Dry, this tea has a light sugary smell with hints of floral elements. The label says oolong, but I’ll admit I had to look a bit to find the small strips of tea – the herbal and fruit elements definitely predominate visually.
After a relatively quick steep (a little over 3min) the tea developed a bold rose smell with some faint hints of an unidentifiable fruity backdrop. This tea is definitely sweet all on it’s own, but I think the flavour is much improved with a touch of honey and a little sugar.
Flavour-wise this definitely has rose front-and-center with a faintly sour note behind and a mellow fruity aftertaste. It doesn’t strike the palate with any particular boldness, but I find it to be energizing – it’s a great tea to have on hand while doing homework or answering emails.
I’ve blended this one with Youthberry and other fruity Teavana teas – it blends very well with white, green and herbal teas, but no so well with red and black. Not sure if I prefer it alone or mixed, though…but it’s definitely one I’ll be keeping in my cabinet.
