My Christmas eve eve tea! I brewed a scant teaspoon for a full 10 minutes, even though Martin suggests a 6 minute brew on the label (thanks for this tea!). I’m in the mood for some strong festive spice, and I didn’t want to use all this tea up in one go.
It has the red glow and tart aroma of a hibiscus dominated blend – which is definitely my cup of tea. Love it. But there’s also some spices (cloves, cinnamon) and other fruit notes (juicy sultanas and apple) swirling around in the steam.
Wow! Interesting flavour. It’s very light and not very hibiscus flavoured at all. Smooth and sweet. Notes of apple, apricot and sultanas develop a few seconds into the sip, with a hint of tartness coming in at the end with those berry hibiscus notes. But that’s super subtle – even if you dislike hibiscus, I reckon you wouldn’t be too upset with this tea.
Can’t say whether that’s because I only brewed a small teaspoon (perhaps I missed the large hibiscus pieces in the bag) or if that’s how the tea is designed to taste.
The spices are present, but mingled and more of a sensation than a flavour. Besides cinnamon, cloves and maybe nutmeg, I can’t decipher which specific spices are included.
Overall, this is a good festive tea. I might brew up the rest tomorrow, adding a shot of amaretto. I think the sweet almond flavour would work well with the fruits in this tea.
Flavors: Apple, Apricot, Berries, Cinnamon, Clove, Hibiscus, Nutmeg, Spices, Tart
Happy New Year! :)
Happy New Year! The company name is Oxalis, and that is the name of a flower that grows here. I have some pink oxalis that I dug up at my husband’s grandmother’s house after she died, and some of the relatives laughed and said I was just digging up clover! Ha ha! The pink oxalis is very pretty and a nice herald of spring.
ashmanra Funny about oxalis. I lived in California for decades. Oxalis is an invasive garden pest there. It sends out runners and rhizomes so it can’t just be pulled up. It is nigh on impossible to eradicate. It does innocently look like clover and the flowers are very pretty. No doubt it is not a killer plant in other parts of the country, but in California, it is considered a weed and it can choke out native plants very rapidly. https://www.mercurynews.com/2010/12/06/master-gardener-get-a-jump-on-oxalis/
I have never cared about the company name, to be honest. I tried to search it and I think I have seen it over here too. It looks indeed pretty, though apparently it is invasive too.
Happy New Year Martin!
White Antlers: Same family, different oxalis! This one has pretty little pink flowers and hardly spreads at all. I think the plants I brought home from Granny’s are about the same size and have sat still in the same spot and they have been here about fifteen years.
Virginia Spiderwort, on the other hand, is EVERYWHERE! Fortunately it is pretty and is easy to remove, so I leave it where I want oretty blue flowers, cut it down when summer heat makes it get ugly, and it springs back up for more pretty flowers in fall!
ashmanra I think temperate California makes oxalis a ‘pest’ plant. I’d like to get some for my yard since we do have hard freezes here and it’s such a pretty little thing in the garden!