Just Relaxing Red

This sample came from madametj. I don’t generally go for straight-up rooibos, but I have been enjoying my flavored rooibos blends lately so why not? The leaves are small and a medium red-orange-brown in color. Dry scent is somewhat medicinal, somewhat woody. It steeps up a dark mahogany color with some orange tones.

The steeped liquid smells woody and somewhat sweet (it actually smells a touch like marzipan). It tastes smooth and woody, with just a bit of deep caramelized sweetness. I’m not sure this is something I’d drink on a regular basis, but I’m happy it isn’t medicinal at all. However, it is making my mouth and throat feel a little bit scratchy… :(

Thanks again for the samples, Just Organic! So sorry it has taken this long… I guess I would avoid rooibos but I don’t regret steeping this cup up! It’s actually an above average rooibos. This one reminded me of wood smoked BBQ somehow. Nice flavor! And steeped in a teabag, I wasn’t getting any of the mouth irritation that some lower quality rooibos might have. Nothing but nice things to say about this one! But it’s still plain rooibos, so there isn’t MUCH to say about this one. An enjoyable no-caffeine cup late at night. Can’t all rooibos be like this?
Steep #1 // just boiled // 3-4 min steep

This new trilogy of medication for my allergies and asthma are annoying. The side effects are just bad enough to make me really uncomfortable, but not bad enough that I can justify stopping them. Plus being able to breathe again after who knows how long is great. It will take some getting used to and with any luck the side effects will start to balance out soon.

Today’s tea is from Just Organic Tea, Just Relaxing Red, a straight Rooibos tea from the land of South Africa. Did you know that the plant that produces the lovely little leaves (Aspalanthus linearis) is actually a legume? There is your random plant fact for the day. I had my first run in with Rooibos back when I was 17, my coffee shop haunt had this great Rooibos smoothie, I was sad when its limited run ended because I became hooked on it. The aroma of this tea is very typical of a Rooibos, it is woody, sweet, a bit sharp, and a rich caramel sweetness. Rooibos has a very acquired aroma I feel, there are times I crave its woody sweetness, other times it gives me a headache.

The brewed leaves (hey these surprisingly didn’t all end up outside of my steeping basket, win!) have a very woody quality with a strong sweetness and a really rich caramel presence. It smells like a really high quality Rooibos. The liquid without the little red leaves is woody and richly caramel, it smells yummy!

Not surprisingly, it tastes yummy! The taste is woody and rich with strong notes of caramel and sweetness that reminds me a bit of vanilla cookies. Like all Rooibos (crap, what is the plural of Rooibos?) tea it gives the mouth a dry feel, however it is milder than most ones I have sipped. One thing I will give this Rooibos credit for is its richness and heaviness, it tastes just like the Rooibos in the smoothies I drank as a teenager, so happy nostalgia points for this tea. Chilled the caramel notes become much stronger and the tea becomes a bit sweeter. In case you can’t tell I really enjoyed this Rooibos, in fact it might be the first unblended Rooibos that I have really enjoyed in a while.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/just-organic-tea-just-relaxing-red-tea.html

This was a good straight rooibos. I drank it without any milk or sweetener, I usually don’t particularly like rooibos tea but this was a bit more mild than most rooibos i’ve had. I think it’s a great starting point for people who want to explore the world of rooibos tea.

This was my first straight Rooibos (there I go with that phrase again). I actually drank it straight, without and milk or sugar, which if you’ve seen any of my other tasting notes, is pretty rare for me. This was pleasant. In not the greatest at describing flavors, but something about this was just comforting. Even more surprising, of all the Just Organic teas I’ve tried so far, it’s this plain tea, not a flavored, that I think I need more of.

I enjoy straight rooibos and this one is no exception. It is naturally sweet and a bit woody, and I think it tastes like dessert with a dash of milk.

I’m having the hardest time coming up with words to describe this tea. This is the first unflavored rooibos I’ve had and I’m not going to rate it because I don’t have a lot of rooibos experience, it might not be my thing. It tastes woodsy and a bit nutty. It smells slightly like tobacco to me.

This was actually the first of the Just Organic Teas that I tried from the samples they sent me. (Thanks again!)

I haven’t had a lot of rooibos, and this is the first I have ever had that was just straight rooibos. It was warm and pleasant tasting. It had a lot of depth of flavor, though I fail at remembering the specific tasting notes, because I actually drank it a week ago. It smelled like wood shavings to me… but definitely did not taste like steeped wood shavings, I promise!

Not going to rate this one because I don’t feel like I have a fair grasp on it or one straight rooibos.

This was a sample from the Just Organic Sample pack that was sent out. Thank you!

I really like rooibos. Its not something I want all the time, but whenever I have a cup it is always cozy and gives me warm fuzzies. I have never had straight rooibos. This would be my first. It is always flavored with something.. This is really nice. I brewed this in about 4-5oz of water and added a splash of milk. It is sweet and It tastes exactly as expected. rooibos with no thrills. Very comforting!