Last week I got to try a new (to me) brand of rooibos tea–that is, Rooilife rooibos tea. The first thing that struck me was the packaging. Up until that point, I don’t think I’ve seen tea packaging I would consider truly appealing. This box of tea bags has a great design, and it made me want to tear open the box and make a cup of tea more than a box of tea bags really has the right to!
Normally I am not a fan of bagged tea unless efficiency is trumping quality that day, but I was willing to make an exception to this mainly because as a rooibos, leaf expansion is kind of a non-issue whether we’re talking about bagged tea or loose. And if it tastes good, who am I to judge, right?
I will admit I got a bit more skeptical after perusing the rest of the box and discovered the nutrition facts panel, which informed me that one teabag contains 140 calories and… 4 grams of protein? A quick email to the company later and I was informed that it was a production error. Whew!
Another curious thing I found was how the teabags are stored within the box:
I’m used to a number of things regarding tea: a standard Lipton-style teabag with a string, a circular disc that is about the size of the bottom of a standard cup, pyramid “sachets”, and loose tea. What I did not expect was four foil packages with twenty square bags attached to each other like a series of wet wipes. Again, it’s just not something I’m used to. But separating groups of teabags into larger, presumably airtight bags means it’s a great way to keep most of your tea as fresh as possible as you slowly make your way through the box.
And making my way through the box I am. After making my first cup, I am already well on my way to finding myself with an empty box. Rooilife tastes just as good as any loose rooibos I’ve ever had, and as a teabag, portability is great. The tea is smooth and earthy and is definitely something I would recommend for anyone who wants the same strength of flavor as a dark, black tea but who doesn’t want the caffeine or the bitterness. This is one I am keeping in my cabinet for quiet evenings. And because its an herbal I don’t have to worry about taking the bag out of my cup and finding a place to chuck it because of a fear of oversteeping.
I definitely recommend Rooilife. If you’re looking to try a rooibos tea, this is a great place to start. You can find it on Amazon.
I’ve never had Rooibos in a tea bag either but it certainly sounds like this is a good tea. Thanks for your thoughtful review.
That’s funny, I was about to email the company about the nutritional info on the box. 140 calories?? Thanks for clearing that up! And, yeah, it’s a really good rooibos.