Roastaroma

My mom used to drink this tea when I was a kid as a replacement for coffee, so the aroma and flavor hold a strong sense of nostalgia for me. This IS a weird tea, now that I’m a more experienced tea drinker, perhaps an acquired taste. But the musky sweet aroma and bitter coffee-like flavor is really enjoyable if you give it a chance. Great with a dash of cream and honey, a favorite for cold winter mornings for me. Also wonderful blended with a smidgen of Scottish breakfast tea for a little kick of caffeine!

Visited the Celestial Seasonings location in Boulder, Colorado last week and took the tour. It was very informative, and I would recommend it to anyone who happens to be in the Boulder/ Denver area. Standing in the tea room was one of the best aromatherapy moments I can ever recall! The mint room, while famous, was overpowering and not something I would subject myself to again. There is a fabulous tea shop there, too, where I picked up the box of Roastaroma. I believe this is the stuff my Mom used to drink, I remember the fragrance, so I had to bring some home. I think I like it most for the scent memory, it really does carry me back to childhood; snowy Michigan mornings wrapped in my jammies and robe, still bed-headed, warm tea scenting the sharp chill air and praying for the radio DJ to announce my school as closed.

As this herbal tea was billed on the box as a coffee alternative, I assumed I’d like it best with sweetener and milk, and that seems to be true. It has a very strong aroma of roasted grains which luckily is different than the flavor of the infusion (the scent’s a little too strongly roasty).

Honestly I’m surprised by how much I like this beverage. I clearly taste the roasted carob (the sweetness of the honey I added helps a lot with that) but the spices billed on the list of ingredients are missing in action – even the cinnamon!

This is probably my most favorite tea of all time. I’ve been drinking it since I was four years old! That’s over 20 years! My favorite way to drink this tea is with milk and honey. It does have a strange smell, but it’s one that I like and have grown to know and it doesn’t smell anything like it tastes. This is probably the only herbal tea that I drink regularly. This is herbal tea for people that generally like black teas.

Yeeee-uh…um…I know I said a while back that this was ok…I changed my mind. By the time I got to the end of the cup I wanted to puke. Gross. BUT…if you are looking for a coffee alternative this may be for you. Still smells gross!