Another in an assortment of Rituals teas I got from a couple of motels this spring, their chamomile offering made a very nice impression too. With only a very few exceptions, most chamomile teas in my experience differ very little, and when they do, tend to drop off markedly because of lack of freshness. Food-service teas sometimes can sit around for months or years before use, so sometimes that origin lends a musty or diminished flavor. Not here!

Either the plants that US Foods uses take aging well, they pack them very freshly into those foil-lined single-use wrappers, or both. While not as richly savory and buttery as the best chamomile I've had (McCormick's), Rituals occupies that next tier of goodness just below, right alongside name brands like Tadin and Numi. The dry-bag and in-cup aromas both jumped right out to notify the drinker that this wasn't going to be a stale, old or diluted drink. It wasn't. The liquid brewed up a crystal-clear, slightly green-tinted, richly amber color, as one may expect from a quality chamomile.

Flavor-wise, there wasn't anything unusual or additive here, just a pleasant, sweet, reasonably strong chamomile that went down smoothly. It reminded me of the veteran, respected baseball player who doesn't win a home-run or batting title nor appear in the All-Star Game, but who consistently has been highly dependable in fielding, hitting for average and RBIs, never makes errors or noise, does all the basics of the game just right, works hard at his craft, and sets a good example for the young 'uns. Coaches love players like that, and keep them around as long as they're still good. That's this chamomile tea, and I'm happy to recommend it to anyone who finds it at hotels, conferences, restaurants, and such.

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