Wild Rose

Well, I think that I’ve fully realized that I really like the thought of rose teas, but in reality they’re not what I enjoy. There doesn’t seem to be any subtlety with the ones that I’ve had. In an odd way I think that some oolongs are what I’ve been dreaming of with roses.

This one has the aggressive “I am rose, hear me rawr” dry leaf scent that I’ve begun to associate with rose teas. The steeped scent is nice and rosy. But then there’s the war between the rose and tea. They just don’t seem to get along together. I don’t like feeling like my mouth is a battleground. And there’s a bitter aftertaste that I’m not digging.

Oh well, I’ll use this tin up over time and then be sure not to purchase again. M

I liked this allot but I’m also a huge fan of rose teas. I steeped this tea for four minutes and added some honey to balance it out and find it very calming and relaxing before bed. So if you like rose, I recommend this one!

Hmm. I could swear I’d written a note for this tea, but apparently I never did. Let’s work from memory, then.

I love roses. I love the way they smell, I love the way they look, I just love everything about them. One of my earliest experiences with tea has to do with roses, when I was probably around 5.

By age 5, I understood that tea is made from steeping flowers and leaves in water. A book I’d read about a Japanese family that moved to the US told me that this was what was put into bags. In the book, they were ripping the bags open and pouring the tea into a pot of hot water.

“Well, I’ll do you one better!” I said to the book. So I went to the front of the house, where a bouquet of roses was slowly wilting, and took a handful of petals. I stuck them into a mug full of water, and stuck it into the microwave. Voila! Rose tea.

I look back on this particular anecdote with a mixture of nostalgia and horror. Nostalgia, because I distinctly remember the rose smell and taste of my tea. I’ve never been as enterprising as I was that day. Horror, because I can only imagine the pesticides I ingested.

At any rate, upon opening the tin for this tea, my first thought was of my pseudo-tea. My second, of my grandmother’s rose-water creams. It’s a rose tea all right. I can barely pick out any scent to do with the white tea, but I wasn’t expecting to. I’m drinking this for the roses, not the white tea.

I steeped it according to the instructions on the can. I can’t remember precise details, given that this was a week and a half ago – but the can says one tbsp per 6 oz at 190F for 4-6 minutes.

Likely, I steeped it closer to 180F, as today I discovered my “cooling method” pre-thermometer results in this temperature. And I definitely steeped it for 5ish minutes – I tend to go halfway when I’m given a range.

The result of steeping was intense rose scent: the floral smell completely overpowered the white tea. So if you were expecting any sign of the white tea, go looking for another blend. But roses are like this, right? They make themselves known. It was pretty much what I was expecting, though I was hoping the white tea would mitigate the rose intensity a little bit.

And taste-wise? Roses. Heavy-duty roses that didn’t pull any punches. Yeah, this was definitely what I remembered from when I was 5 years old. Lovely, but not something I’d want to drink every single day. Even as I made it half-way through my Rishi tea, I was still wondering where the white tea was hiding itself. Maybe it was keeping the roses from being even stronger? Hmm, possible. But I haven’t had pure rose tea in a very long time, so I’m not certain.

SO! Let me sum up: I like this tea. I like it a lot. It brings back memories of when I was young and silly. It’s a bit stronger on the rose front than I’d like, though, which makes me think that green tea might be a better pairing for the rose petals than the white tea. But don’t let that put you off, if you like roses.

Hm I am surprised at the low ratings. I really enjoy this tea! It’s the very first Rishi Tea I tried and I still can’t get enough of it. I think this tea tastes best with honey or rock sugar and with also additional rose hips added. But if you are not a huge fan of roses, stay away! The flavor of roses is quite strong.

I’d say you could steep this tea about 3 times.

i like roses. i use rose oil when i make facial masks, mix it with sandalwood for perfume, and generally just like it. but i don’t like it in hot tea. had a Moroccan iced tea once, sticky sweet and rosy. delish. this tea isn’t so much. it’s almost like drinking perfume. but I love rishi, and so many of their other teas.

I sometimes enjoy a rose tea, but I have to admit that I prefer Harney and Sons for this. The rose flavor was a bit too strong for me; I like something a little more subtle.

I enjoy this tea, with its delicate flavors and sweet aromas. This is a Spring tea for me, and I carry a mug around and smell rose bouquets all day.

Sweet, floral, and light. Great for bedtime. Add additional white tea for additional antioxidant properties. This tea is easy to burn, make sure to use water that is under 180 F to prepare.