I initially perceived the title as a reference to the flavor of the tea. Bourbon conjures images of hardened gentlemen, cowboys, and wounded soldiers. It promises a kick to the tastebuds followed by a smooth, deep warmth. Based on the fact that this is a tea, one might expect more of the latter and less of the former.

In actuality, the title refers to the geography rather than the adjectives associated with the whiskey. Nonetheless, the aforementioned smooth, deep warmth finds its way into the consumption process. Everything proper about a rooibus is present, from the texture to the flavor to the emotional blanket attached to the gentle swallow. Furthermore, the flavor brings that thick brown wash of an aged liquor with it.

This is a solid choice for rooibus sippers. It may not be the pinnacle of perfection, but it is definitely a solid choice.

Brad -Teaviews.com -Reviewer

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I'll confess that when I saw "bourbon" splayed on the brand of this rooibos tea, it conjured a very different image. Thoughts of a bourbon-casked aged stout beer came to mind. Don't ask me. My brain is broken. At the very least, I thought there'd be some sort of flavoring concoction that produced a bourbonesque bite.

Then I did my research.

Right on the Red Leaf website, it stated plainly that the tea was named for the Bourbon Islands; likely the isle of Réunion, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. One of their chief exports? Vanilla beans.

And guess what is the primary ingredient for this blend besides plain ol' rooibos? Ding-ding-ding. You win a...um...a review.

The dry batch smelled like vanilla pudding with nuts in it. The earthy aspect of rooibos complimented the sweet vanilla blanket. The scent was like a sin unto itself. This couldn't possibly be good for me.

I brewed 1 tablespoon of the desserty batch in 16 ounces of boiling water for five minutes. Liquor turned a deep ruby red - as per the jacket description - and smelled like a capper to a nine-course meal. The only comparison I can muster would be almond-littered vanilla ice cream left to melt, then put in a tea cup for swigging. Or a dessert port wine - heated - that left no inebriation. It also lasts through two great infusions, and a third if you really push it.

Don't drink and drive.

Geoff -Teaviews.com -Reviewer

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As rooibos tea goes, Red Leaf's Rooibos Bourbon is quite tasty. However, as far as flavored rooibos tea goes, this tea fails to deliver. I immediately assumed that the tea would bear some Bourbon whiskey type flavor, but then after reading the Red Leaf description, I realized that the this tea was flavored with vanilla. Regardless, this was like drinking a cup of plain rooibos tea. I know that if I had tasted this as part of a blind taste test, I would have concluded that this was an unflavored rooibos. Fortunately, the rooibos base was of high enough quality that I still enjoyed the tea. I added a splash of sugar to see if that would help me be able to discern the vanilla flavor any better. While the sugar did make the brew into a wonderfully sweet caffeine-free dessert treat, I still could not taste a strong vanilla element. The bottom line: not a bad tea, by any means, but certainly not the best vanilla-flavored rooibos I have tried.

Vanessa -Teaviews.com -Reviewer

Vanilla bean,Rooibos

Steeping instructions:

Amount of water: 6 oz

Amount of Tea: 1 Flat teaspoon

Water Temperature: Boiling

Steeping Time: 5 - 7 minutes.

• Red Tea (Rooibos Tea)
• Process of growing and making tea
• Tea History