Two things get me about this bagged tea. The color and the taste.
It doesn’t have a strong aroma, but it’s fascinating to watch it steep. I pour the hot water over the bag quickly, then watch as the deep ruby red color pours out of the corners of the bag into the clear water, filling the bottom of the cup like a crime scene. When it stops, a quick swish of the bag disperses the infusion evenly before removing the bag. That first steep is such a pretty shade of dark rose.
The taste is good. Not too heavy on the hibiscus, you can definitely taste the raspberry and it does taste “real”. There’s a little bit of a grassy after-note, but this is a decent cuppa raspberry tea.
I highly recommend a brand of cookie called “Cougar Mountain”, made here in the Pacific NW USA. The specific cookie that marries perfectly with this tea is their soft and chewy Lemon Snickerdoodles. The light lemon cookie balances the strong raspberry beautifully. Nom Nom.
