Rooibos Caramel

It’s been a long day. A busy and good long day. I was hoping for caramel goodness. This tea let me down. It promised caramel goodness but only supplied rooibos. It tastes much the same as my red rooibos, so not sure where the caramel went. Oh well. Can’t win them all. I’ll be passing the rest of this sample on to a friend.

I love rooibos. It’s been a favorite of mine since I first tried it years ago while visiting Sweden, and I’m once again looking for interested blend that I can count on for another evening tea (though I’m pretty addicted to my decaf Earl Grey right now). This tea doesn’t have a whole lot of caramel flavor, so it’s not terribly interesting. It doesn’t taste all that different from plain rooibos to me, so this is not one I’d buy. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it, and the nice rooibos flavor comes through, but I’m looking for something a little more special.

Thanks to Lariel for this sample! I really wanted to give this a try, and she let me do so.

The aroma is very nice. It has a sweet, mild flavour. Goes very well with the almond and hazelnut red bush teas.

As soon as I opened the bag a lovely, thick and sweet yet earthy fragrance filled my kitchen and had me mesmerized with it’s cheekiness. Cut into teeny tiny pieces this rooibos (red bush) tea danced around when the water was poured over them.

Colour: Golden brown.
Smell: Very sweet with layers of thickness.

sip Now that is a lovely rooibos, very smooth and sweet but still light and refreshing whilst leaving a wonderful after taste. As for the caramel it does taste like dark caramel with perhaps a little less sugary sweetness than the real thing. Here is to natural sweetness thumbs up.

Overall I think this is one of my favourite rooibos mixtures as it’s tasty and effective. Perfect for when I want a sweet treat without the calories. :)

This rooibos is one of the lighter blends I’ve had. The “leaf” is absolutely tiny, almost like a powder. The scent is of a classic rooibos with a hint of richness. I’m tasting primarily that woodsy rooibos flavor everyone knows. I love the smooth mouthfeel and the sweetness that joins quite well with the rooibos. Thank you SimplyJenW for a sample!

I’m a rooibos fan and I’m a caramel fan, so I absolutely had to try this tea. Some may think it’s a little on the boring side, but I’m really liking it. The caramel flavor is fairly strong and blends well with the rooibos. Some sweetener really helps it meet its full potential. I’m looking forward to trying this mixed with some other teas. Or maybe some shredded coconut. Prepared with stevia.

I’ve had this several times now and every time I’ve had it I think the word “unusual.” I think that tonight I finally tipped over the edge into not really liking this.

I’ve only had one other experience with a rooibos that someone served me, and as I recall I spent most of the time thinking “unusual” and “there is no problem so great that it cannot be solved by a cup of bush tea.” It just piqued my interest in exploring this tea more. I found rooibos intriguing and I loves me some caramel, so I thought that this would be an ideal tea for me. Um…not so much.

I know that I read someone’s review here on Steepster where they opened the can and thought “wood chips” and then “chippies!” Ever since reading that I think the same thing when I look at my sample tin of this (and my honeybush sample as well). So, thank you to the Steepsterite who coined that term – it really makes me happy.

I think that what tipped it tonight into the “not like” category is that I finally put my finger on what I feel this is like. It’s what I’d imagine damp cardboard dusted with fake caramel would taste like. It’s not the best description, but that’s the closest I’ve got. And I really don’t like how much of the tiney pieces end up floating around in my cup even though I have a nice strainer.

Ultimately, I will finish off my sample, but I don’t plan on exploring more rooibos since I really prefer my honeybush chippies! M

Smells amazing, but I’m not tasting much caramel flavor. (Perhaps I’ve spoiled myself by adding real caramel syrup left over from a baking project to rooibos on several occasions?) It was sweet and lovely, but not noticeable different from vanilla rooibos.

The scent, I must discuss the scent first! This blend, resembling coarse ground redwood sawdust, will fill your kitchen with the rich, heady scent of the finest quality caramel you can imagine with a little hint of orange. My partner said it reminds him of pipe tobacco…which is a good thing. Who doesn’t love that smell?! While steeping, the water is a rich, dark red and as time elapses, the color changes into a rich, deep caramel brown. I was amazed that this tea retained the scent once poured and sans sweetener, it tastes like a little cup of heaven…a perfect blend of caramel and a tinge I can only describe as round. This tea has earned a permanent spot in my tea cupboard.

This is a very smooth tea with a hint of caramel. I wish the caramel flavor was a little stronger, but overall I like this quite a bit.

This is one of the better Rooibos teas I’ve had. Bourbon vanilla and vanilla berry truffle still beat it, but not by much. It’s exactly as advertised—the smell and taste of delicious caramel, with the rooibos as a vehicle.

Feeling so so about this. It tastes a little like bitter coffee to me. Better with soy milk and turbinado sugar, but still far too coffeeish.

I love the caramel undertones in this. They really complement the flavor of the rooibos.