The first time I brewed this, I didn’t add enough leaf to my steeping vessel and it tasted just a little too hibiscus-y. This time, though, I added a little more leaf, and the flavor of the cup is infinitely better than the first go-around. The hibiscus flavor is still there, but, it manages to mingle with the other ingredients of this tea well enough so that it doesn’t taste too hibiscus-y (just be sure to use a little extra leaf so that you can get something from those other ingredients!)
Usually, when it comes to teas with hibiscus, I sort of groan about this inclusion… but I actually understand why it was added here. The hibiscus adds a pretty plum-red color to the cup and more importantly, at least from my perspective, it adds a plum nectar-like texture to the cup. This tastes a bit like a plum cider (without spices! But I think that some cinnamon would be amazing in this).
A very nice Oolong. Not my favorite from Arbor Teas, but they can’t all be my favorites, can they?
