My stash of caffeine-free beverages seems to be running low these days - the onset of colder weather has me craving hot drinks late into the night! So I was happy to come across this sample. I can't seem to find much information about this straightforward blend on Culinary Teas' usually informative website. The only two ingredients I can spot are chunks of dried raspberries and red rooibos needles. These have a slight sheen to them, which I associate with rooibos of a higher grade.

There were also no brewing instructions provided, so I resorted to my usual methods for rooibos. I infused a generous teaspoon of leaves in 8 ounces of water that had just come to a boil and steeped for 6 minutes. The resulting cup bears a rooibos's typical rich, coppery red colour. The raspberry aroma is prominent and more on the tart side, paired with the rooibos' slightly metallic scent. The two combine into nothing short of heavenly to the taste. The raspberry flavour is smooth, sweet and very natural-seeming. The rooibos provides a delicious nutty and creamy background. The finish has just the right amount of sweet and sour goodness to be thirst quenching and keep you coming back for more. Rather than the “raspberry jam finish” mentioned on the website I was initially sceptical about, the lingering aftertaste seems like pure, lightly tart raspberries. As it is all ready sweet and creamy on it's own, it needs no addition of any kind to be fruity and flavourful.

I decided to infuse the blend a second time for 8 minutes. Although the decadent creaminess of the cup has faded a bit, the berries are still tart and sweet and the rooibos still adds it's pleasant honey-nut notes. It's pleasant enough that I wouldn't have been disappointed if this had been the blend's first steep.

This would be a great tisane to serve to kids or along with a creamy desert. Sometimes simplicity is best: this blend works fabulously well.

— To purchase Culinary Teas Raspberry Rooibos, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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