Jul 12
Dan’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "This is an exotic tea with a lot of character -- once you overcome the overpowering rose petal flavor and aroma. The second cup is really where it shines."
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Here's a real interesting blend. Red Leaf Tea's Red Sunset has an intense rose petal flavor. I may be wrong, but I'm guessing that not many folks have sipped on a rose petal tea before, myself included. A semi-exotic delight for me is Hibiscus tea, which I love sipping on iced whenever I can come across it. It's the only kind of tea I've had which is in the same family or ballpark as this tea, but it's not even close. This is rather intense, but quite nice on the same token.The dried mix is nice in appearance - quality mid-sized black tea leaves rolled and balled tightly. Peppered in the mix are a sprinkling of some distinct safflower petals. Then there are chunks of tan/peach colored leaves - somewhat the appearance of pencil shavings or very thinly sliced dried apple. These are the rose petals, and once you open 'er up for a whiff, that's the first thing to grab hold of your sniffer. Once the brew gets going, the rose petals unfurl and monopolize the blend in appearance - and aroma/flavor as well.
My first cup was brewed up at about 200 degrees for 3 minutes. The resultant cup had a burgundy tinge to it, and that aroma... oh my... if you are offended by the scent of roses, this tea is not for you, my friend. Roses are somewhat of a strange anomaly for me -- I think they are pretty enough, and they have a nice scent, but I can't help but think of a funeral parlor whenever I see or smell them, particular in a big quantity of a bouquet -- or odor. While I try to put that out of my head, my next image conjured up as sipping this tea is that of some period piece, with English royalty sipping on this beverage amidst scrolly furniture, and served in the finest, fanciest, most-decadent (i.e. gaudy) tea ware imaginable. This taste, scent, and very essence is just so damn... *girly*. But here I am, enjoying it. Go figure...
A second cupping of the same leaves is really, really nice - the overpowering aroma and flavor of the rose petals calms down a lot. I brewed for close to 4 minutes at full boil, and this worked out to a very enjoyable cup. The black tea is more enjoyable, and the rose petals are a delicate and beautiful touch that enhances the taste rather than overpowering it.
The rose petals in this blend may be too overpowering for some (hell, maybe everybody), but once you get over that sensation, there is a delightful, rich black tea taste hidden beneath their wrath. Red Leaf Tea states that there is also "natural fruit flavor" - although i am unsure which fruit they speak of. Again, the overpowering rose petal taste virtually obliterates any palette sensitivity on picking up some mystery fruit tones, but I do get the feeling it's in there -- mixing with the rose petals, rather than being overcome by them. As an added bonus, rose petals apparently produce a fair amount of vitamin C, so this should be extra nice for boosting that immune system, getting over a cold, or supplementing your daily OJ intake without all the sugars associated with the latter.
Overall, this is an exotic tea with a lot of character -- the second cup is really where it shines.
— To purchase Red Leaf Tea Red Sunset, 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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