From first looks to nose and brew this Orange Cream Rooibos offers an excellent and most satisfying experience that all rooibos lovers should try at least once. Especially if you fancy flavored rooibos/tea.
Brew method: Loose leaf in Brewista Smart Brew Automatic Tea Kettle, sachets in mugs, and loose leaf in stainless fine mesh infuser as well. 1 tsp. of loose leaf per 8-12oz. of water or 1 sachet per 8-12oz. of water. I recommend experimenting with tea/water ratios along with steep time to get the most out of your infusions.
Temperature: 212 degrees (8 minutes first steep, 8+ minutes second steep for loose leaf). Sachets single 12 ounce steep only. Tried second steeping of sachets on two separate occasions and results were undesirable. Perhaps if you save 2-4 used ones then tried a second steeping, but for one sachet I got one 12 ounce brewed mug of tea. As is likely for any rooibos you can leave it to steep for hours (if you forget) and I’d bet money it won’t bitter on you. I have let both a sachet and loose leaf steep for 14+ minutes and it was great. I’ve also let a second round cold brew in fridge overnight and it turned out really good. I don’t like to waste anything and attempt cold brews for all my single steeped used loose leaf yielding excellent results all around. For example, I’ll mix different used earl greys into a pitcher over the course of 2-3 days and so far I’m loving it as iced tea. So give it a shot steepsters!
Dry aroma: Extremely powerful scent of fresh oranges, mild vanilla, cream, and though it may be a turn-off to some, Orange Julius. There are “organic natural flavors” listed along with the rest of ingredients so perhaps this is where I’m picking up the scent of the famous juice stand or it could just be the natural sweet smell of creamy-orange goodness. -It’s worth noting that the picture matches the loose leaf exactly and is incredibly inviting.
Brewed aroma: Sweet orange, hints of vanilla and cream; each of these is subdued compared to the dry aroma which packs a punch (in a good way). Rooibos also comes through now. Very pleasant and inviting.
Taste: Without any additions the strength of the orange and vanilla are not as in-your-face as the dry and brewed aromas, but are very present along with a subtle cream and sweetness. For all you purists out there I believe this is a very tasty rooibos on its own, however, those who are in the habit of adding sweeteners will enjoy how much the taste will endeavor to match that of the dry aroma. And if you’re like me and dare to add milk or cream (plant-based or regular dairy)… oh my god. This. Will. Blow your mind. I’m serious it will rock your taste buds it’s so damn good matching the dry aroma almost identically. I’m not kidding, it’s frickin’ amazing!!! And if you pair this with any type of pastry be forewarned that you’ll be ruined forever.
This rooibos is really, really good. If you enjoy orange-vanilla and/or rooibos I highly recommend ordering either a box of the sachets, a sample, or even 4-8 ounces of loose leaf from thespicehut.com. My wife originally ordered a box of the sachets on Amazon for $10 but I find that to be extremely expensive for the 1.3 ounces of actual product to keep on hand. However, we enjoyed it so much that I was compelled to place an order for 12 ounces from the thespicehut.com during this last Black-Friday sale to take advantage of 25% off! So I received 12 ounces (three 4 ounce pouches) for $22.75, not bad. Otherwise, I have to admit it seems a bit pricey, even as good as it is.
