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teataku drank Apple Cardamom Rooibos by 52teas

226 tasting notes

SO! This one came in the mail today, along with two others, and even though it’s a red rooibos, I just had to tear it open and have a go at it. I’m currently on a very brief but very strict diet that does not allow caffeine, so I’ll have to set the other teas aside until it’s over, but I can have this one! The diet’s working splendidly, so I’d hate to cheat, much as it pains me every time I pass my tea shelf. I need to take some time to separate out the teas I can have, so I won’t have to peruse the whole lot every time I want a cuppa.

Anyhow, the initial brew smells very much of rooibos, with a great deal of enticing apple scent, which is good! There’s maybe a hint of cardamom, but not a whole lot. Surprising, since there were two pods in my steeper. Oh well.

I didn’t sweeten this one, because after the first few sips, I didn’t feel it really needed it. The apple is coming through just fine. I don’t find the red rooibos flavor as offensive as I normally do. I took the advice of a fellow Steepster and added some almond milk, but it doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference. Maybe it would have if I had sweetened it? Dunno. I will have to play around with this one. However, my first impression is very complimentary!

Preparation

205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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I very clearly remember my first experience with tea. It was in a Target near my house, and my best friend handed me a cup of chai from the Starbucks inside the store and said, “Try this.” I believe I was about 12 at the time, and from then on, I was completely hooked.

Anyway, as my increasingly weirded out family will tell you, my obsession with tea has (almost) steadily escalated since then. I discovered the world of tea slowly, first with just chai, and then with bagged teas I could get from supermarkets and specialty stores, and then with loose leaf teas. I mostly shop for tea at Teavana, but I also patronize other local shops that I’ve discovered within the last couple of years. I’ve ordered a smattering of teas from a few online places, but I’m always leery of buying tea online, since most of how I select teas in person is by smell… unless I’m at The English Tea Room.

My favorite types of tea are blacks and flavored blacks. And oolongs. Right underneath that are rooiboses and whites, and then greens and herbals, and then mates. I’m always looking for a new favorite, but I appreciate rediscovering old favorites. I like to blend teas, but I never store them that way, mostly because I like to leave myself options.

I prefer nutty/sweet/rich teas to fruity/light-flavored teas or bold/full-bodied teas, but I do try to drink some of everything to widen my palate. I’m always willing to try any tea at least once (except this one tea that Teavana mercifully discontinued… the loose leaf smelled like cheese, I swear). I do perhaps rate teas a little leniently… because I’m not very picky. I will try a tea at least three times before I pronounce that I hate it, and I will always focus on the good aspects of a tea rather than the bad. That’s just how I roll. :3

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Colorado, USA

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