My first encounter with rooibos was just wonderful. It was Rooibos Vanilla Tea-Butler by Teekanne, which was sweet, caramel-y and had the aroma of biscotti. It became the “prototype” of rooibos in my mind – I thought all rooibos were as yummy as that.
Wrong. The disillusionment was brought by this Rooibos and Vanilla from M&S. The dry leaves had the smell of herbs and… that’s all. Where’s the vanilla?? Sadly, there’s no answer to this question even after brewing. The liquor was mildly sweet but at the same time strangely vegetal/herbal. It took me a while to recognize that it tasted like bread. Damp bread, to be more precise… so it was not all that pleasant. :( Since this is a rather pure rooibos tea, I begin to think maybe it’s what rooibos really tastes like. I hope I am wrong again!
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I feel your pain Devilish! I’ve tasted plain rooibos good and bad so don’t despair. Teas.com.au do a delish vanilla rooibos. More than any other tea-type I find rooibos are either absolutely divine or incredibly putrid, for me it’s the hardest tea-type to buy without trying. I am truly amazed by the disparity around and almost hope one day to find a mediocre one.
Oh thanks so much for the tip Winter Salo! Seems the quality of rooibos can vary a great deal. I will tell myself to be hopeful and continue to sample rooibos by different companies! :)
I admire your courage and look forward to reading your results! :)
I feel your pain Devilish! I’ve tasted plain rooibos good and bad so don’t despair. Teas.com.au do a delish vanilla rooibos. More than any other tea-type I find rooibos are either absolutely divine or incredibly putrid, for me it’s the hardest tea-type to buy without trying. I am truly amazed by the disparity around and almost hope one day to find a mediocre one.
Oh thanks so much for the tip Winter Salo! Seems the quality of rooibos can vary a great deal. I will tell myself to be hopeful and continue to sample rooibos by different companies! :)
I admire your courage and look forward to reading your results! :)