Tag: Rooibos/Honeybush

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Sun-Rype’s Sparkling Rooibos Tea Raspberry

Sparkling Rooibos Tea Raspberry by Sun-Rype
Rooibos / Flavoured
$1.69 for 1 can (355ml)

First Impressions

Sparkling Rooibos Tea Raspberry happened to be at the grocery store when I picked up the other Sun-Rype carbonated teas so I figured “Why not?”. Apparently that was the moment when I decided to lose my mind since I clearly forgot that I generally don’t enjoy rooibos and I also ignored the fact that Sun-Rype decided to call their product rooibos tea when we all know that rooibos is a tisane. But… I digress. Sparkling Rooibos Tea Raspberry comes in a skinny and tall aluminum can that’s bright berry red on the bottom half.

With a simple pop can top to open, Sparkling Rooibos Tea Raspberry consists of: carbonated filtered water, cane sugar, real brewed rooibos tea concentrate, natural flavour, and citric acid. The “tea” itself is golden orange and has a really bright raspberry aroma to it. I can’t smell the rooibos at all, which is a nice bonus.

First Taste

There’s a good amount of bubbly in this canned tisane, which is nice considering it’s referred to as being sparkling. The first taste of mix of tart and sweet – perhaps a little too sweet? I can’t taste the rooibos, which is great for me since I’m not the rooibos fan, and I can taste the raspberry. The tart and sweet coupled with the raspberry flavour reminds me of a just almost ripe raspberry. Just that fresh tartness from the fruit is very much present.

My Overall Impression

I liked Sun-Rype’s Sparkling Rooibos Tea Raspberry. While the price is a bit off-putting, I really did enjoy the raspberry flavour. It’d be nice if the price was lower because I don’t see this being more than the occasional treat. That said, I really enjoyed the flavour. I think it’d great if mixed with some lemonade to help cut the sweetness while adding some fresh lemon flavour to the raspberry. It’d also be great with some gently muddled mint leaves, poured over ice.

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Lemon Lily’s Chocolaty Mint

Chocolaty Mint by Lemon Lily
Rooibos/ Flavoured
$10.00 for 50g

I received Chocolaty Mint from Lemon Lily via the Dessert by Deb tea subscription box that I subscribe to in the January/February 2020 box.

First Impressions

Chocolaty Mint comes in a clear plastic resealable pouch. There’s no information on the label regarding the steeping instructions, so I did have to go onto the Lemon Lily website to find out that. The blend is clearly visible through the packaging, which is nice.

Basically my first impression of Chocolaty Mint when I opened it is that it smells like candy. It smells like mint chocolate and reminds me so much After Eight chocolate. I can’t smell the rooibos, which is a huge plus for me since I’m not a rooibos fan. Chocolaty Mint consists of the following certified organic ingredients: rooibos, peppermint, honeybush, cocoa peel, Giddy YoYo cacao nibs, and Giddy YoYo dark chocolate.

Preparation

Lemon Lily recommends steeping Chocolaty Mint in 200°F (93°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. My initial steep was for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Chocolaty Mint steeps to a nice golden orange. There’s primarily a mint aroma to it, the chocolate isn’t very forthcoming in terms of aroma which is bit disappointing considering how strong it was in the dry leaf. For the taste, I can mostly taste the mint. I don’t really taste the chocolate, which is disappointing – but I also don’t taste the rooibos, which is not disappointing.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Chocolaty Mint but it didn’t get any better in terms of the chocolate flavour – I did get a lot of mint though!

My Overall Impression

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I both didn’t like and liked Lemon Lily’s Chocolaty Mint. I think as a mint chocolate tea, it’s not meeting my expectations. Considering how strong the chocolate aroma is and how many chocolate-related ingredients are in the blend, I’m disappointed that the chocolate isn’t stronger. However, if I were to treat this as a mint tisane, it’s pretty decent. I like mint tisanes and found them pleasant and comforting, so I enjoyed Chocolaty Mint for that aspect.

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Dessert by Deb’s Christmas Fruitcake

Christmas Fruitcake by Dessert by Deb
Green Tea & Rooibos / Flavoured
$16.00 for 75g

Christmas Fruitcake is an exclusive blend for Dessert by Deb subscription subscribers and is available for purchase by subscribers only at this time.

First Impressions

Christmas Fruitcake came in a sealed, resealable silver pouch and was part of my December box from Dessert by Deb – which was the very first box of the bimonthly year tea subscription. This is also one of two subscription exclusive blends – what a great incentive to join! I like being part of the super secret club.

This blend smells really inviting – I get strong orange, cinnamon, ginger, and clove aromas. It’s nicely mixed together and I didn’t have to shake it up to get a little bit of everything in my spoon, which was nice. Christmas Fruitcake consists of organic: green tea, rooibos, cherries, oranges and peel, elderberries, currants, raisins, rosehips, cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger, cloves and safflower.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Christmas Fruitcake in 100°C (212°F) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I followed the steeping instructions and did an initial steep for 4 minutes.

First Taste

Christmas Fruitcake steeps to a nice golden orange. I can definitely smell the cinnamon and ginger, I think those are the strong players in the blend of ingredients! On first taste, I notice that it has a nice sweetness. The flavour of Christmas Fruitcake is that one orange, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. All the warming qualities of ginger make it a very pleasant drink. I did find that it reminded me of the flavours that you might find in a nice spiced pound cake. As for the base of the tea blend – I don’t really taste either the green tea or the rooibos – which is both a plus and a minus because I don’t typically enjoy rooibos blends. But I don’t smell or taste the medicinal-like quality that rooibos often lends to blends.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Christmas Fruitcake and found that it didn’t hold up very well for a second steep. The rooibos was a touch more noticeable, and the ginger and orange were significantly weak compared to the initial steep. I would recommend Christmas Fruitcake for just one steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Christmas Fruitcake. I really enjoyed the flavours in the blend, and appreciated that I wasn’t able to taste the rooibos because it’s not my favourite thing in the world. The flavour of orange, cinnamon, and ginger really make me think of a spiced pound cake – mostly because I don’t think I’ve really ever tried a fruitcake before (and if I have, I don’t remember what it tastes like!). It’s certainly a fantastic first look an exclusive tea blend for subscribers of Dessert by Deb.

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