Yum! Rooibos....

Fall is a great time of year - the crisp yet cool days offset by warm sweaters, the colors and trends that change to reflect a cozy comfort of life. Reds, oranges, browns... And so it is with teas too. I like to explore different tastes throughout the year. And now it is time that I switch my lighter greens and fruity herbals for richer blacks and my new favorite: Rooibos

(ok, so Rooibos falls more appropriately under Herbal, as it is not from the Camellia Sinensis plant)

I love the reddish-amber color of the te - reminiscent of autumn leaves. I crave the sweet and slightly nutty flavor and the crisp, brisk taste on the tongue, like a walk through the park on a cool September afternoon....everything about it screams AUTUMN!

In the last tea swap I received a number of different rooibos blends, and it's only been this last week or so that I started tasting and comparing them. I am finding that additives like mango makes it too sweet in my opinion. And it doesn't go well with peppermint (though again, every man for himself when it comes to taste preferences). I have liked the Caramel Creme and the Spicy Nuts from Essencha. They seem to understand the underlying warm and toasty notes of this tea.

I bought 4oz of organic Rooibos from my supplier and will be playing with some equally warm and toasty blends....to me Rooibos calls for blends that are creamy, spicy, warm, roasted, nutty, rich.... Just thinking about it makes me want to cuddle up with a good book and flannel blanket and a pot of Autumn's Tea.