Rooibos Vanilla by Oteas
Rooibos / Flavoured
$6.95 for 30g (12 sachets)
Oteas has provided me with Rooibos Vanilla for the purposes of writing an honest review.
First Impressions
Rooibos Vanilla came in a shrink wrapped cardboard box that holds the 12 tea sachets – made of biodegradable material. There’s a bit of information on the box regarding the origin of rooibos – from the South African coast near the Cedar Mountains and how it’s been cultivated since 1930. There is a strong rooibos aroma, with light notes of vanilla in the background.
Rooibos Vanilla consists of the ingredients in the name: rooibos and vanilla. The strong rooibos aroma is medicinal to me, which is great for people who enjoy rooibos.
Preparation
Oteas recommends steeping Rooibos Vanilla in 100°C (212°F) water for 5 to 8 minutes. My initial steep of Rooibos Vanilla was for 6 minutes.
First Taste
Rooibos Vanilla steeps to a golden red colour. There’s a strong rooibos aroma from the steeped tisane. I found that the taste was primarily of the rooibos – it has a strong medicinal flavour to it. There was a light sweetness of vanilla throughout. I enjoyed the vanilla flavour, but not so much the rooibos base – but rooibos isn’t my favourite.
A Second Cup?
I resteeped Rooibos Vanilla once, and found that the vanilla flavour was mostly gone in the second steep of the same leaves. I would have enjoyed more vanilla notes.
My Overall Impression
I thought that Oteas’s Rooibos Vanilla was just okay. I think the vanilla flavour was great, but unfortunately I’m not a huge fan of rooibos in general. I found that the rooibos flavour was strong throughout and it did resteep well with strong rooibos flavour in the second steep. For fans of rooibos, you may enjoy this one because the vanilla notes are very pleasant and the flavour of rooibos is smooth.
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