Rooibos Earl Grey

Tea type
Rooibos Tea
Ingredients
Bergamot, Blue Cornflowers, Orange, Rooibos
Flavors
Bergamot, Rooibos, Vegetal, Wet Wood, Cinnamon, Citrus, Clove, Medicinal, Menthol, Root Beer, Star Anise, Decayed Wood, Dirt, Peat Moss, Floral, Smoke, Wood, Earl Grey, Earth, Herbaceous, Mint
Sold in
Bulk, Loose Leaf, Tea Bag
Caffeine
Caffeine Free
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by JulieWyant
Average preparation
Boiling 5 min, 30 sec 12 oz / 363 ml

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31 Tasting Notes View all

  • “I have A LOT of samples from Adagio. When I first started avoiding such high caffeine levels, I ordered their decaf, rooibos, and herbal sampler packs. I have, like, 16 little tins, plus a large...” Read full tasting note
    51
  • “I got this a while ago but decided to leave it at work so I would have something Earl Grey-esque to have in the morning. Sure it’s Rooibos based but not noticeable in the smell amongst the dry...” Read full tasting note
    59
  • “This has a super strong scent – I’m guessing it’s the bergamot? Upfront info: I’m trying to give Earl Grey, a tea I’ve never loved, a second chance. To me this just tastes like rooibos though....” Read full tasting note
    87
  • “I love Earl Greay. I have come to this conclusion after drinking several varieties of Earl Greys….just thought you should know that. And I love rooibos. So therefore I love this Rooibos Earl...” Read full tasting note
    95

From Adagio Teas

A classic blend with a twist, using South African Rooibos. Zesty fresh citrus aroma, slightly dry, with a rounded and balanced orange rind flavor. The pleasantly smooth texture from the Rooibos (not as dry and brisk as traditional Earl Grey made from black tea) lingers with citrus sweetness. Naturally caffeine-free.

We import rooibos directly from one farmer in Clanwilliam, South Africa who plants, harvests, and processes with care. The processing, which includes sorting and spreading the leaves for oxidation by hand, makes our rooibos leaves as pretty as they are delicious. No wonder the earliest Dutch settlers embraced rooibos as an alternative to the expensive black tea! We add just the right bergamot flavoring and orange to make this a stand-out alternative to the classic Earl Grey tea. With or without a slice of lemon, you’ll enjoy the natural sweetness of organic rooibos with a crisp, brisk citrusy edge.

Herbal Tea | No caffeine | Steep at 212° for 5 minutes.

About Adagio Teas View company

Adagio Teas has become one of the most popular destinations for tea online. Its products are available online at www.adagio.com and in many gourmet and health food stores.

31 Tasting Notes

80
246 tasting notes

I got this as a sample from my bday gift box a friend got me from Adagio. However, it was labeled rooibos caramel which I was super excited to try but on the back was listed the EG ingredients. Super yummy though I am disappointed.

Flavors: Bergamot, Rooibos, Vegetal, Wet Wood

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58
1837 tasting notes

Received a sample from Devon and somehow… I am not a fan (again!). I like EG, I don’t mind rooibos.

It tasted pretty much citrusy, but it was not bergamot. Rather lemon-orange. Rooibos was very, very woody, almost overpowering the citruses. Also some other notes, some say medicinal, decayed wood… and I am not sure. But it was a bit off.

Also, it does not last long as a aftertaste. I know I am somehow biased drinking EG by Birchall (which has got black tea base); but the flavour there lasts much longer. This was like a sip, wait five seconds, and it’s gone.

Very, very forgettable tea.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 10 OZ / 300 ML
Shae

Is this one a teabag or loose leaf? I’ve never tried Adagio’s teabags.

Martin Bednář

Loose leaf sample :)

Shae

Thanks, Martin!

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55
676 tasting notes

Not sure if it’s just me or whether this is what the combination of rooibos and Earl grey is supposed to taste like, but I just couldn’t get into this tea. The aromatics were certainly inviting. Potent aromas of cinnamon bark, lemon peel, and orange from the leaf. I steeped this in a tea bag as Rooibos isn’t easy to strain well. The brewed tea was far from enjoyable. It tasted medicinal with a strong star anise like flavor accompanied by notes of clove, root beer, and menthol. All flavors which I otherwise enjoy but here it just tasted weird. I may need to try this with a little milk and sweetener as it’s just not doing it for me on it’s own.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Citrus, Clove, Medicinal, Menthol, Root Beer, Star Anise

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
TeaEarleGreyHot

Do you normally like straight rooibos?

Mastress Alita

I have tried several rooibos EGs and have just come to the understanding that while I like rooibos and bergamot on their own, I do not like them together. Milk did help me finish off a bag in my stash, though.

LuckyMe

@TeaEartleGreyHot, it’s been a while since I’ve had straight rooibos. I’ll admit the smell is a little off putting but it takes the right flavoring to make it work. Like Mastress Alita, I can stomach it more easily with milk and sugar. One of the best drinks I ever had was a rooibos chai latte from a small cafe in Anaheim.

Cameron B.

Interesting that there are so many spiced notes when the ingredients don’t list any spices?

LuckyMe

@Cameron, rooibos is pretty spiced on it’s own. I reckon the combination of it and bergamot amped up some of the spice

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68
2284 tasting notes

The first time I had this, something about it tasted a little like lunch meat to me? Probably just my imagination. I didn’t notice it on future cups. The overall flavor is quite mild. You get the bergamot a little. The rooibos isn’t overly distracting. Rooibos EG will never match regular, but this isn’t one of the better rooibos EGs I’ve had. It tasted best with milk at room temperature.

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27
201 tasting notes

Ok, just a quickie review of this.

This is… not good. Like, really not good. I love rooibos and I love EG, but this tastes nothing like either. For starters, the rooibos base is less of that wood flavor I enjoy and more… um moss? Lichen? Whatever it is it’s not a fresh wood taste, it tastes like wood that’s been allowed to decay for a while. And the Earl Grey is drowned out by the rooibos here. If there’s any bergamot present, I can’t taste it. Basically, to make this drinkable I drowned it in sweetener. Now it just tastes like straight Splenda, so I guess I don’t have to dump it.

Just… bad. Probably the worst EG I’ve tried yet. Sorry, Adagio.

Flavors: Decayed Wood, Dirt, Peat Moss

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Mastress Alita

I like both bergamot and rooibos and yet every EG Rooibos I’ve tried I’ve hated… the two flavors just don’t work together for me. The only one I kinda liked added lavender, and I think that’s because I like lavender rooibos and it added enough to the profile to help a bit… but I still wouldn’t take that over a lavender (or plain) EG black.

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76
247 tasting notes

This is growing on me, still have yet to do a side by side comparison with Tea Guys (maybe I will tomorrow) but the lack of black tea with the heavy bergamot is actually quite nice. It’s got a “dry” consistency but it doesn’t leave my mouth feeling dry. I can’t taste the rooibos at all – for better or for worse.

Flavors: Bergamot

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92
42 tasting notes

This is one of my favorite Earl Greys. I really love the character that the rooibos tea adds to it.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 32 OZ / 946 ML

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484 tasting notes

Sipdown!

I’m going to miss this one. I’ll have to pick up more next time I order from Adagio. I’m not always a fan of Rooibos teas, but somehow I love the way it works with this floral bergamot. It’s a really unusual flavor, so I don’t know if many people would like it, but I really do.

Flavors: Floral, Smoke, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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96
35 tasting notes

Got this as a sample from Adagio! I like it a lot- I gave up black and green teas for religious reasons, and I’ve missed Earl Grey soooo much- but this is a very good herbal version of it! Very earthy, refreshing, almost a hint of mint- I really love this!

Next time though, I’ll use more tea seeing as 1 tsp was a little too weak for me- and maybe sugar cubes for this one rather than rock sugar.

—loose leaf w/ infuser
—approx. 1 tsp rock sugar

Flavors: Earl Grey, Earth, Herbaceous, Mint

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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1812 tasting notes

Another Herbal TTB
The aroma of the dry leaf was heavily bergamot’ed, but the flavor was quite smooth.

Preparation
8 min or more 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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