Simple Loose Leaf, Mint Chamomile Rooibus

Simple Loose Leaf Description:
Our Mint Chamomile tea will put a smile on your face regardless of the day you are having.  Brew a cup of this floral, sweet and soothing tea and enjoy a wonderfully fresh finish of this beautiful cup of tea.

Ingredients:
Chamomile Flowers, Roobius Tea, Peppermint Leaves, Natural Vanilla Flavor

Sample provided by Simple Loose Leaf

My Review:
Another from the monthly subscription box for review. This box contained 5 samples. The number varies from 4-6 depending on what is included in that month's box. Monthly plans range from $13 to $15 depending on how many months you purchase (1, 3, or 6 month plans).

Today's tea is actually a herbal. It comes, as you can see, in a simple resealable pouch. The label is decorative and lists ingredients, a description, brewing information, as well as contact info.

I do notice one minor issue. The company lists part of the name as Rooibus. The ingredient list spells it Roobius. While they can name this anything they like, to my knowledge the correct spelling is Rooibos. I understand typos. You will probably find plenty on each page of this blog. I do try to catch them. The ones that get away seem glaring once published.

Opening the sample, I smell mint. I love peppermint. Something in the rest of the ingredients, probably the vanilla, is making this smell much like a Peppermint Patty. It is not quite as distinctively chocolate, but it wasn't just me either, my wife sniffed the bag and said the same thing.

I filled my mesh basket with leaf and set it in the mug. Boiling water was used for a 5 minute steep.

The result is a dark honey caramel brew. It is mostly clear with very little sediment making its way into the mug.

Tasting is a little different from the initial scent. First comes the peppermint. Often peppermint can be a bit... overwhelming. Despite its strong aroma it plays nicely here. It quickly steps back and allows a creamy sensation to take over. I suspect this is the vanilla, although I can't say I actually taste it.

Next, I notice the apple like flavor of the chamomile. At a five minute steep it is a light taste. My wife doesn't care for long steeped chamomile because to her the apple is too much flavor. She normally only steeps it three minutes. I thought it perfect at 5 minutes.

The rooibos is faint. It appears briefly late in the sip adding a sweet fullness to the taste. I am not a big fan of straight rooibos. I find it harsh, medicinal, and scratchy, like drinking sawdust. When done well, as with this tea, it adds a nice enhancement without dominating.

The aftertaste sees the cooling peppermint step back into the lead.

I enjoyed this and would drink it again. In fact, I have plans to add some cacao nibs for a little touch of decadence to this otherwise tasty cup.

You can find Simple Loose Leaf Mint Chamomile Rooibus here.