How is it that I have no notes on this? I know I’ve tried it, and even if I didn’t remember that, when I opened the sample tin up half of it was gone. Usually when I try something for the first time I write a note to record my first impression so that I don’t bias my tongue, and if my opinion changes I write another note. Hmmm. Very suspicious.
Be that as it may, I also remember having fallen out of infatuation with honeybush, which was around the same time I fell out of infatuation with rooibos. I would rather drink a decaf tea or a fruit herbal blend than their woody cousins if I’m looking for something without caffeine.
But that sort of makes me sad, in an extremely illogical way. I admit that I feel sorry for the honeybush still in my cupboards. Does anyone remember the IKEA commercial about feeling sorry for the lamp? (If you don’t, you can see it here):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEBV1TUfxXM
This one is one I feel doubly sorry for because as honeybush goes it tries pretty hard. Once you get past the unfortunate eau de baby aspirin coming from the tin that is the orange flavor and that is not improved by the wet-rattan honeybush scent, things look up. After steeping, the aroma is mellower and more of an undifferentiated citrus. More lemony than orange to my nose, though if I try really hard I can get some orange.
The flavor is actually pleasant. The woodiness that I don’t love about honeybush isn’t very evident in the sip, only in the aftertaste, and there’s a light orangey flavor that has some depth to it, almost like a mandarin orange. Really, if I cast aside my prejudice, this is honeybush I can appreciate.
Maybe I didn’t write a note for it before because I was so counfounded that I actually found a honeybush I didn’t have to give at least an orange face to?
