Cameron B. select Send Message

347 Followers / 243 Following

Cameron B. drank Big Island Hibiscus by Kihene

4278 tasting notes

Sipdown! (18 | 292)

So this was part of a sampler of three native herbal tisanes that I picked up at a farmer’s market in Hawai’i. I’m not a hibiscus lover per se, but I’m fine with it on its own.

I steeped up a hot cuppa last night and used about a teaspoon of leaf for 16 ounce of water, so it was mild and pleasant. It had a classic hibiscus flavor, I don’t know why I was expecting something more interesting, but I was.

We had just bought some lemonade because I wanted to use it for matcha, so I decided to cold steep the rest of the little pouch in lemonade. It came out really good! I don’t know if I would be able to tell that it’s hibiscus specifically (aside from the color) but it really did add a lot of depth and a fruity quality to the plain lemonade. And the extra tartness is nice too, since bottled lemonade is quite sweet.

Would definitely do this again, it’s very flavorful. And it’s about a bajillion degrees outside here today, so perfect timing!

Flavors: Fruity, Tart

Preparation

Iced 8 min or more 6 tsp 32 OZ / 946 ML

I Like This

15 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

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! ~
- December sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 157

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 (or monkfruit, etc.).

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