This tea was the first one that I ever tried from DT’s… I had only just been getting into loose leaf teas at the time and while walking the mall I noticed a new store; a tea shop, excellent! And even better they had some free samples, this was one of them. I loved that first sip so much that I immediately got some, and then some other teas just to try!
Red rooibos teas are actually a favorite of mine, caffeine free and with a lovely flavor profile it’s a tea that I can enjoy late into the night without worrying about it keeping me up, but this one is one of the stars of my cabinet. It smells exactly like its namesake; the tartness of the orange helps to break up the sweetness from the currents and vanilla. And through it all the various flower petals bring just enough of a floral scent to actually make you think you’re standing in a grove of blooming trees.
When steeped you get a clear red liquor which smells of orange and vanilla. I do loose a bit of the “blossom” scent, it’s still there but as more of an undertone compared to how the dry tea smells. The best part though is at no point does the orange smell artificial (I had way to many artificial orange drinks growing up… yuck!) You also get a few more notes from the rooibos at this point as well, which is nice as it does get a bit overpowered in the dry tea.
And the flavor, it just bursts in your mouth. A refreshing combination of orange and floral notes, with just enough sweetness from the currants and vanilla to cut what could otherwise be quite a tart drink. The mouth feel is smooth and moderately light but creamy in the way that a lot of red rooibos blends can be. But what’s amazing to me though is how well this combination complements the red rooibos rather than it just being the base, it entwines throughout the flavor profile enhancing the overall experience quite nicely
I love this tea and I always make sure to have a good quantity of this one in my cupboard it’s become a favorite not only for myself but my friends and family. Oh and it’s great iced too!
