Rosemary White Tea

Thanks to Kasumi for this sample! I’ve tried some savory teas before, but usually with sage. I’ve had two blends with rosemary and one was great (Victorian EG) and one was… weird (Sakurambo). So I approached this tea with a bit of trepidation.

The taste is SO unique. The white base is light and soft and almost fruity-sweet, and lets the rosemary really shine. It’s herby, woodsy, a little nutty and has just the right hint of grassiness. It definitely tastes like rosemary, but so different from the preparation it usually gets. It’s like there was a whole sweet side to this herb I never knew about!

Now I really want to experiment with rosemary in sweets. I have a recipe for olive oil rosemary tea cakes, maybe that would be a good place to start? Certainly seems fitting, considering how tea-obsessed I am!

This came in my Nature’s Tea Leaf order but I haven’t had the chance to try it yet. I know that rosemary is supposed to have a lot of health benefits and I do use it a lot in cooking, though I’ve never had it in a tea before.

This is a lot better than I thought it would be, the white tea has a nice fruity sweetness which complements the rosemary. There is a definite nuttiness to this, which reminds me of sesame or almond oil. I was worried it would be too “savory” but the rosemary is a bit on the subtle side. I’ll have to remember to drink this the next time I have a cold!

P.S. I really don’t think there’s any Vitamin B12 in rosemary, despite the claims made by Nature’s Tea Leaf.

Loose
Appearance: twiggy, many shades of green, large leaf and stems
Aroma when Dry: Nutty, woody, slightly floral.
After water is first poured: Buttery, nutty
At end of steep: buttery, nutty, sightly floral
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: Light grassy green
Staple? Yes
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting.
Taste:
first notes: buttery, rosemary brings a foresty touch. Light floral finish
As it cools? notes mingle, but do not blend into hiding. gets earthier, with a slight sweetness.
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No.
Lingers? Yes, slightly woody, bright hints of floral.