Roasted Chestnut Rooibos

I received a tin of this tea from Santa! Well, my brother-in-law, who was my Secret Santa this year. I could see the influence of my sister in this purchase, because she loves flavored rooibos tea. The dry tea smells super sweet and caramelly, and that buttery caramel flavor really comes through in the steeped cup. To me it stays just this side of cloying, and I really dig it! There’s something very comforting about it; maybe it reminds me of a flavor from childhood. It doesn’t really scream “chestnut” to me, but then again the only roasted chestnuts I’ve had were not sweet, and I think this blend is trying to replicate sweet roasted chestnuts.

I shared a pot with my sister-in-law and a friend over the holidays, and we were all surprised at how much we enjoyed this one. I think what I appreciate about it is that it has no cinnamon, no cloves, no spices at all — it’s not trying to be some fancy spiced holiday blend. It’s just straight up sweet, nutty goodness, and it’s very comforting. I’d definitely consider keeping it on hand.

How long has this been in my cupboard with out a review? And will I need more of this when I sip it down? Yes! Nicely chesnut and caramel flavored, not roasty at all but that doesn’t detract from the overall cuppa. And it steeps twice. what’s not to like?

2021 sipdown no. 120

Thank you for sharing this Cameron!

This smells very strongly of Aunt Jemima syrup. Almost cloyingly so. There’s perhaps some chestnut essence in the taste, but hidden behind a solid wall of the flavour of Aunt Jemima syrup maybe mixed with an intense butterscotch.

The flavor here is so fun. The chestnut tastes so authentic, even a bit salty. It’s really strong and nutty. I added just a little milk, and it’s really delightful. The rooibos is the perfect supporting player for the flavoring. The second steep tasted almost as strong as the first. I love a strong, nutty tea, and this has to be one of the best ones yet.

This is the lone survivor from the Simpson & Vail holiday sampler I bought last year. Honestly I wasn’t as happy as I remembered being with most of the teas, a lot of them were just sort of bland black teas. I did enjoy the rooibos blends though.

This one is tasty! It has a lovely rich and buttery flavor that reminds me of butter rum Lifesavers. There is a bit of creamy nuttiness to it, but to me it’s more like candied chestnuts that are coated in buttery caramel. The rooibos base, of course, goes perfectly with those caramel-y notes and adds a nice depth.

Overall, it’s a rich and comforting tisane. I’m almost tempted to add a pinch of salt to give it a sort of salted caramel vibe. I feel like it would round out the flavor nicely.

I do love tea boxes, but I also love when they leave and I can sip from my tea collection again. Tea boxes reinvigorate your own tea collection.. make you think of teas you want to revisit. And also work on some sipdowns. Here is one I haven’t written a note for yet.
I don’t know much about what chestnuts taste like, however it does remind me of one of the best books I read this year: ‘The Overstory’ by Richard Powers. On to the tea: the lovely rooibos base comes through more than usual. A very deep red in the mug. I don’t think the orange blossoms do much here, but I do love when they are in blends. Any chestnut flavor here just seems like sweetness to me. Not much nutty about it, but again, I have no chestnut experience to compare this tea to. But a sweet rooibos is acceptable enough for me for a nighttime cup. The second steep the next night tasted exactly the same as the first.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 12 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep