Caramel & Rum

This was a freebie in my last Lupicia order… my last ever, I should say. I went back a couple days ago and everything was sold out. Sigh. RIP.

My first thought when I saw the sachets was “Oh no… rooibos.” Luckily I had some coffee before work, so I got my caffeine fix. Otherwise, this would be quite the disappointment. I need that buzz to continue to adult!

The aroma is very rum-like. So much that I worry my boss might smell it and get suspicious. I am also smelling buttery caramel and maybe coconut? Yum. It makes me think of a sweet after-dinner nightcap. Once it cools, I taste straight up butterscotch. This doesn’t taste alcoholic at all. Just smells like it. No, the flavor is so smooth and caramelly. I’m also getting notes of vanilla, and yes, coconut. And maybe eggnog or something? The rooibos flavor is there, but it compliments the sweets. I really like this and am sad it’s the only time I’ll get to enjoy it.

Damn Lupicia for constantly making me rethink my rooibos prejudices!

I am by no means a huge fan of rum or rooibos, so I wasn’t particularly excited when I got two sample packets of this with my purchase. But I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it! The strong scent really mellows out to a light caramel flavor with only a little hint of rum. I do think the rum flavor came out more clearly as it cooled down, so if you’re like me and don’t enjoy that, drink it hot!

I also tried it with milk, and I think I the caramel and nutty flavors shine through better without.

Served this yesterday at my afternoon tea party as the caffeine-free option. It was a total hit, and I had to make three pots of this! Pairs well with any high tea food (scones with lemon curd and clotted cream, cucumber sandwiches, pumpkin muffins).

It smells amazing. Personally I like this with milk as it’s a bit flavourless on its own. Doesn’t need sugar but I might try adding sometime.

Rating: 87 for being a crowd pleaser.

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.

Today was a sipdown of this amazing tea. It has become one of my favourites and I welcome it back into my cupboard anytime.

Got this in a recent Lupicia newsletter…

I’m so glad (Mostly) that Summer is finally on it’s way out. I mean we’ll probably have a few more really nice days and might get bit of an Indian summer, but overall cool enough to have tea most days…YAY!!!

Sadly this summer I wasn’t really in the mood for tea with a few exceptions, so in addition to the beastly hot temps, that made me really irritable.

This tea was picked at random after dinner, though considering I am trying to avoid much caffeine in the evenings, just as well. I like this tea, like I’ve liked most Rooibos teas…but the jury is out on whether or not I’d actually buy this tea, namely in my next order, (Which sadly probably won’t be till January/February.) I’m thinking I really should do an inventory on my teas before I buy anymore anyways.

I taste the Caramel/Butterscotch in it…though I wish it were more butterscotchy. I also taste a hint of rum, which I’ve never drank, one of these days I will. I was kind of hoping this would taste like Werther’s Originals…that was my favorite candy when I was little. But since I have the really bad habit of chewing hard candies, I avoid them like the plague, but a tea that tastes just like Werther’s? OMG, I would adore that!

Keep in mind I like rooibos teas, this is my favorite. It delivers on all the flavors it promises. Smells amazing dry and steeped. I enjoy it plain, with honey, and occasionally with a little shot of rum on a cold winter night. It stands up to cream for those guests who insist on profaning their tea with it. It is a tea I can share with my guests…if I am feeling generous.

This is one of my absolute favorites. It’s so yummy, especially with a drop of milk and honey. All the notes come through pretty well, and I love how it doesn’t oversteep.

Disclaimer: my favorite flavor of Lifesavers is Butter Rum, and I don’t dislike Rooibos. These truths make this nearly the perfect Tisane for me. The dry aroma is pure butter rum, which translates nicely into the cup, especially after cooling a bit. Add a little cream and between sight and smell you could believe that you are holding a cup of caramel, luckily it is not overly sweet, just very comforting. Good resteep as well.

This smells SOOOOOO good! Soo good! Thankfully, that smell does transfer over to the taste. Honeybush can be picked up as well but mostly it is rich, buttery caramel like the little chewy cube ones that you get as a kid that gets all stuck in your teeth but tastes so yummy that you can’t resist it. The rum is faint but there and pops up every now and then to add an extra layer to the drink that at times takes on a butterscotch type-flavor. It is really great and one I would pick up again if I were placing a Lupicia order.