Chai Sansibar Rooibos sounds like it came from a far away land, doesn’t it? Chai Sansibar Rooibos from Aromatica Fine Teas is a chai flavored red rooibos tisane.
It’s described on the company’s website as a delightful vanilla rooibos chai. They also mention that its an outstanding alternative when brewed in apple juice or cranberry juice. Now THIS I might have to try in the near future! But first straight-up, stand-alone, as-is, by itself!
Less is more with the ingredients in this one as it only contains Rooibos, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, red pepper, bruised peppercorns, vanilla. As you can see many of your stereotypical chai spices but paired with a naturally caffeine-free red rooibos base making it ideal for evenings!
I would say that the red rooibos is the primary flavor in this one then you can taste the mishmash of spices followed by the sweet, smooth, and creamy vanilla. Overall I did like this chai alternative but it wouldn’t have been the same if it was missing the vanilla. It’s what seemed to make it all come full circle! YUM!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Aromatica Fine Teas
Description
A delightful vanilla rooibos chai. Outstanding alternative when brewed in apple juice or cranberry juice. Rooibos, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, red pepper, bruised peppercorns, vanilla.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rooibos Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai
“Ready to savor in a moment” says the packaging, and it’s true: this tea is in a finely ground powder form, just mix it in your mug with hot water or milk and it’s ready to drink. I used the recommended ratio on the packaging, using a teaspoon of sweetener, and 50/50 hot water and hot (almond) milk. I used a stronger serving of the tea powder because I like my chai extra spicy. The powder is a rich, dark brown, smelling strongly of cloves and cinnamon. In the hot brew, the ginger brings its trademark heat and cardamom adds a pop of herbal warmth. It’s everything I want from a chai: the warm and spicy Christmas flavors, and since it’s rooibos, it’s decaf so I can drink it any time of day.
For future brewing, I would treat this like I do matcha, sifting the powder first for the smoothest blend, and whisking it to add a bit of foam on top. I always feel like it’s a challenge to get a chai spicy enough for my tastes, and this powdered tea style makes it easy to bring the heat. I might give this a try with hot water, no milk, and a slice of orange as an alternative brewing style. I just got a sample size of this tea to try it out, but I’ll have to order a full bag of rooibos masala chai from a Blue Lotus Chai sometime soon!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Red Rooibos (ground)
Where to Buy: Blue Lotus Chai
Description:
100% Certified organic and caffeine-free, our Rooibos Masala Chai appeals to a broad cross-section of customers. It has a similar taste profile to our Traditional Masala Chai, but with the delightful base of naturally sweet and nutty rooibos. Those who cannot or wish to not drink a caffeinated chai, can freely indulge in their favorite BLC drink.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Holiday Tea Alert! Snickerdoodle from Simpson and Vail
Snickerdoodle from Simpson & Vail was a sweet, simple blend, perfect as the weather gets cooler. The tea has true cinnamon-stick flavor– not at all like cinnamon candy– definitely the cinnamon flavor of baked goods. The warm, spice flavor goes well with the gentle dry grass and honey notes of the green rooibos. Let me put the emphasis on “green” rooibos. Unlike red rooibos, which can have a tendency to get a little medicine-like, or cloying, the green rooibos always stays smooth, sweet, and mellow, so feel free to brew this gentle decaf cinnamon blend as long as you like.
In fact, I had to brew a much stronger cup to get beyond the simple, warm cinnamon notes and find more nutty, vanilla-cookie flavors. Don’t skimp on the leaf amount or brew time with this blend: steep it strong for the best Snickerdoodle flavors.
It’s no secret that I love teas with lots of bold spices like ginger and cloves, but I do realize these are not everyone’s favorite flavors. If you want something comforting and festive, but without all the overdone pomp and circumstance of a holiday chai, Snickerdoodle might just be the perfect tea for you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description:
When we were kids Jim came home from elementary school with some recipes his teacher had given him (perhaps for an upcoming bake sale). I’ll never forget the day our Mom made a batch of Snickerdoodle cookies. They were an instant favorite in our house! The recipe was lost for awhile and we would continually ask Mom for “those lovely cinnamon cookies”. You never saw four happier kids than when she found the recipe again.
If you are a cinnamon lover then this Rooibos blend is for you! When you open the bag, the aroma of cinnamon cookie happily greets you. The brewed cup is amber colored with the taste of fresh baked snickerdoodle cookies. The sweet cinnamon taste lingers deliciously on the tongue.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blueberries and Blossoms in My Cup! Rooibos Blend From The Kettlery
As much as I love pumped-up black teas and spicy chai teas, I do need an herbal comfort now and again. Enter: Blueberry Blossoms Rooibos Tea from the Kettlery. Unsurprisingly, the overall the focus of this blend is blueberry. You can smell the berries in the dry leaf, and their flavor is very forward in the brew. This tea is not too juicy, or fruit-heavy, like other blueberry blends with hibiscus or apple pieces. This is more subdued and toasty, like a blueberry scone.
I can understand why rooibos teas might be a hit-or-miss for some people. Red rooibos can taste like medicine if oversteeped and green rooibos can be bland if you are not in the mood for it. This tea feels like a happy medium, an easy-going rooibos, strong enough to add some nuttiness underneath the blueberry flavors, but far from overpowering. I didn’t experience any sour or bitter tones when brewing this tea, only warm and gentle blueberry.
There are marshmallow blossoms listed in the ingredients list, which I found intriguing. We all know what marshmallows taste like, little clouds of pure sweetness in cocoa or Lucky Charms, but they’re not quite the same as marshmallow blossoms. My internet research tells me that mallow blossoms should taste a bit sweet, like their sugary counterparts. Any additional sweetness in this tea gets wrapped up in the blueberry flavor, and I didn’t notice any unusual herbal tastes in this tea. Perhaps the mallow blossoms are in this blend for their visual appeal. The little lavender blossoms certainly are a nice pair with the deep purple blueberries.
If you’re looking for a gentle, nutty, blueberry tea without too much sour fruit or in-your-face hibiscus, I recommend brewing up a pot of Blueberry Blossoms Roobios from the Kettlery.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: The Kettlery
Description:
This tea is better than dessert. Indulge into a healthy guilty pleasure with this rooibos tea blended with blueberry and smooth marshmallow blossoms.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Coconut Honeybush-Rooibos Blends from 52Teas
When I first discovered 52Teas I got a sampler pack and among it was a Strawberry Pie Honeybush blend. I instantly fell in love. Something about the way 52Teas does strawberry honeybush is just so right. So, when I saw this blend in the teas CuppaGeek sent my way, I was really intrigued.
As per 52Teas recommendations, I brewed this low and slow and let it cool before giving it a taste. With the very first sip, I was taking a trip down memory lane. The familiar strawberry honeybush deliciousness was back. Sweet but sharp and true to the delightful berry. But what’s that? A creaminess? Must be the coconut. All of this floating on the rooibos-honeybush base that provides a solid foundation for the flavors to stand on.
This tea is sweet, but not too sweet and the perfect to end off the evening. Though if you are in the mood for something a little sweeter, this also makes for an awesome tea smoothie. I blended this up with some frozen strawberries and bananas, a little chocolate pudding, some milk, and two teaspoons of a banana, bourbon & vanilla bean jam from a local jam shop, Kitten and the Bear. It’s a mason jar full of liquid dessert. The coconut helps elevate the overall creaminess of the blend and mixes perfectly with the vanilla bean of the jam. The strawberry, just as it was in the hot cup of tea, is the true star here though. Juicy and ripe and dipped in milk chocolate is the berry flavor the smoothie is highlighting. Amazing!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
I had originally planned for this to be just a honeybush blend – but when I got to my tea studio, I realized that I didn’t have enough honeybush in stock so it became a honeybush-rooibos blend. I actually think I like it better as a blend because I really like how honeybush and rooibos complement each other. They seem to bring out the best in each other!
So here is a naturally caffeine free blend of organic honeybush and rooibos – together they create a sweet, nutty, slightly honeyed tasting base to support the flavors of a sweet-tart strawberry and creamy, delectable coconut. The brewed tea is sweet, smooth and delicious with a finish that’s offers a tingly berry tartness – evoking thoughts of fresh berries!
Taster size is approximately 1/2 ounce
organic ingredients: honeybush, rooibos, coconut, freeze-dried strawberries and natural flavors
