For last night’s pre-bedtime cup, I pulled out this beautiful herbal. The dry leaf is so fresh and natural looking, it’s a joy just to look at! I particularly love the whole-flower hops, the lemon slices, and the hibiscus flowers. Very few herbal blends I’ve come across are composed of such large, generously proportioned ingredients.
As per the recommended parameters, I used 3 tsp of leaf and gave it 3 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is a medium pink-red (thanks to the hibiscus, I guess). Fortunately, hibiscus doesn’t steal the show here. The star ingredient has to be the hops, which add a very herbal, bittersweet flavour. After tea, beer is my second love, and I do tend to pick out hoppier varieties because I like the clean, almost sharp dryness they can contribute. That’s probably partly why I enjoy them in this blend – they’re almost a perfect counterpoint to the tart sweetness of the hibiscus. The lemon slices help also, adding a sharp, zesty flavour to the cup.
This is a tea that tastes like it’s good for you, but in a pleasant way. It’s deeply herbal, but it’s also cleansing and relaxing. Beautiful stuff!
Sounds quite interesting! I’m not a beer person at all, so I’m not sure I’d want a tea with hops in it, but you’ve almost convinced me.