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In South Africa, the British habit of tea drinking caught on slowly. Tensions between the Afrikaners (descendants of Dutch colonists), native tribes, and British settlers did not encourage shared drinks at midday. Afrikaners also had the option of drinking their local rooibos (“red bush”) tea, a wonderful brew in its own right, which has only in the last ten years gotten the attention of the rest of the tea drinking world! Today, South Africa has grown into a modern nation, and tea drinkers are now free to mix and meld their blends and brews. Here is an exotic result of this sudden cultural crosscurrent: a robust and earthy Earl Grey Rooibos! You’ll be delighted with the mingling of citrus and herbal sweetness in this blend. Rooibos is noted for its lack of astringency, and the bergamot oranges used in Earl Grey tea are perfectly suited to this herb. Earl Grey Rooibos is a great new tea for a new century!
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Steeping instructions:
Amount of water: 6 oz
Amount of Tea: 1 Flat teaspoon
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 5 - 7 minutes.
South African Rooibos, bergamot flavor.
Some two (or so) years ago, I was at a tea shop with my mother. While I was eying some shards of '07 sheng puer lovingly, she opined about it being too late to have caffeine. We looked at the menu to find something herbal to sate her. She usually didn't go for tisanes unless they knocked her out at night, such as chamomile. A few options down, we saw a "Rooibos Earl Grey" available. Since she was already a staunch Earl Grey sipper, that seemed the best faux-tea alternative.
Red Leaf Tea finally popped up in Teaviews circulation again. I happen to be rather fond of this company for two reasons; the first black tea I not only liked but loved was produced by them, and they had wine-scented teas. Props are due for a company that produces wine-scented teas. One of their offerings available to me was their Rooibos Earl Grey. Being my mother's son - an Earl Grey convert - I had to try it once. Bergamot knows no bounds.
Brewing instructions called for 1 flat teaspoon of loose herb per 6oz cup of boiled water, steeped for five-to-six minutes. It being rooibos, I went the full six minutes, but used a tablespoon in 8oz of water. One can push the envelope with the South African herb.
The liquor was the usual color one expects of strongly-steeped rooibos - dark red. Close to the color of a Bloody Mary. The aroma was an unusual mix, the nut-sweet aspect of the roobios was there but also in tandem with something citrusy. It's hard to call the scent pure, sour bergamot, though. It seemed very close to - and I know this is an odd comparison - a rose wine. Or an alcohol-laden chocolate like tiramisu, that unusual. The taste settled on something a bit more familiar. Bergamot was definitely present in its citrus-sour rind regality, but allowed the lovely rooibos to impart its wares to the water. It is what you expect.
Does it beat a regular Earl Grey? Or is it just "near-tea"? The answer to both is "no". It is its own beast. Giving it an Earl Grey title puts a lot of pressure on a legume, but it wears the badge well in parts.
Geoff - Teaviews.com - Reviewer
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