Customer Reviews

Tazo African Red Bush Tea, 24 Tea Bags

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After growing up in Africa, one becomes rather fond of Rooibos tea and I never thought the day would arrive when I would recommend anything but a pure Rooibos tea. Tazo has taken Rooibos tea to a new level by blending African Rooibos (red bush) with hibiscus, lemon myrtle, lemon verbena, orange peel, rosemary, and lemon balm.

Rooibos has quite a distinctive fragrance that reminds me a bit of a fragrant flowers waving in a warm afternoon breeze after an African veld fire. I remember mixing in a tablespoon of condensed milk as a child. Now I mix in powdered milk and honey. Honey seems to bring out the rich flavors in this particular tea blend.

For some reason, this blend is rather delicious with a toasted and buttered cinnamon/raisin bagel.

I've recently rediscovered the health benefits of Rooibos although I can truly say I've been drinking this tea for most of my existence on this planet. Rooibos is naturally sweet, very aromatic and is high in magnesium, calcium, iron and copper. Mothers in Africa will often add an infusion of this tea to a bottle of milk for babies to cure colic.

An application of cold Rooibos tea can also aid in clearing the skin or is recommended for allergies, indigestion, insomnia and nervous tension. Just drinking the tea seems to improve your skin due to the high antioxidant levels, 50 times that of green tea!

This is one of the Tazo teas that should not be steeped for too long because of all the delicate flavors. If you enjoy this tea, you might also want to try Tazo Honeybush tea. I must say that the Tazo company really has my attention with their packaging, amusing tales of ancient Tazo wheels and they know how to blend tea to absolute perfection.

~The Rebecca Review

Personally, I didn't like Tazo's Red Bush Tea very much. I've had three different kinds of roiboos teas so far and this was my least favorite. It seems like the flavor of roiboos itself is pretty mild, and in the case of Tazo's tea, the flavors they add completely overwhelm it. I found that I had to remove the tea bag very quickly lest the cup become overwhelmingly lemony and acidic. Perhaps other pallettes will appreciate the strength of those flavors. Personally, I couldn't wait to finish off the box so that I could find a better flavor.

The other roiboos teas I have tried have had a milder mix of flavors, to a much better overall effect. My personal choice right now is Trader Joe's Orange Spice Roiboos, which apparently can be bought in some, but not all of their stores. The orange flavor is much less up front than the lemon & citrus flavors in the tazo tea, and the overall effect of the other spices is very nice. The tea smells a lot like other spiced foods (pumpkin pie comes to mind) and is very nice on a gloomy afternoon. Also unlike the Tazo version, the flavor of this tea gets nicer and richer the longer you let the tea bag steep, although even just pouring the water over the bag and leaving it for a few seconds is usually enough for a nice cup. Admittedly, there are a lot of other roiboos teas I have not tried, but this one has been a hit with me because of its good flavor and local availability.

Keep in mind this is not the opinion of a tea expert, and I have never had roiboos tea in Africa so I don't know what it is supposed to taste like in its authentic presentation. Just my personal taste.

I purchased this tea with scepticism because I am a big rooibus fan--I get organic rooibus tea loose and brew it strong with cream. In general I think rooibus is a good tea that stands on its own--does not need additions. However, in this case rooibus was used as a base for a nice clean herbal tea blend. The flavor of rooibus is just the base note. Congratulations to Tazo for their light touch with hibiscus--if this tea is brewed properly--4 minutes max--it is light and refreshing. The touch of rosemary really adds a nice freshness to the blend. If you brew it too long it does decline into a sourness that overshadows the subltety of the other flavors. I use this when I want a simple herbal tea with no milk.

A loving floral blend mellow and subtule in flavor. This tea is a real prize gem while I have never seen this tea at any starbucks it was avalible in gift pact and I was amazed. Buy this tea and drink it by the gallon.

This tea blend is very flavorful, but the hibiscus, lemon myrtle, rosemary, and other spices completely overpower the rooibos flavor. Some people will like the additions Tazo has added to this red bush blend, but you can not taste the real rooibos flavor. This blend does not mix well with cream or milk, but it goes well with sugar. I agree with others in that you should not steep for more than 5 minutes, as it becomes too strong.

If you want to try a true red bush tea, try Freshpak Rooibos Tea. It does not have the additional flavors that you see on store shelves. And it goes very well with some cream and sugar/honey.

2 stars for not delivering a true red bush tea, because the additions overpower the rooibos. It should have been titled, "Herbal Mix tea with a touch of red bush flavor."

Rooibos is Afrikaans for "red bush." Grown in South Africa's Cederburg Mountains and harvested during the summer, this tea acquires its unique red color as a result of fermentation (in mounds) and oxidization, when it is spread out to dry in the sunlight; naturally it is green.

Rooibos is known for its health benefits stemming from its rich content in vitamins, antioxidants, flavanoids and minerals (inter alia, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, potassium, fluoride, manganese and alpha-hydroxy) and has a long tradition of medicinal use among the local Native population; among other things, it is known to help cure asthma, hay fever and other allergies, acne, eczema, colics, indigestion, insomnia, and nervous tension. Containing very few tannins and no caffeine, rooibos has a distinctive aroma and amber color.

This tea blends well with various spices and condiments; my favorite mixture is a delicious loose leaf blend sold by my local tea store, which features orange peel, cinnamon, grated coconut, finely minced chili and red pepper. For a more commercial alternative, though, Tazo's Red Bush tea is a great choice as well: a rich, exquisite blend of rooibos, hibiscus, orange peel, rosemary, several lemon ingredients (lemon myrtle, verbena and balm), as well as a number of sweet spices. Enjoy!

Well, if your do this herbal infusion might be for you. I SWEAR it smells and tastes just like the smell of a Pier One store. It also smells very much like a hutch I bought there. I JUST smelled it and then took a sip of the tea... indistinguishable. Laugh all you want. Maybe it is a smell of the husks they use to weave baskets sold at Pier One... I am trying to place the smell. Anyway, I bought it as a treat for a little cleansing fast I am about to embark upon. I did a little trial run tonight and really... it is unusual and sort of fun. I only got on line to see what red bush was and if anyone else thought it reminded them of Pier One! I guess I am alone again! I think I will buy it again. It is odd, but not offputting, slightly citrusy and all together Pier One. Since it does not remind me of oatmeal cookies or something more delicious than tea, it is a winner. I might add ginger root. Not the best, but not the old humdrum. Try it! Don't be a big baby wuss! My husband sez it tastes like woody potpouri... six, one half dozen or the other.

After trying this tea in a sampler pack from Starbucks... I loved it!!! I couldnt believe the flavor. I went pack to purchase it separately and Starbucks said it was only available in sampler packs. So I am thrilled to see I can buy it here.

I ordered ten Tazo African Red Bush tea. Some came with expired sell dates, and the last two boxes were Green Tea.

Not the best order I've made with you.

Do you like secondary pulmonary hypertension followed by right heart failure (cor pulmonale)? Red bush tea causes this... go get some green tea instead.