Mar 26
Review: Baxter Tea Company Blueberry Rooibos
Baxter Tea Company, Berry Tea, Blueberry Tea, Rooibos Tea Add commentsJamie’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "Every now and then you encounter a tea that is just outrageously good...the taste of this tea is as delicious as the scent."
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9.5/10
Every now and then you encounter a tea that is just outrageously good. The scent is amazing, the appearance pleases the eye both in the dry leaf form and in the beauty of the coloring of the steeped tea, and the taste caps off the whole experience by being exactly as delicious as the scent.Baxter Tea Company has blended a perfect ten in my opinion. In fact, the only reason I'm giving them a 9.5 at all is that I can't find an actual specifically stated ingredient list for the tea. The website merely states "rooibos tea with natural blueberry pieces", but at the very least there are also blue mallow flowers included, and tiny bits of chaff colored material that I can't identify along with a wonderful, saturating, vanilla-riferous, creamy aroma that must be related to something besides blueberry pieces. The website also doesn't give brewing instructions, which isn't much of an issue, given that it's a basic rooibos blend, but something a little more substantial would be nice. I didn't even make the connection when I heard the name of the company to Baxter State Park, but this is a Maine company and a portion of their sales goes toward protecting the natural beauty of the state of Maine. While not a Maine native, I'm still a temporary resident here, and knowing this about the tea company's local roots really brings a smile to my face!
I used two level tablespoons of this blend to 24 ounces of boiled water allowed to have the bubbling subside. I steeped five minutes and was rewarded with two large mugs of blueberry creamsicle heaven and my husband and my dessert cravings well and truly vanquished. Oh my goodness! The smell is so delicous steeping that it's hard to let the minutes tick by. It's deeply creamy, the steaming scent, with a rich but mellow blueberry odor. Instead of the high nasal zing you get from a strictly fruity brew, this one is tinged with vanilla and half and half...perfectly creamy and berry too. This tea is dessert like in an exponential way, with a beautiful deep reddish coloration, and a vanilla berry like flavor so rich it tastes like it should be an ice cream! I highly recommend this tea. I'm so impressed with it I'm just repeating myself at this point so will stop typing and merely recommend very earnestly that you try some at your earliest convenience! It's delicious, completely!
My next brewing I'm going to try over ice with half and half, as the smell of this tea makes me think of an Italian Soda crossed with blueberry gelato.
My only caveat would be for someone craving a clear, completely fruit oriented blend or someone who doesn't care for creamy tastes obscuring the fruit in their teas. The creaminess of this tea is one of its strongest attributes and makes for a delicious taste sensation, but for someone expecting and/or searching out a strictly berry tea, with a crisp, clear strictly berry flavor, I don't know that this one would suit. The vanilla like creaminess is far too strong a component. Then again, you might be won over!
— To purchase Baxter Tea Company 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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Jamie Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Jamie's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Jamie. |
March 26th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Hi Jamie,
From your description, I’m wondering how this tea would be combined with some simple syrup and made into a sorbet? Or added to an ice cream base and churned into Blueberry Rooibos ice cream?
With summer fast approaching (at least it is here), just a thought.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Blueberry Rooiobos Ice Cream? I wasn’t hungry until I read that! MMMMM!! And the sorbet sounds intriguing…that I could try. Now, Summer is NOT fast aproaching here in Maine where I’m still looking at a foot of the white stuff in the side yard…BUT how would THAT look with blueberry Rooibos all over it? Things are looking up!
March 26th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Wow, this blend seems to be a huge hit – it’s now #3 on the top-rated teas list! I’ve not had a chance to sample it myself yet but will definitely be doing so soon. Thanks for the review Jamie!