In which Alys tries to love rooibos and fails

Rooibos is a "a broom-like member of the legume family of plants" according to Wikipedia.  Its leaves are used to make what is called "red tea."   I have tried and tried and tried to like red tea, but I'm ready to call my efforts a complete failure.

To my taste buds, there is something almost chemical and artificial about the flavor.  Red tea doesn't have the sharpness of proper black or green tea, and attempts to add fruits and other flavorings don't complement it as well as straight up herbal teas.  It tastes to me the way dyes smell.

My latest good faith effort to learn to enjoy rooibos was trying Tea Forte's Swiss Apple.  About the nicest thing I can say about it is that I did not rinse my mouth out after drinking it.  It's supposed to taste of apple, cinnamon and chocolate.  I don't taste any of those things.  All I taste is the rooibos and I just can't like that taste.   On the other hand, the tea smells amazing, so maybe someone who likes rooibos will find it appealing.

Soluna Garden Farm's Berry Berry

Soluna Garden Farm is a small farm in Winchester, MA, which has a storefront where it sells its various products.  +Cheryl Kent brought me a selection of their teas when she came to visit for 12th Night.

Today's review is for their Berry Berry herbal, a tisane of elderberries, hibiscus and raisins.  It makes a beautiful deep ruby purple brew that lacks a strong aroma.  The tin recommends brewing for 5-10 minutes.  At 10 minutes, it's a dense, strong cup of tea.  Fortunately, even brewed at its strongest, the hibiscus isn't overpowering - it gets mellowed out by the other berry flavors.

Brewing for 6 minutes seems to produce the best flavor, balanced without being overly strong.  The elderflowers and raisins predominate, but the hibiscus adds a hint of tartness.  I like it, but I come away wanting something more -- more berry, more fruity somehow.  I think raspberries would be an excellent addition.

I may try combining this tea with Republic of Tea's Downtown Abbey English Rose Tea and see what happens.

Republic of Tea Education E-mail Series?

Republic of Tea is promoting its newsletter about tea:  http://www.republicoftea.com/newslettersignup.aspx?v=4&c=CK-ES-D2-GG-IMG-RM-RM1-R01-v7&gclid=CJ_z2fePycMCFW4V7Aod6ycADA

I'm tempted to try it.  Has anyone else signed up?

In praise of a good Assam

Assam is a province in north-east India where tea is grown.  When it comes to uncomplicated black tea, Assam is a tea's tea.   It's smooth and dark and slightly malty, with a fresh finish.   It stands up to milk, sugar and honey.   So don't reach for some crappy, characterless orange pekoe thing.  Reach for some Assam!  

Twinings sells a darn fine Assam that can be purchased and shipped through Amazon.

I like Harney & Sons' Assam in both caffeinated and decaf forms

Taylors of Harrowgate's Assam is findable in many high-end supermarkets and again, orderable through Amazon.

The lovely +Cezilia Raposa brought me some excellent small-batch Assam this weekend, from Soluna Garden Farm.   I've been limited in my ability to appreciate it by the awful head cold of death, but I plan to try some as soon as I regain my sense of taste.

Tea tasting: David's Teas Apple Custard

I am working my way through the David's Teas tea sampler that +Joseph O'Malley and +Michelle O'Malley got me for Christmas.   Not wanting caffeine this evening, I decided to try the Apple Custard herbal.    It's . . . odd.

The tisane is decidedly more custardy than apple.  It's got that creamy note that David's somehow gets into some of its teas, and a definite vanilla aftertone.  But I'm not really getting apple as anything more than an afterthought.  I'm almost inclined to do a blend of this with a Celestial Seasonings Apple Spice to see if it strengthens the apple flavor.  I may also experiment with sweetening it with honey or that apple ice cider I like so much.

I don't dislike it.  It's just not what I anticipated from a tea billed as a "apple" custard.

Tea tasting: David's Tea Bubbie's Baklava

I ended up working from home the last two days because the ferocious cold disagrees profoundly with my joints.  As a result, I had the chance to sample some new tea:  David's Tea Bubbie's Baklava.   Despite the silly name, I found it quite good for a wintery day.

It's an oolong tea with nuts, cinnamon and a host of other flavors added.  The cinnamon is the most noticeable tone -- it's most prominent in both the aroma and the flavor.  The other flavor notes include a little bit of fruit and a little bit of rose and a hint of ginger.  All in all, it is almost exactly like drinking the aroma of a bakery.

This brew is very much a matter of taste.  Some people will like it (me), but I expect most people will find it too cloying.  But fresh baked goods are among my greatest food weaknesses, and there's something about this tea that captures in liquid form the aroma of a fresh, nutty, cinnamon roll just out of the oven.

I can't imagine icing this tea or adding sweetener too it.  Icing it would kill the subtlety.

Tea tasting: David's Tea's Lime Gelato Green Tea

On a nasty snowy day, what better than a tea intended to taste like lime gelato?  David's Tea's Lime Gelato Green Tea mostly succeeds in its aim.  It's a gentle, light lime flavor, not overly fruity.  There is a slight smoothness that suggests the creaminess of gelato.  Apparently there's some sort of yogurt flavoring in here, which probably contributes to the cream note.

What it lacks is the tartness of a lime, the snappiness that you find in a good key lime pie.  This is one of the few times that I'd like a little more fruitiness.

It's not bad. It's light and sunny and not overwhelmingly sweet or fruity.  I give it a generally favorable, although not enthusiastic, recommendation.