ARIEL Honeybush

Honeybush is South Africa's other red bush, and this is the pure, single-ingredient version. Like its cousin rooibos, it's caffeine-free and naturally sweet – it even takes its name from the honeyed aroma the leaves give off as they dry and brew. The cup is a warm amber-red, smooth and gently sweet.

Tasting Notes

The cup pours a rich reddish-amber and smells softly of honey. Honeybush is naturally sweet and mellow, a little fuller and rounder than rooibos, with notes of honey, dried fruit and a faint woody warmth. There's no bitterness and no astringency however long it steeps, so it's smooth on its own and takes milk or honey happily. A gentle, caffeine-free cup for any time of day.

Origin

Honeybush grows only in the Western Cape of South Africa, in the same rugged fynbos country as rooibos. It belongs to the Cyclopia genus, a close relative of the rooibos bush, and takes its name from the sweet, honey-like scent of its flowers. Traditionally it's been enjoyed as a caffeine-free everyday brew, and the dried leaves carry that signature sweetness into the cup.

Brewing

Bring fresh water to 95 °C and steep 2.5 g (about one teaspoon) for 5 to 7 minutes. Honeybush is forgiving – it won't turn bitter, so give it the full time or longer for the deepest colour and sweetness; the same leaves give a second cup.

Additional Information

• Ingredients: Honeybush leaves
• Formats: 100 loose leaf, 1 kg loose leaf
• Caffeine: Caffeine-free
• Certifications: Kosher
• Foundation: Humaniterra Foundation