Gaia is a small outfit, so I wanted to give this tea its best chance. Per the package instructions, I steeped for exactly 9 minutes in 12 ounces of boiling water. It turns out a lovely medium honey tone. I can’t quite describe the aroma – it’s woodsy and faintly sweet.
Having just spent 8 days eating macaroons, I can tell you with confidence that this tea’s flavor does not at all live up to that part of its name. The rooibos is good, but it is by far the dominant flavor. The tea has a bushy taste, with a smoky aftertaste that is pleasant at first but too strong by the end of the cup (I don’t actually smoke, for what help that gives in gauging the degree of smokiness). There is a hint of sweetness, almost like honeysuckle. I can also detect a touch of carob and coconut, but no cocoa or almonds at all.
The instructions suggest that this tea is best served with honey and milk. I still have another sample left. I’m willing to try this again at some point, albeit with rice milk instead of cow. Hopefully I will find it more enjoyable the second time around. The smokiness was just too much this time.
