For a tea with “cherries” in the name, this blend lacks anything remotely resembling, well, cherries. It’s a rooibos-honeybush blend, with blackcurrants, small pieces of which are evident among the dry mix. The scent is pretty much 100% rooibos, with only the tiniest hint of berry fruit of any description. Hmm. I gave 1 tsp of leaf 4 minutes in boiling water for my cup. No additions.
To taste, this is (as you might expect) mostly rooibos, underscored with the honey-like sweetness of honeybush. It’s a little woodsy and drying on the palate. There is an underlying flavour, but it reminds me more of cough syrup than anything else. It’s certainly not cherry, or even blackcurrant, sad to say. I’m not particularly struck by it.
I think perhaps Luhse’s rooibos blends aren’t for me. I have one or two more to try before I strike them off my “to try” list completely, though — I’m ever hopeful! I’ll be moving on to the black tea samples I picked up soom, and hopefully they’ll be more to my liking.