This is quite the interesting experience. There’s an awesomely powerful nose on the loose leaf itself, dominating any other possible notes, and on the brewed tea as well. Both reek (in a good way) of the sweet and nutty hazelnut flavor.
The loose leaf is pretty small, lots of little pieces with great brownish and red colors. It yields a light golden liquor that is quite nice. I’ve never actually had honeybush before, just it’s cousin rooibos, but this had none of the bitterness or crushing earthiness of the rooibos. I’m not sure if it’s because of the honeybush or if the hazelnut is masking those tastes.
When it comes down to it, the flavor of the tea is so-so. I’d place it generously on the bland, flavorless side. However, that doesn’t fully dampen my feelings as I still enjoy the punch offered by the aroma. Since I’m not a fan of coffee but have always enjoyed the idea, the smell kinda reminds me of the fancy coffee treats they serve at Starbucks. So I feel all mature like I’m drinking a coffee drink. Is that a legit reason to enjoy a tea?
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This is the only honeybush tea I’ve enjoyed and that coffee smell/feel is exactly why I like it!
I’m glad I’m not alone with the whole coffee smell thing. For some reason it makes me feel like less of an adult because I don’t like coffee, so it’s nice to fake it every once in a while :)
As someone who lived on coffee for a solid five or so years, and thus shakes and eye twitches and horrible headaches from the caffeine withdrawal when you go without it, you’re not missing out on much. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but even when I was drinking it black I never liked it to the extent that I like tea. [And just as a side note, Starbucks specializes in crazy crap in their coffee because they often burn the beans. Not that I’m saying it doesn’t make it taste good, because I’ll still drink an espresso truffle or a pumpkin spice latte from time to time, but their coffee is piss.] Coffee does have an air of maturity about it, but tea makes me feel fancy and zen.
End diatribe.
So uh…tea drinkers rule and coffee drinkers drool! [Don’t tell my friends I said that.] But a coffee-scented tea might be something I need to take a look at.
Zen I can do, I’d like to think of myself as rather zen-like. But maybe I’ll take “sophisticated” instead “fancy”.
I’m one of those former twitchy coffee-withdrawal people. I was so addicted, when I finally got off of it, I avoided it for 6 years – not just coffee but all caffeine. I’d maybe have a can of coke a year and that’s it. But then I discovered tea… enough caffeine to get me buzzed, but not enough to make me hurt if I miss a day. Perfect! Haha!
My only sources of caffeine have always been tea and chocolate, there’s nothing better in my opinion. :D
I’ve always wondered just how much the caffeine actually affects people. I don’t drink coffee, but I’ve never noticed a difference in my energy caused by caffeine from soda or tea or anything else really. I always find it interesting that so many people who have caffeine/coffee related problems have switched to tea (that’s why Jack, one of the other Steepster guys, switched to tea too).
The thing about caffeine for me, is that there are only two things that make my energy levels spike: coffee and energy drinks. [When I was working retail and it was a matter of survival, we’d down energy drinks like it was part of our job. It makes me shake a little involuntarily just thinking about it.] Otherwise, the difference it has in my energy levels isn’t really NOTICEABLE.
With either one of those, I’d get hyper as well. With tea, it’s just like that feeling of wanting to go to sleep, but you can’t because you’re awake. I don’t feel ENERGIZED and I don’t feel like I want to go do something RIGHT NOW, I just feel…awake.
So, tea caffeine = not ready to go to bed. Coffee caffeine = LET’S DRIVE TO PARIS AND GET BERETS AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING AND HEY! WHAT’S THAT? HEY! WHY IS MY ARM MOVING? I mean, it’s not like that all the time, but it’s easier to get there than it should be. Especially if you’re not used to it. [“Regular” coffee, by the way, has a MUCH higher caffeine content than the more complicated drinks most places offer now.] And you can probably imagine what the crash is like. [Pretty devastating.]
Anyhow, it’s not healthy. And to reiterate, the caffeine headaches are malicious little buggers. They don’t take too long to show up and they’re not very forgiving. I mean, technically, you’re going through withdrawal. The headaches are number one reason why I decided it was time to kick coffee to the curb.
I’m pretty much with takgoti. If I have a cup of coffee (even just 8oz), my hands start to shake now. I usually have to have 12 – 16oz of a stout tea to get a hint of that reaction. Though I have done it to myself once or twice on sencha when I’m not really pausing between steeps and used a heavy hand with the leaf.
Coffee makes me chatty, bouncy and shaky. Tea usually makes me awake and aware. Soda, when I have it, tends to get me somewhere in between. Hyper, but not shaky.
I have never had an energy drink. They scare me.
@takgoti: I’m so with you. Caffeine withdrawal headaches: Worse. Headaches. Ever.
Based on the length of your tasting notes and comments, should I assume you’re always jacked-up on some form of a caffeine packed beverage? You guys are crazy…and I love it!
Oh, Jason, Jason, Jason. You have not seen me hyper, so I guess I can’t blame you for not knowing what my tea log would look like if I wrote in it whilst on a true caffeine high [incomprehensible]. The stuff I write on here is simply a result of my lack of a self-edit button [or, ironically, the time to actually sit and edit].
But I am glad that you are enjoying our insanity. It’s quite cathartic on my end.
Any insanity is takgoti’s fault. She’s a bad influence on me.
:D
Yes, it’s aaaallll Takgoti’s fault! ;p
Yeah, it’s true. I’m pretty awesome.
This discussion is heavily caffinated. I think I’m actually waking up now.
This is the only honeybush tea I’ve enjoyed and that coffee smell/feel is exactly why I like it!
I’m glad I’m not alone with the whole coffee smell thing. For some reason it makes me feel like less of an adult because I don’t like coffee, so it’s nice to fake it every once in a while :)
As someone who lived on coffee for a solid five or so years, and thus shakes and eye twitches and horrible headaches from the caffeine withdrawal when you go without it, you’re not missing out on much. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but even when I was drinking it black I never liked it to the extent that I like tea. [And just as a side note, Starbucks specializes in crazy crap in their coffee because they often burn the beans. Not that I’m saying it doesn’t make it taste good, because I’ll still drink an espresso truffle or a pumpkin spice latte from time to time, but their coffee is piss.] Coffee does have an air of maturity about it, but tea makes me feel fancy and zen.
End diatribe.
So uh…tea drinkers rule and coffee drinkers drool! [Don’t tell my friends I said that.] But a coffee-scented tea might be something I need to take a look at.
Zen I can do, I’d like to think of myself as rather zen-like. But maybe I’ll take “sophisticated” instead “fancy”.
I’m one of those former twitchy coffee-withdrawal people. I was so addicted, when I finally got off of it, I avoided it for 6 years – not just coffee but all caffeine. I’d maybe have a can of coke a year and that’s it. But then I discovered tea… enough caffeine to get me buzzed, but not enough to make me hurt if I miss a day. Perfect! Haha!
My only sources of caffeine have always been tea and chocolate, there’s nothing better in my opinion. :D
I’ve always wondered just how much the caffeine actually affects people. I don’t drink coffee, but I’ve never noticed a difference in my energy caused by caffeine from soda or tea or anything else really. I always find it interesting that so many people who have caffeine/coffee related problems have switched to tea (that’s why Jack, one of the other Steepster guys, switched to tea too).
The thing about caffeine for me, is that there are only two things that make my energy levels spike: coffee and energy drinks. [When I was working retail and it was a matter of survival, we’d down energy drinks like it was part of our job. It makes me shake a little involuntarily just thinking about it.] Otherwise, the difference it has in my energy levels isn’t really NOTICEABLE.
With either one of those, I’d get hyper as well. With tea, it’s just like that feeling of wanting to go to sleep, but you can’t because you’re awake. I don’t feel ENERGIZED and I don’t feel like I want to go do something RIGHT NOW, I just feel…awake.
So, tea caffeine = not ready to go to bed. Coffee caffeine = LET’S DRIVE TO PARIS AND GET BERETS AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING AND HEY! WHAT’S THAT? HEY! WHY IS MY ARM MOVING? I mean, it’s not like that all the time, but it’s easier to get there than it should be. Especially if you’re not used to it. [“Regular” coffee, by the way, has a MUCH higher caffeine content than the more complicated drinks most places offer now.] And you can probably imagine what the crash is like. [Pretty devastating.]
Anyhow, it’s not healthy. And to reiterate, the caffeine headaches are malicious little buggers. They don’t take too long to show up and they’re not very forgiving. I mean, technically, you’re going through withdrawal. The headaches are number one reason why I decided it was time to kick coffee to the curb.
I’m pretty much with takgoti. If I have a cup of coffee (even just 8oz), my hands start to shake now. I usually have to have 12 – 16oz of a stout tea to get a hint of that reaction. Though I have done it to myself once or twice on sencha when I’m not really pausing between steeps and used a heavy hand with the leaf.
Coffee makes me chatty, bouncy and shaky. Tea usually makes me awake and aware. Soda, when I have it, tends to get me somewhere in between. Hyper, but not shaky.
I have never had an energy drink. They scare me.
@takgoti: I’m so with you. Caffeine withdrawal headaches: Worse. Headaches. Ever.
Based on the length of your tasting notes and comments, should I assume you’re always jacked-up on some form of a caffeine packed beverage? You guys are crazy…and I love it!
Oh, Jason, Jason, Jason. You have not seen me hyper, so I guess I can’t blame you for not knowing what my tea log would look like if I wrote in it whilst on a true caffeine high [incomprehensible]. The stuff I write on here is simply a result of my lack of a self-edit button [or, ironically, the time to actually sit and edit].
But I am glad that you are enjoying our insanity. It’s quite cathartic on my end.
Any insanity is takgoti’s fault. She’s a bad influence on me.
:D
Yes, it’s aaaallll Takgoti’s fault! ;p
Yeah, it’s true. I’m pretty awesome.
This discussion is heavily caffinated. I think I’m actually waking up now.