This mixture of organic green rooibos, orange peel, sunflower petals, and natural peach, strawberry and orange flavouring features refreshing summer fruit notes. This is just what the doctor ordered to beat the early winter blahs! A juicy peach scent greets me as I open the package. The pale green rooibos needles mingle attractively with the yellow of the sunflower petals. There are a few shreds of orange peel as well but they are few and far between.

I infused a heaping teaspoonful of leaves in 8 ounces of boiling water for 5 minutes. I found that this is a tisane that benefits from using a generous amount of leaves and a rather long infusion time. A mild, fruity perfume wafts from the gold-coloured brew. The top notes consist of a lightly acidic flavour, somewhat akin to lemongrass. A mild but lingering fruity sweetness follows. The green rooibos' honeyed tones works well as a complement to the fruit taste. The soft peach notes are slightly tart and fairly realistic. The strawberry and the orange flavouring are really there to enhance the impression of "peachiness" and don't really stand out in and of themselves. Adding a bit of sweetener does help the fruit flavour pop out a bit more, but not as much as you would expect. Having the blend iced seems to intensify the peach taste. This was my preferred way to sip this blend.

After a 7 minute steep a second infusion is definitely palatable. I was expecting the fruit flavours to have faded to nothing at this point, as they're not that strong to begin with. Surprisingly this second cup is not that different from the first.

I was initially a bit disappointed that this tisane didn't feature peaches in a more prominent way. However, after having had several cups, I've grown to appreciate its quiet fruit flavours. It does taste peachy but not in any overblown, artificial-tasting way. It's not fussy or complicated, just sweet and subtle. It's perfect for having iced on a lazy summer day, or for any time when you don't want too many curve balls thrown at you.

— To purchase The Persimmon Tree Peach Picnic, 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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