What does rooibos tea taste like?

Here at Tick Tock we love a tasty cuppa, and with our delicious selection of Tick Tock rooibos teas we are truly spoilt for choice! If you're new to naturally caffeine free rooibos (or redbush), here is a little guide to prepare you for how rooibos tea tastes and some popular brewing tricks to make this special ‘red’ tea taste even better.

HOW DOES ROOIBOS TEA TASTE?

Rooibos tea is incredibly smooth and gentle with a natural sweetness and slightly nutty taste. When brewed for longer, this red tea is full-bodied and rich, and you can smell the warm woody notes rising from your cup or teapot.

Because rooibos comes from a different plant to traditional green and black teas, it has lower levels of tannins. It is these tannins which can give 'normal' tea a bitter taste, particularly if you brew a black tea or green tea for too long. By contrast, rooibos (meaning ‘red bush’) tea will never go bitter. Even if you were to leave your teabag in the cup it will remain sweetly smooth.

Some people ask us this: does rooibos tea taste like tobacco? Redbush has deep, rich flavours and sometimes people describe it as being a little smoky. However, rooibos doesn’t really taste like tobacco – rather it is earthy and woody with a malted sweetness, and can be very refreshing,

DOES ROOIBOS TEA TASTE LIKE BLACK TEA?

Rooibos has a full and rich flavour similar to the depth and strength of a typical breakfast tea. In fact, the longer you leave your teabag to steep the more intense its malted nutty flavours, and the darker the colour. Plus, unlike other naturally caffeine free teas, you can drink it with milk. The big difference to black tea is that redbush is low in tannins and therefore is sweeter and won’t go bitter no matter how long you leave the teabag. It’s the tannins in black tea that give that bitterness and astringency, and it’s the tannins that stain your mug (and your teeth!).

SHOULD YOU DRINK ROOIBOS TEA WITH MILK?

Everybody has their own way of drinking rooibos, whether weak or strong, with milk or without. Many rooibos lovers enjoy theirs on its own, whilst others swear by a strong brew and a splash of milk, giving a great caffeine free alternative to a traditional everyday black tea.

At Tick Tock we don't advocate adding sugar (our teas are delicious enough without!), but rooibos is often enjoyed with a drop of honey or a slice of lemon.

Your Original Rooibos tea is so soothing and natural I could not picture my life without it!

Clare, rooibos drinker

BREWING TIPS TO MAKE YOUR ROOIBOS TEA TASTE EVEN BETTER

Rooibos is pretty forgiving however here are some tips to get the most out of your cuppa.

ADJUST THE WATER YOU BREW WITH

Firstly, there’s the water you use. Usually tap water is fine, however if you live in an area with very hard water, you might find that filtered water makes the tea taste better. You can also make it with boiling hot water (unlike some green and herbal teas) and this will help the leaves to infuse faster.

LOOSE LEAF ROOIBOS OR TEABAGS

When it comes to leaf vs teabags, we leave that one up to you. The quality of rooibos we use is the same for both. The benefit of loose leaf is that you can adjust how strong you want your rooibos and of course you’ll have the enjoyment of a traditional teapot brewing, and maybe even a nice tea cosy! On the other hand, teabags have all the benefits of convenience and much less washing up. Always a bonus!

ADD YOUR OWN FLAVOURS

Lots of people enjoy their rooibos red tea with a drop of milk (either dairy or plant-based milks work very well), whilst some like it double strength. Other popular additions are a slice of lemon, a drop of honey and even a touch of cinnamon. It can also taste great in cocktails [add recipe link].

TRY IT COLD - ROOIBOS ICED TEA

Rooibos also makes an incredible iced tea, and thanks to the low levels of tannins, will not go bitter. Take a look at our classic rooibos iced tea recipe or our green rooibos watermelon cooler, the perfect way enjoy drinking rooibos tea, even in the summer!

Tick Tock iced tea rooibos

FLAVOURED ROOIBOS TEA BLENDS

To save you the trouble, in addition to traditional Rooibos, we offer a selection of all natural flavoured rooibos teas such as our velvety Vanilla Rooibos, tea the perfect after dinner treat with its delicate sweetness, or our Chai Relax, an aromatic delight at any time of the day. We also have Earl Grey Rooibos, a brilliant naturally caffeine free option for those who drink traditional Earl Grey black tea.

We also have a Green Rooibos tea which is incredibly light and refreshing. The rooibos leaves are simply dried once harvested to stop the oxidisation process and therefore the tea retains a light green colour and fresh taste. Green rooibos has no bitterness whatsoever and like traditional green tea, is best enjoyed on its own, without any milk.

As well as being delicious, rooibos tea has many reported benefits. Find out more about how Rooibos tea is good for you in our recent blog post.