73

Hello old friend…

A long standing favourite. Historically, it is my favourite lemon tea, but I don’t know where I stand on that now. I’ve only just realized it has green rooibos in it. That makes three teas I own with green rooibos that I didn’t realize.

I just took a lemon meringue ppie out of the oven, and thought a pot of this would hold me over until it’s cool enough to properly enjoy. The dry smell is a rather sharp lemon, and it’s a beautiful tea to look at…if you like lemongrass, etc. It steeps up a fairly vivid yellow – This tea never lets you forget that it’s loaded with lemon. Much like 52Teas Lemolicious, but obviously without the guayusa taste.

The steeped smell is spot on lemon…But the tartness of lemon. I suppose it could be easily compared to lemon cleaners, but that’s an authentic lemon smell to me, so what can I say?

The actual lemon taste is not so tart as the smell would lead you to believe. I find this a nice smooth lemon tea, and a great precursor to my lemon meringue!

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more
ambientqueenie

Interesting thought, to sneak some green rooibos into an essentially lemon tea. When did green rooibos hit the market, anyway? I’ve only recently heard of it, and I’m curious as to when it emerged. I will ask you instead of Google, because well, why not? :P

Uniquity

I really don’t know. I don’t know anythign about it, actually, other than that it seems like people who don’t like red rooibos often like or don’t mind green. I think KeenTeaThyme also doesn’t get headaches from green rooibos, but does from red. What a difference oxidization makes!

Muiriddin

Green rooibos is a recent addition for adagio it seems, or at least their green rooibos sampler pack is. It definitely has less wood to its taste and my wife who can’t stand red rooibos really likes a lot of the green rooibos teas. I’ve never had one with lemon that I can think of but I could see where the green rooibos would mix well with it. I would expect a malty undercurrent added to something that was pure lemon…

Michelle Butler Hallett

Green rooibos has a much cleaner and lighter taste than red roobios, and, if blended, does not dominate as red rooibos often does. Drinking them solo. the difference really is comparable to green vs black tea. I love green rooibos. I have less and less patience with red rooibos these days.

Uniquity

I really liked red rooibos. I think I still do…but I’m getting tired of it. I think I’m going through another tea cycle. : )

ambientqueenie

Ah, I see! Color me wary on red rooibos as well; I have tried it several times, and each time, flavored or not flavored, I am left thinking, in a word, “Yikes.” There’s a certain amount of guilt involved there, though, heh. I always feel like my palate isn’t developed or hardy enough when I admit to disliking the “tobacco underbelly” of rooibos. (Caveat: a dash of Adagio’s rooibos vanilla chai in a blend can be pretty darn tasty, but I suspect that’s because the chai spices cover up the malty/woodiness of the rooibos.)

Is green rooibos just an Adagio thing? That’s where I first heard of it, too, but I wonder if this new infusion comes from a new-fangled plant (i.e., one that was bred to produce this tea recently) or … uh, an old-fangled one (i.e., one that has been producing green rooibos for many moons, but we just haven’t heard of it before). Maybe green rooibos should be next on my trial list, since everyone is in agreement about its marked difference!

Thanks for the food (drink?) for thought!

Uniquity

Green rooibos is a global thing…my green rooibos teas are from david’s tea, they’ve got a surprising number of them. From what I understand it’s from the same plant as red, but dealt with in a different way. Lezz oxidization? more? Something like that!

Muiriddin

I believe it is less oxidization based upon what I’ve read somewhere. That being said in a quick search I can’t find the “somewhere” that I read it!

Michelle Butler Hallett

Here’s what davidstea.com says about green rooibos:

“When South African rooibos is quickly withered and steamed to prevent oxidation, it retains its green colour. The benefit? Studies are showing that green rooibos has more antioxidants – making it comparable to green tea. So it may be better at preventing cancer, slowing the aging process and all those other great things that red rooibos is known for. Plus it has a light, fresh taste all its own.” (http://www.davidstea.com/rooibos/green-rooibos-organic, accessed 16 March 2011.)

Uniquity

That’s interesting, since there seems to be constant debate about whether red rooibos or green tea have more antioxidants…If green rooibos has more than red rooibos, then it would presumably have more than green tea!

Uniquity

Of course, but then I find a website claiming that white teas has the most with up to five times as much as green tea. Gah. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Antioxidants—-Foods-High-In-Antioxidants-Include-Loose-Leaf-Tea&id=757228)

Muiriddin

We need more scientific studies! I have seen something quoted that claimed white had more antioxidants than green tea as well. No idea who funded that study, if it happened to be white tea growers…

Uniquity

I guess the only consensus is that black doesn’t have the most..

Michelle Butler Hallett

But hey, it’s all good in the end. Even a cup of Tetley (blech!) doses you up with good stuff.

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Comments

ambientqueenie

Interesting thought, to sneak some green rooibos into an essentially lemon tea. When did green rooibos hit the market, anyway? I’ve only recently heard of it, and I’m curious as to when it emerged. I will ask you instead of Google, because well, why not? :P

Uniquity

I really don’t know. I don’t know anythign about it, actually, other than that it seems like people who don’t like red rooibos often like or don’t mind green. I think KeenTeaThyme also doesn’t get headaches from green rooibos, but does from red. What a difference oxidization makes!

Muiriddin

Green rooibos is a recent addition for adagio it seems, or at least their green rooibos sampler pack is. It definitely has less wood to its taste and my wife who can’t stand red rooibos really likes a lot of the green rooibos teas. I’ve never had one with lemon that I can think of but I could see where the green rooibos would mix well with it. I would expect a malty undercurrent added to something that was pure lemon…

Michelle Butler Hallett

Green rooibos has a much cleaner and lighter taste than red roobios, and, if blended, does not dominate as red rooibos often does. Drinking them solo. the difference really is comparable to green vs black tea. I love green rooibos. I have less and less patience with red rooibos these days.

Uniquity

I really liked red rooibos. I think I still do…but I’m getting tired of it. I think I’m going through another tea cycle. : )

ambientqueenie

Ah, I see! Color me wary on red rooibos as well; I have tried it several times, and each time, flavored or not flavored, I am left thinking, in a word, “Yikes.” There’s a certain amount of guilt involved there, though, heh. I always feel like my palate isn’t developed or hardy enough when I admit to disliking the “tobacco underbelly” of rooibos. (Caveat: a dash of Adagio’s rooibos vanilla chai in a blend can be pretty darn tasty, but I suspect that’s because the chai spices cover up the malty/woodiness of the rooibos.)

Is green rooibos just an Adagio thing? That’s where I first heard of it, too, but I wonder if this new infusion comes from a new-fangled plant (i.e., one that was bred to produce this tea recently) or … uh, an old-fangled one (i.e., one that has been producing green rooibos for many moons, but we just haven’t heard of it before). Maybe green rooibos should be next on my trial list, since everyone is in agreement about its marked difference!

Thanks for the food (drink?) for thought!

Uniquity

Green rooibos is a global thing…my green rooibos teas are from david’s tea, they’ve got a surprising number of them. From what I understand it’s from the same plant as red, but dealt with in a different way. Lezz oxidization? more? Something like that!

Muiriddin

I believe it is less oxidization based upon what I’ve read somewhere. That being said in a quick search I can’t find the “somewhere” that I read it!

Michelle Butler Hallett

Here’s what davidstea.com says about green rooibos:

“When South African rooibos is quickly withered and steamed to prevent oxidation, it retains its green colour. The benefit? Studies are showing that green rooibos has more antioxidants – making it comparable to green tea. So it may be better at preventing cancer, slowing the aging process and all those other great things that red rooibos is known for. Plus it has a light, fresh taste all its own.” (http://www.davidstea.com/rooibos/green-rooibos-organic, accessed 16 March 2011.)

Uniquity

That’s interesting, since there seems to be constant debate about whether red rooibos or green tea have more antioxidants…If green rooibos has more than red rooibos, then it would presumably have more than green tea!

Uniquity

Of course, but then I find a website claiming that white teas has the most with up to five times as much as green tea. Gah. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Antioxidants—-Foods-High-In-Antioxidants-Include-Loose-Leaf-Tea&id=757228)

Muiriddin

We need more scientific studies! I have seen something quoted that claimed white had more antioxidants than green tea as well. No idea who funded that study, if it happened to be white tea growers…

Uniquity

I guess the only consensus is that black doesn’t have the most..

Michelle Butler Hallett

But hey, it’s all good in the end. Even a cup of Tetley (blech!) doses you up with good stuff.

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Bio

I’ve been drinking loose tea since 2010 and my tastes have changed a lot over those years. For the last few, I’ve been a fan of unflavoured Chinese blacks and shu puerh. I still drink other things, but that’s where I am.

I live in a rural area with my husband, cat, and soon to be firstborn. I love tea, reading, doctor who, knitting, crosswords, board games, the marvel universe, and lots of other things.

I’m not often rating teas numerically any more but I want to leave this to explain my past ratings:
I try to only log teas once or twice because I drink a lot of the same ones repeatedly. My rating is based on my perception of the tea at first tasting and is adjusted if anything notable occurs in subsequent cups. I may also factor in the price and customer service but try to note that when I can.

81 – 100: These are great teas, I love them, regularly stock them or savour them as unique treats.
71 – 80: These are solid. I drink them, I like them, I may or may not keep them on hand regularly. This is still good stuff.
61 – 70: Just okay. I can drink it, but it doesn’t stand out to me. Might be lower quality, not to my taste, or outside my comfort zone.
41 – 60: Not likely to keep drinking…hoping hubby will enjoy!
0 – 40: No thank you, please. Take it away and don’t make me finish the cup.

Location

Canada

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