Since this next taste test on my tea journey was another Rooibos, I was curious to see if that super-strong off-putting smell would be the same in this one or if it was the result of another of the ingredients in the previous Rooibos mix. Well, I’m going to assume that the smell comes from the Rooibos itself, because this one too smelled awful to me—like some kind of harsh spice, almost like walking into one of those super-smelly Christmas stores on steroids. It’s way too strong to enjoy sniffing the dry mix, though this time I could also smell a bit of woodsy almond wafting around in there.
I prepared it as instructed at boiling, steeped for 5 minutes and again I used my half measurement – 0.75 tsp for my 12 oz cup, instead of the recommended 1.5 tsp per 8 oz.
The tea itself after steeping came out a dark orangish red and still smells slightly bad. I’m sorry, I just can’t get past that smell. Again, the smell makes me rather scared to try it, but I’m still hopeful since the poor smell didn’t translate into a bad cup of tea on my previous Rooibos experience.
The verdict—this tea again tastes so much better than it smells. It’s a mild flavour, not at all bitter, but I can’t really pick out any individual flavors—certainly no spices like the name would suggest. Goes down smooth (especially while hot) and there was no need for sugar to sweeten it up. Plus, with it being caffeine free it makes for a good 2 am experiment.
Would I buy this tea again? I don’t know. I didn’t knock my socks off, but it also wasn’t a bad experience.
Cup count (12 oz) from 8g sampler size: 1. Still plenty more tea in the sampler for later.
Flavors: Almond, Wood
Red rooibos reminds me of Robitussin cough syrup. Bleh. I have had some delicious flavored ones, though, as long as the flavors are strong enough to cover the base!