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Cameron B. drank Red Rocks by The Tea Spot

4161 tasting notes

Lewis & Clarke TTB

Another Tea Sparrow tea from Cheri! I’ve been curious about this tea for a little while, as I always am about anything almond or vanilla-related. There are a few pieces of almond mixed in with the rooibos itself. Dry scent is quite sweet and I can definitely smell vanilla. The instructions recommended a tablespoon of tea (?!) but that sounded ridiculous to me, so I halved it for my 8 ounce cup.

Once brewed, it smells like rooibos (woody, etc.) with vanilla and the tiniest hint of marzipan. Unfortunately, this basically tastes like rooibos to me… Maybe with a little bit of vanilla, but not enough. And I definitely don’t get any almond. Oh almond teas, why must you always disappoint? :(

Flavors: Rooibos, Vanilla

Preparation

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

I Like This

11 likes

4 comments

Cheri
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Sorry you didn’t like this one. I love it. I do agree that Tea Sparrow makes ridiculous suggestions in their instructions. The Tea Spot recommends only 1t, but I usually go a little over that.

I like rooibos, though, but not everyone does.

Cameron B.
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I don’t mind rooibos in blends, but it’s not my favorite as a main flavor.

Tealizzy
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There’s a really good almond black tea by Queen Mary Tea. It’s called almond cream.

Cameron B.
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Thanks Tealizzy, I’ll wishlist that one. :)

People who liked this

Comments

Cheri
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Sorry you didn’t like this one. I love it. I do agree that Tea Sparrow makes ridiculous suggestions in their instructions. The Tea Spot recommends only 1t, but I usually go a little over that.

I like rooibos, though, but not everyone does.

Cameron B.
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I don’t mind rooibos in blends, but it’s not my favorite as a main flavor.

Tealizzy
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There’s a really good almond black tea by Queen Mary Tea. It’s called almond cream.

Cameron B.
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Thanks Tealizzy, I’ll wishlist that one. :)

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 13
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 156

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing