Upon opening the foil pouch, this smells strongly and plainly of rooibos. Adding the water brings a surprisingly strong aroma of orange oil.

The flavors play well together. The orange lends sweetness to the tart hibiscus and rose hips. The nuttiness of the rooibos adds a nice, nutty complexity that isn't often found in fruity herbal teas. There's a hint of something like cinnamon, but I can't tell if it's real (and therefore one of the "other natural flavors") or one of the other flavors fooling me. Each sip starts out tasting like one of the many hibiscus and rose hip blends that I enjoy, but as the initial fruitiness fades, the rooibos moves forward for a deeper, more savory roundness.

This is a nice blend. I haven't tasted anything quite like it from any other brands.

Steep is slightly more expensive than the regular Bigelow teas, but with a corresponding hike in quality. The bigger problem is that stores that carry Steep teas don't seem to carry the full line and it's hit-or-miss which ones they have.

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