Cherry Bomb by Shui Tea

Type: Herbal Tisane, Rooibos

Form: Loose leaf

Podcast: Listen to my podcast interview with Jim Schreiber, founder of Shui Tea.

Review: Do you like chili peppers? If no, don’t drink this. If you do, read on.

Shui Tea is a relatively new Chicago-based tea company that offers uniquely flavored teas, along with an interesting selection of unflavored options. Cherry Bomb certainly falls into the first category: Rooibos blended with cherry flavoring, chili peppers, carrot, safflower,rose, and peony.

Wowsa.

A sniff of the dry leaf reveals mostly cherry and maybe a hint of chili. Once infused, however, it is the chili that dominates on the palate. This isn’t a blazing hot drink, but it definitely has a serious kick. If you like Mexican hot chocolate, this could be a nifty alternative for you. On the other hand, if you are sensitive to hot peppers, you may want to use some caution in trying this tisane.

I was suspicious of this tisane at first, as I am not terribly fond of cherry and was concerned that the drink might taste like cough syrup. Fortunately, it doesn’t, and I think the chili pepper has something to do with that. The cherry, chili, and sweet rooibos mesh really well together, making Cherry Bomb a delicious treat.

Incidentally, the other ingredients (flowers and carrots) don’t really make their mark in this blend. It may be that they simply form a very subtle backnote, but I honestly couldn’t taste them.

Sample Provided by Retailer?: Yes

Affiliate Links in this Post?: Yes

Chili Pepper on Foodista Chili Pepper