Rooibos (and honeybush) and I mostly don’t get a long. I am very sensitive to the metallic and peppery flavours in both. Every once in a while I taste a rooibos tea that is just super excellent. But I don’t know what it is. I have not yet found a pattern between low quality, high quality, low price, high price, etc., that gives me a consistent good tasting tea.
In saying all that above, I had to try this tea because it is root beer. I like to think of myself as a rootbeer connoisseur. I have never found a root beer that I didn’t like. Although A and W still reigns supreme. This dry tea smelled pretty good. Like a strong root beer. Almost like a root beer candy. So I had to try it.
The brewed tea however, is just full of pepper. (sad face). There is definitely a root beer flavour. More like a watered down root beer float. So the taste is there, it just isn’t strong enough. The problem is, if I would try to make is stronger by steeping longer or using more tea, then it would be a mouth full of pepper. And not the spice that comes a long with pepper, but the actual taste of black pepper.
Ohh, A&W. <3 A local German deli used to bring in a small batch natural root beer that was amazing too, but in a different way. :)