Mar 24
Review: Rishi Tea Blueberry Rooibos
Blueberry Tea, Fair Trade Tea, Hibiscus Tea, Rishi Tea, Rooibos Tea Add commentsDan’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "A blend of rooibos, hibiscus and three different berries, this tea elicits complexities not easily summed up in a mere few cuppings."
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Whether it makes a difference or not, I thought I would mention that this is the first tea I have reviewed for Teaviews.com. As with all Rishi teas, this tea is organic and Fair Trade certified. Naturally, it gets bonus points times two for this. The blend consists of rooibos and hibiscus, with the addition of organic blueberries and organic schizandra berries, and natural flavors of blueberry and strawberry. If (like me, up until 10 minutes ago) you are wondering just what in the world a schizandra berry is, is comes from eastern culture, and has a whole host of Chinese medicinal curative properties -- too many to list here! But it is worth a quick few minutes of research to simply satisfy your curiosity, or perhaps what ails you.The tea appears as most rooibos teas do - tiny wood-chip-like appearance with varying hues of red throughout. The berries comprise a generous portion of the mix, but could almost be missed upon first glance, as they blend in quite well, visually. The schisandra berries appear similar in size to the small dried blueberries, and I can see actual equal-sized bits of dried strawberries in there as well, contrary to what Rishi's written description implies.
Rishi recommends a 195-degree brew for 5-7 minutes. My first brew was around the 185-degree range, for approximately 6.5 minutes. The liquor got significantly darker past the 5 minute mark. The rooibos leaves eddy in gentle currents at the edge of the cup, while virtually floating on the surface throughout the brew. My second cup I brewed at the recommended 195-degree mark, and for 5 minutes.
The first half of the first cup, I drank straight. The flavors played nicely against one another -- the natural sweetness of the rooibos matched well with both the sweet and (perhaps more overt) bitterness of the berries. Most of the world drinks rooibos teas straight, as I understand it. However, in South Africa (where rooibos originates) it is more common to drink with milk and sugar. Therefore, the second half of my first cup included a quarter teaspoon of plain white sugar and a splash of milk. This brought out the flavor of the tea quite nicely, and somehow mnade the union of flavors more balanced and ultimately drinkable.
My second cup was preferable to the first. I believe both the higher brew temperature and the shorter steep time resulted in a more enjoyable sipping. Straight, it seemed less bitter (or perhaps sweeter) than the first brew. I almost wanted to savor the entire cup straight, but I gave in to consistency for review's sake and added equal amounts of sugar and milk as with the first cup. The result was almost overpoweringly sweet -- just the slightest addition of sugar really made that sweetness pop. The immediate aftertaste was like a wave of sweet lapping at the edges of my palette, which was subtly overtaken by a very minimal and gentle bitter/dry finish.
Overall, the complexities of this tea appear to be too broad to summarize in just these two cuppings. But I am definitely looking forward to revisiting this tea again on frequent occasions.
— To purchase Rishi Tea Blueberry Rooibos, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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