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I can’t believe I bought this. I have never loved rooibos. When I first started drinking real “tea”, I bought a lot of Harney and Sons blends and one of them was African Autumn. We had a dodgy relationship. I wanted to love it. I just didn’t.

After reading about Precious Ramotswe and her 99 cups per week, I wondered if I should give plain rooibos a try. Then lo and behold, a sachet showed up in my Fortnum Advent and even though I still didn’t think I loved it, I started craving because I could just taste that lingering woody flavor long after it was gone and the memory of it haunted me. I wanted a cup of something I wasn’t even sure I liked.

So I gave in and ordered the loose one from Harney and Sons. Aroma in the tin is super strong cherry cough syrup. Taste is wooden ice cream spoon plus Robitussin. I think this is what it is supposed to taste like, though. The taste is much milder than the aroma would lead you to believe.

I wish I could try the two side by side, but at this moment I am thinking I preferred Fortnum’s.

Although health claims about teas may be a little dodgy, I did read recently that green rooibos is even better for you than red, and I certainly prefer it, so maybe someday I will try a plain green. In the meanwhile, I have Simpson and Vails awesome green rooibos flavored blends.