just a tad artificial to me. It doesn’t taste like true raspberry … in fact; it tastes sweeter than the fruit … like maybe raspberry candy that has been made with “real and artificial flavors.” That’s not to say it’s bad, I’m really enjoying it, but if you’re looking for authentic, true-to-the-fruit raspberry flavor, you might be a tad disappointed with what you find here.
As for me, I’m not disappointed by this tisane. It’s not my favorite tisane from 52Teas, but it’s certainly tasty and one I’ll enjoy again in the future. I suspect this one will be awesome iced … so I think I’ll save what I have left for iced tea.
