I discovered this herbal tea while browsing the herbal selection on the Adagio Teas website. I get my caffeine in the morning when I drink cup after cup of Gunpowder green tea but after a long day of school/work I try to avoid caffeine. Rooibos comes in handy here however I wanted to try something different.
I decided to give Osmanthus a shot. I had never heard of it before. Nothing from Adagio’s herbal selections really stood out to me besides Osmanthus. I purchased a ten cup sampler of loose tea.
I’ve brewed roughly four cups of Osmanthus. I must say that it is difficult to figure out a steep time for this tisane. Adagio recommends steeping Osmanthus anywhere in the ballpark of five to ten minutes. I tried a five minute steep time with my first cup and thought the flavor was a little too weak. I’ve been increasing the amount of time I steep Osmanthus for with each cup.
As for the taste, the longer you steep Osmanthus the stronger the taste. Initially I thought the taste was not strong enough so as I stated before I have been increasing the steep time. I like steeping Osmanthus for 5+ minutes. Anything at 5 minutes or less the herbal tea tastes too watered down. Even at 6 min 30 sec I still feel like the Osmanthus I brewed tastes a little too watered down. I know other people will enjoy the non-overbearing taste of Osmanthus but I seek a bigger punch in my cup if you will.
Overall, I am not disappointed with this selection in the long run. I am more upset that I cannot seem to figure out how to correctly brew a cup of Osmanthus for my tastes. The taste has a sort of syrupy tone to it. It’s not overbearing but it exists. I love to see the deep golden/honey color liquid in my glass mug. I would recommend Osmanthus to anyone who is seeking an herbal selection. It’s worth trying out.
I have not finished my sampler but I feel that once it is gone I will most likely purchase more Osmanthus.
Thanks for reading.
