One thing that I love about herbal teas is the colours that they come in. My absolute favourite? The ones that brew a bright beet pinkish red. The colour is so rich, and I know I’m in for a slightly dry, probably fruity, and overall delicious cup of caffeine-free delightfulness.
Today’s cup is one of those, and certainly did not let me down at all. Yum! Plus, with the name, it’s suddenly all wintery, and perfect for Christmastime! Double yum!
Steeped: 4 tsp in 2-cup pot. Brewed with freshly boiled water.
First Cup: Steeped 5.5 minutes. Clear.
Very red. Very fruity. There’s a dry, strong fruity flavour that hits all at once, and then disappears almost as quickly, followed by a mild, nutty taste. There’s a lovely sweetness to it. There’s also a, pleasant, dry, fruity (or at least berry-y) aftertaste.
Second cup: Resteep. 15 minutes. Clear.
More red than a second steep of these red-coloured teas usually are. The initial burst of flavour is missing, but it automatically goes to that nice aftertaste. There is, however, a nice, sweet initial taste, and it still has quite a try mouthfeel.
Third cup: Same resteep. Approximately 40-45 minutes. Clear.
The fruity taste is a bit stronger, and the tea seems somehow a bit thicker. There’s still a bit of fruitiness (someone else mentioned apple and I think that’s what it is) but I’m mainly noticing the sweetness over any actual flavour. Still fairly enjoyable, but not as wonderful as the first steep by far.
Overall impression: The first steep is amazing. It makes me almost wish that I hadn’t given half of it to my mother. The second steep wasn’t half bad either, though not anywhere as near as the first — especially good considering it’s a tisane, which often don’t resteep well at all.
My rating: 80. A-. Would be higher if the flavour lasted longer than a burst or if it resteeped as wonderfully (though it still is a better tea for resteeping than most tisanes!). Still, I can’t deny the lovely flavour at least a low A.
