Kalahari’s Highlands Honey Review

Type: Rooibos
Origin: South Africa
Price: Free Sample (regular price - $3.50 for 16 Pouches)
Vendor: Kalahari
Brewing Method: 1 teabag, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 180°F, steeped for 4 - 5 minutes
Overall Score: 4.8 out of 5

Highlands Honey is a rooibos base with natural honey vanilla flavor. I can smell and identify the honey and vanilla right away – more so the vanilla. The dry ingredients give off an overall sweet aroma. I cannot say much about the appearance of the blend because it is in an opaque paper filter bag, hence the lack of the dry leaf picture that I normally take.

The aroma of the brew is of sweet vanilla with the woody rooibos in the background. The liquor is an orangish copper color.



The taste is super sweet. I cannot taste any honey notes, but I can taste the vanilla up front, then the rooibos in the after taste. The tea has a cooling effect in my mouth – similar to mint. Because of that, I can see how this would be great iced.

There is absolutely no bitterness or astringency in this cup. I will have to call you crazy if you think this needs any type of sweetener added to it.

I will admit, “red tea” (even though it isn’t really tea) or rooibos is not my favorite cuppa, however, I cannot stop drinking this. I am not sure why. It could be because the normally strong woody flavor of the rooibos is not that strong with this blend. It is more about the vanilla flavor. Although, vanilla is definitely not one of my favorite flavors either. I am still baffled, but whatever it is, it won’t let me put my cup down.