I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this, because hibiscus, but this is just lovely.
The dry leaf is very fluffy, with large pieces of hops and hibiscus, whole corn flowers and lemon wedges. Very pretty, and 2-3 teaspoons for a cup really doesn’t even make a dent in the bag.
The dry lea smells primarily like mint. Steeped the citrus and hibiscus fragrance comes out a bit more. The cup is a lovely deep red.
The directions recommend steeping for 3 to 10 minutes. I started with 3, which was plenty potent, but then put the leaves back for a longer steep just to see how the hops would develop. I forgot that I was resteeping, so I probably got between 5 and 7 minutes total instead of the 4 I was aiming for. There was a bit more hoppiness, though still very pleasant and not overly bitter, and well balanced mint and citrus. The hibiscus works very well in this, and combines nicely with the lemon to give it a nice tartness. The slight bitterness and the citrus are very reminiscent of lemon rind and grapefruit, even with that slight tongue tingle.
I’m really pleased with this. I thought it might end up being too sour or in need of sugar, but I think it was pretty perfect as is.
Flavors: Bitter, Citrus, Grapefruit, Hibiscus, Hops, Lemon Zest, Mint, Tart
