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__Morgana__ drank Caramel & Rum by Lupicia

2036 tasting notes

I haven’t had rooibos in a while and this one was a good pick to break the trend.

The dry blend smells really intensely of rum and less of caramel. It’s pretty amazing smelling. The BF walked by while I opened it and said he had to have some.

The liquor is a clear cherry red. This is where it gets weird. The aroma is funky after steeping. The funky smell is more caramel than rum, but a kind of hot plasticky caramel.

And yet, the taste has none of that. It’s both caramel and rum in equal measure, and the rooibos basically is just a flavorless delivery mechanism for the caramel and rum, which is how I like my rooibos. The rum isn’t overly alcoholic tasting, either.

It’s rather hearty, and I’m not sure I’d drink it in hot weather. But on a chilly day when I may be coming down with a cold, it’s quite nice.

Flavors: Caramel, Rum

Preparation

Boiling 7 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML

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Bluegreen
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“…and the rooibos basically is just a flavorless delivery mechanism for the caramel and rum, which is how I like my rooibos.” Very well put – you helped me to define my own vague feelings about rooibos. Thank you.

__Morgana__
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I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes