Honeybush

Origin: South Africa

Flavor Profile: This cousin of Rooibos is named “Honeybush” for good reason – it’s incredibly honey-sweet and with deliciously smooth woody notes.

Tea Story: A cousin of the more famous Rooibos, Honeybush is quickly gaining recognition as a mineral-abundant, antioxidant-rich, caffeine-free tisane with an addictive flavor.

It is made of the leaves of a flowering legume shrub that only grows in select regions of South Africa. The leaves are selectively harvested, cut into manageable pieces, bruised with rollers and then oxidized in the sun. Afterward, the dried leaves are sifted according to size.

Our grade is the largest, making it ideal for loose-leaf brewing. Its dry aroma is intensely sweet, with notes of cedar, orange blossom honey, candied orange peel and dried raspberries. It brews into a deep, reddish amber, like the color of dark brown leather, and has a brewed aroma of lots of honey and cedar with hints of raspberry and tannins.

The taste is almost absurdly smooth, with outdoorsy notes of cedar shavings, wildflowers and gravel, and a sweet-citrus-tannin flavor akin to mulled Russian Tea. The aftertaste is sweet, mellow and abiding.

Samovarian Poetry: A nectarous brew from the honeybush plant sweetens the tongue and replenishes the body.

Food Pairings: Drink Honeybush with roasted, salted pecans, toasted pignoli drizzled in rosemary butter, cedar-plank-grilled trout, thyme-garlic roasted chicken (with the skin on), bundt cake with earthy spices or pumpkin bread with walnuts. It’s also great iced or brewed double strength for caffeine-free Thai iced tea.