Organic Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla from The Tea Guy. . . . .

Been on a little bit of a hiatus the past month. Only drinking a few cups a week. Normally I don’t share much about my personal life but last Saturday (5/13/17 we may have time travelers reading this {har har} )at 3 am our son came into the world.  Now almost a week later I feel like my taste buds are back and little man is currently being fed by dad so I figured now would be a good time to get a post in.
This is a very unique rooibos. The flavors are subtle, almost to the point that I doubted that they were really there. Make sure to steep it for at least five minutes to truly extract all the flavors. Also, the flavors vary widely depending on the water temperature. When the water is hot – warm you will experience bourbon and vanilla. As it cools you will find the rooibos comes out more along with a strong oak flavor.
This is the first time I have tasted bourbon, let alone any alcohol, in a tea. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve had bourbon so getting acclimated to the flavor required at least half the cup.  The vanilla leaves a sweet sensation for the after taste.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: The Tea Guy

Not all vanilla extracts are created equally, nor taste the same.  Our chief tea sommelier spent a great deal of time, exploring & tasting what was available for vanilla rooibos tisanes.  The result was most always a let down.

So, when we decided to go head to head with the best vanilla rooibos’s out there, our job was clear, blow away the palates & imaginations of the huge following this infusion commands.

We choose the bourbon varietal bean extract & pieces. We soaked our organic rooibos in it for a time and then cupped it against the competition.  We were ecstatic with our result. You really outta try this so order a bag today!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

 

Passion Peach Tea from Teavery

Our Thoughts:

Passion Peach Tea from Teavery surely SMELLED peachy and even TASTED peachy…but…I was surprised to learn that this loose leaf contained orange peel AND elderberry which I think were both nice additions.  I think I can taste the orange peel as much as the peach flavor.  It gives it a bitterness to even out the sweetness.  There is a bit of rooibos in this mix, too, which helps with the sweetness as well.  Oh yes!  This has Passion Fruit flavor in there, too!  This mixture of ingredients seemed to be well thought out and wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill peach flavored tea and for that I’m grateful!

As I continue to sip this Passion Peach Tea from Teavery I find myself really concentrating on the black tea base (that is blended with the rooibos, that is).  With everything going on in this flavored tea I can still taste the black tea, thankfully.  The black tea is strong and has a deep crusty taste to it.  There are a lot of flavors in this cup and it’s almost like a wheel of flavor spinning around and around in your mouth.  I’m really LOVING the layers of flavor in Passion Peach Tea from Teavery.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea/Rooibos Blend

Where to Buy: Teavery

Logo-thickDescription:

A Compelling Infusions Of Organic Black Tea And Organic Rooibos. This Exotic Blend Is Infused With Organic Elderberry, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Rose Hips, Organic Calendula, With Undertons Of Orange, Peach And Passion Fruit.
Organic Black Tea, Organic Rooibos, Organic Elderberry, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Rose Hips, Organic Calendula, Natural Peach, Orange And Passion Fruit Flavor.

Learn even more about this tea here.

Rooibos Chai from Choice Organic Teas

Tea Type:
Rooibos

Where To Buy:
Choice Organic Teas

Product Description:

Thrill your senses with this naturally caffeine-free twist on traditional chai. We blend rich South African rooibos with the finest masala spices for a cup that’s warming, robust and subtly sweet. It’s a luscious treat that pairs wonderfully with milk and sweetener. (Caffeine Free)
Ingredients

Organic Rooibos*, Organic Cardamom, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Ginger, Organic Clove, and Organic Black Pepper *Fair Trade Certified™

Tasters Review:

I’ve been trying to get my life-long digestion issues under control – especially the last few weeks.  I have read that Chai Spices as well as Rooibos can help with that.  I’m grateful!

This smells like a sweet yet slight spicy chai post-steep.  The color is a nice rich dark red-brown.  The taste is sweet from the rooibos and slightly spicy from the spices.  This is really nice! REALLY NICE – for a bagged chai!  Probably one of my fave bagged chai’s as well as one of my fave rooibos chai in a bag, too!

I could see myself drinking this often!  This one surprised me!  If you see this on a shelf at a good price – give it a whirl!

Carrot Cake Rooibos from Fusion Tea Company

Tea Type: Rooibos

Where To Buy: Fusion Tea Room

Product Description:

We start with organic rooibos as perfect base and add cinnamon, walnuts and finish it off with real carrot bits. Add cream and sugar to cure your craving with hints of this prennial favorite. Packed with healthful antioxidants and naturally caffeine free you don’t have to feel guilty enjoying this wonderful herbal blend.

Ingredients: Organic rooibos, real carrot bits, cinnamon, and walnuts.

Tasters Review:

What a creative blend of flavors this is!  The aroma and taste are what you would expect for a Carrot Cake Flavored ANYTHING which I have found other companies attempts lacking…but NOT Fusion Tea Room!  They NAILED it!

The Maple Brittle seems to enhance all of the other flavors.  This is very sweet and I really don’t think any additional sweetener is required…but again, this is coming from someone who NEVER adds anything to their teas/tisanes.

The Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves aren’t prominent flavors but certainly contribute to the overall taste.  The Walnut, Carrots, Raisins, Coconut, and Maple Brittle flavors are more in the fore-front.  The Rooibos and Honeybush are well covered from their stereotypical taste for those who tend to shy away from it – they may want to give this one a whirl.

This is very aromatic and very flavorful! Very well done Fusion Tea Room!  It’s a winner!

Mint Chocolate Chip from The Persimmon Tree

Tea Type: Rooibos

Where To Buy:
The Persimmon Tree

Direct Link to the product at their store…CLICK HERE.

Product Description:

Ingredients Organic Rooibos, Vanilla, Mint, Chocolate Pieces * Characteristics Energizing, Organic, Caffeine-Free * Flavors Sweet, Minty * Caffeine Content None * Steep Temperature 200˚ * Steep Time 3-5 mins

Tasters Review:

I’m always interested in Mint Chocolate Chip Flavored stuff!  I have to admit…I just think chocolate and mint are genius together…generally speaking!

BUT…when it comes to this flavored rooibos…it doesn’t let me down!  It’s intensely flavored and smells AWESOMELY AWESOME! I know that is redundant and not the most creative phrasing for an official tea/tisane review but it DOES fit the bill…trust me!

I can see all of the ingredients and something that looks like dried apple but I don’t see that in the list of ingredients so maybe what I am seeing is a vanilla bean or something.

The taste is a nice, bold, strong Chocolate and Mint Mix.  It does hide quite a bit of the Rooibos taste but paired with the vanilla makes for a milky-smooth ending and aftertaste.

This is very good!  I like this a lot!  And I mean A LOT!

As it cools the chocolate becomes more malty…almost like a chocolate milk shake type malty…this aspect of the taste interests me as I don’t recall having that happen to me in other tea/tisanes.

This without a doubt made it to my mid 90 percentile of favorites!