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This is an interesting honeybush. It tastes like wood with a hint of hay. It’s a little different than what I’ve been getting from Adagio, and I’m trying to decide if I like it or not. I think it’ll take another cup to make up my mind. However, I didn’t taste the vanilla at all and it definitely loses points for that. If you’re marketing it as a flavored tea, I should be able to taste that flavor.

I just got sick (I really thought I was done with that part of pregnancy), and needed something to clear out the bad taste that wouldn’t upset my stomach. I had a bag of this on my tea wreath, so I decided to use it. I find Chamomile incredibly soothing, and I’m not too picky about it (although most of what I’ve had is bagged), so this was exactly what I was looking for. Mild, floral taste somewhat reminiscent of sweet apples.

By itself, this makes a caramel-honey tea that is quite sweet. I don’t like it alone, as it is a little too sweet for me, and has a slightly odd aftertaste, but it is good in quite a few blends.

I use this mostly for blending. It tastes like vanilla and earth. I was a bit disappointed with the earthiness at first, but I’m starting to like it in some blends now. I usually use about a teaspoon/cup.

This evening I made a blend for my husband. He asked for a Vanilla Hibiscus blend. I was a bit dubius, but used 1/4 tsp. Hibiscus, 1 tsp ground Rosehips, 1 tsp ground Vanilla Bean, and 1/4 tsp Xylitol. It was delicious! The tart, fruity taste of the hibiscus and rose hips were really nicely balanced by the earthy vanilla. My husband decided I had put in too much sweetener (he loves the super-sour taste of Hibiscus), so I ended up drinking most of it! I will likely make this again (though probably not till after November, as I get heartburn in the second and third trimester of pregnancy).

I made this again today with 1/2 tsp. chai spices, 1/2 tsp. Adagio Hazelnut Honeybush tea, and a pinch of Xylitol. I think the honeybush does add something, so I might include it when I make this in the future.

I decided to try this tea with milk, since several people seem to enjoy it that way. It was good, but I felt like I needed to use quite a lot of milk to balance the powerful cinnamon flavor. Once I found the right balance, I did enjoy it. I used 4 oz of water, and probably 5 or 6 ounces of milk.

I’ve had this tea before, and really disliked it. I felt like the apricot flavor was really artificial and clashed with the Honeybush. This time, I added some chai spices, and It was acceptable, but still not something I would buy again.

I tried plucking the petals out, and brewing them alone, and that definitely changed the flavor, but not how I would have expected. The grassy notes completely overwhelmed the pleasant floral taste from the other day, and the tea was extremely bitter. I’m assuming this is in fact because I plucked out the petals, and not because I brewed it a shorter length of time (the other day it ended up steeping for a couple of hours while I took a nap). I do not recommend separating the flowers when brewing this.

I was surprised by the pale orange color of this powder. It smelled herbaceous and fruity.
I brewed it for at least 10 minutes in 4 oz of boiling water, then added 4 oz of cold water (This is what I usually do in the summer). The liquid had a mild fruity scent with a hint of oatmeal, and was a pale golden color (I think, this mug is green). I really enjoy the flavor, which is citrusy and faintly herbaceous, with a touch of oatmeal. I can see why this fruit is used in so many herbal blends