Rooibush Eggnog

I got home from Christmas at my aunt’s house not too long ago, and I really wanted to tear into some of the tea I got for Christmas. But it was soooo late, that I definitely couldn’t have anything with caffeine. So I opened up this sample that TeaGschwendner gave me, complimentary with my order from them (and they included a personalized note and it was signed, by a real person). I figured, what the heck, it’s Christmas, and this is an Eggnog tea, and eggnog is pretty much THE Christmas beverage.

When I opened up the little resealable package, I was immediately hit with the scent of eggnog. Like, real, honest-to-goodness eggnog. If you had blindfolded me and put this under my nose, I would have thought there was a glass of eggnog near my face. It’s rich and creamy smelling.

This is the first time that I saw rooibos up close and personal, loose-leaf style. The only other rooibos I’ve ever had was that ROT Dream by the Fire blend, which I really didn’t enjoy. I could smell something similar in this bag to the ROT bag, so I figure that’s what rooibos smells like! Woodsy sweet.

Anyway, I steeped this up, and the resulting infusion was a beautiful sunset burnt orange. The smell coming off the liquod had a rooibos slant, but the eggnog was the dominant aroma. I’m not the hugest fan of eggnog, but I really do like Silk’s rendition of it.

On my first sip, I was quite surprised. It’s mild and smooth, and almost creamy-like. The eggnog doesn’t hit you until the tail end of the sip, and it tastes very convincing and natural. Like someone poured some eggnog into my rooibos. The effect was a bit uncanny and disconcerting. It’s a fairly sweet flavored tea, so I wouldn’t add any additional sugar (not that I ever add any to begin with). The eggnog flavoring definitely doesn’t overpower the taste of the rooibos, which I think I’m starting to get a feeling for on its own. I think I’m actually enjoying the taste. It’s fairly mild and sweet, even though it sort of looks like pencil sharpener shavings.

I sipped this with the boyfriend as we chatted about Christmas, and it just felt very snuggly and homey. I don’t think that I’d be able to drink this on a daily basis, for sure. It’s extremely seasonal. But it’s a really fun substitute for eggnog. One of those teas you curl up next to a fire on a cold winter’s night. And a perfect cap to this dreary Christmas evening!

Mmm.. I can already tell that this is going to be a good rooibos tea. You know I have a favorite kind of rooibos tea base.. a bit like sweet wood with none of the medicinal scent or flavor. This blend has that delicious base and I can’t wait to drink it! It smells creamy and very much like other creme caramel rooibos blends I’ve had.

Sipping… I don’t taste any eggnog or anything that really resembles eggnog. I don’t even detect the spices. This tea seems to be all about the rooibos with a very generic, sweet finish. I’m a little disappointed that there is no eggnog flavor, but this cup is still very tasty since the rooibos seems to be of great quality and flavor on its own.

Hopefully I’ll figure out a way to enhance the eggnog flavor. I haven’t given up on it yet! Thank you, ToiToi for sharing this tea!

I got this tea from the Travelling Teabox – it was only a one-cup sample so it’s all gone now. :(

Consider me impressed over how un-rooibos-y this tastes. Actually you can taste it a little bit at the end, but the usual tart-woody flavour that I dislike mostly isn’t there. The flavouring is not a precise replica of eggnog but it still manages to be quite tasty and festive. It’s lightly sweet with a dash of nutmeg and cloves spicing it up – actually in this case I think the hint of rooibos flavour actually works for this tea instead of against it.

Dessert teas are my weakness, and this is one of the better ones I have sampled recently. I am really impressed by TeaGshwendner, by the way. Their shipping was super-speedy and their teas have been superb. They do not stint on taste and I love the way the taste deepend and develops in their teas. Their Rooibush Eggnot is no exception to the incredibly high bar they have set.

If you like eggnog (as I do) but the profusion of calories, fat, cholesterol, sugars might ruin your diet, this tea is an extremely satisfying “hit” of sweet, full, rich eggnog. It’s got a natural sweetness, so you don’t need to add sugar although I am sure that the tea can stand up to added sugar or milk and not be the least bit overpowered.

The eggnog aroma is enticing in the dry, loose tea and also in the brewed tea. When you drink it, you can taste the eggnot quite specifically. The aftertaste is exceptionally festive and I felt as if I had downed a filling quart of eggnog without fear of consequences.

I am contemplating adding some warm milk and a shot of rum or bourbon next time I have this tea—although it really does not need any enhancements to make it pop in your mouth. This is a perfect tea to sip on as you sit by the fire and contemplate the majestys of winter; it’s a great substitute for eggnog that will not leave you feeling at all deprived. Play some holiday music, or pull out a mesmerizing Victorian novel. Repeat and congratulate yourself on how virtue sometimes really is a reward!

I was wet and cold and crabby and tired, this totally hit the spot Mmmm

Pleasant, but nothing special. I didn’t think it tasted much like eggnog at all – more like a mild, creamy vanilla. The rooibos is prominent but not too terribly tabacco-y.