You know, I still haven’t gotten around to mailing my camera away, for shame! I am so slack lately, but I have a valid excuse…yeah, that grumbling that I thought I was getting sick has come to fruition, I am definitely sick, blech. At least I am getting it out of my system before the holidays, so that is a positive, but it is cramping my style man, I gots stuff to do! Bah, I am sick of complaining about this sick, instead let me tell you how absolutely gorgeous it was today! I got to open up the windows and enjoy some fresh air, and the air smelled lovely, crisp and like wet leaves, one of my favorite ways for the air to smell. Plus sitting in some sunshine was excellent, I am a nightowl, but I am also possibly a cat and therefore solar powered.
Today’s tea comes from new subscription service, Rosali Tea, specifically their Hibiscus Orange Nectar! Before I get into the tea itself, let me say that Rosali Tea has the best box ever for shipping their monthly teas (three of them, if you were curious, for $14.95 a month) it is not a standard box, it is a box that is also a drawer…and I want a bunch of them to stack and use for storing things because I collect boxes. Really I just like everything about their packaging, especially the little cards with ingredients and about the tea in question. Hibiscus Orange Nectar honestly filled me with apprehension at the name, you all know my weird relationship with that tart red flower, but reading the ingredients put me at ease. It is a blend of Rooibos, Orange Peel, Hibiscus, Rosehips, Apples, Safflowers, Rose Petals, Vanilla, and Citrus Flavors it is described as being reminiscent of a creamsicle….one of my great weaknesses! It was love at first sniff, the leaves smell like an Orange Julius, creamy sweet vanilla and sweet oranges with a gentle touch of tart and roses. The roses are a fun addition and give me the evil idea of adding rosewater to an Orange Julius…I mean it works for mango lassis, why not those too?
Brewing the tea turns my little tea area into a citrus creamy delight, and I am ok with that. Funnily I rarely eat oranges, but I will go gaga for orange flavored things, especially if those orange things also involve cream, it is just so delicious and joy inducing. The aroma of the soggy leaves is a balance of oranges and creamy vanilla ice cream, with undertones of roses and a touch of tart hibiscus. Really the hibiscus is incredibly light. The liquid is creamy and sweet with notes of vanilla ice cream, oranges, roses, and a touch of hibiscus tartness. It is like an Orange Julius on an exotic vacation and has taken a fondness for the color pink.
Tasting time, will my love of creamy orange beat out my dislike of hibiscus? Unsurprisingly yes, because really it seems my dislike of hibiscus is truly waning in my old age, or I just get lucky and the blends I have it in know how to use it sparingly. This tea is surprisingly creamy for one made from rooibos and hibiscus, the mouthfeel is not incredibly creamy, more a mix between smooth and dry, but man, that taste is like ice cream. And oranges, so many oranges, it is like a slightly woody, rose water spiked Orange Julius. Sweet, warm, and cheerful…my only complaint with Orange Julius and creamsicles, I don’t like ingesting cold things, so having those flavors in a warm soothing tea makes for a happy me. There is a bit of tart at the finish, not too intense, the tea is sweet enough that I was not even tempted to counter the tart with sugar. This tea is delicious, my craving for Orange Julius has been sated for now.
For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/12/rosali-tea-hibiscus-orange-nectar-tea.html
