Flavorless Honeybush?

[armormaniac]

I ordered Honeybush tea from Mountain Rose herbs and was really excited about how everyone says this tea is sweet. I got it today and brewed a few pots of it and I feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's for the most part flavorless the first time I brewed it.

I read that 10 minutes was a good idea for flavor and health benefits but when I did this the flavor was so subtle I could hardly notice it.


I use a glass teapot without a stainless steel strainer. I also use tap water but we have a machine that makes it soft water, and I pour boiling water right on top of the tea.
Is this bad tea or am I just not brewing properly? How do you guys brew it?

[vanderleaf]

I ordered Honeybush tea from Mountain Rose herbs and was really excited about how everyone says this tea is sweet. I got it today and brewed a few pots of it and I feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's for the most part flavorless the first time I brewed it.

I read that 10 minutes was a good idea for flavor and health benefits but when I did this the flavor was so subtle I could hardly notice it.


I use a glass teapot without a stainless steel strainer. I also use tap water but we have a machine that makes it soft water, and I pour boiling water right on top of the tea.
Is this bad tea or am I just not brewing properly? How do you guys brew it?

I drink a fair amount of plain honeybush, in large part because I can steep it FOREVER (read: forget about it) and it will be fine. I've let it steep for up to 20 minutes before--from what I understand, it's common practice in S. Africa (where it and rooibos grow natively) to keep a pot simmering on the stove all day, as it doesn't develop the bitterness of over-steeped Camellia sinensis.

While the flavor is fairly delicate, are you sure you're adding enough tea?