I don’t have as much to say about this one as I do some teas – I generally don’t like rooibos, and even when I do, it’s not exactly the most complex and nuanced of things. This blend is made with green rooibos, however, which I definitely like a lot more. The green rooibos base provides a subtle, springy, faintly tea-esque base, without the strong rooibos flavor steamrolling everything else – it lets the other components take the lead.
The aroma of this tea, upon opening the tin, is intense, explosively citrusy and fruity, beyond delicious. It’s also beautiful to look at, flecked with blue flower petals and crystals of sweet freeze dried mango. Once brewed, the fruit mellows out over the green rooibos base, but it still pretty much tastes like it smells, just not as strong.
I can tell this would be absolutely stellar with a touch of sugar over ice, but it’s good hot too. It’s a refreshingly bright and fruity spring blend, candy-delicious without tasting like a “flavored tea”, likely due to the actual mango and flower bits. The mango lends it an actual sweetness, due to the fraction of a gram of sugar it likely imparts, and it really makes the difference – this doesn’t need added sugar to be just-right sweet.
This is definitely the best rooibos I’ve had, and by far one of my favorite herbals (rooibos isn’t tea, people). It has a classy, high-quality freshness to it, that signature Lupicia touch. When I want a bright, refreshing, fruity tea, and it’s too late in the day for caffeine, or I’ve already had too much for the day, this hits the spot just right.
