Rooibos, Take Two

Last time we tried rooibos it was straight out of the tea tin. This time I gave it a good dose of both mortar and pestle to grind it up. Rooibos tea has some woody bits that didn't take well to pulverization, but for the most part it powdered well. A light coating on the bottom of the holder.

As expected, the flavour was more intense when using the powderized version. It still lent the espresso that smooth quality as it did before, not changing the taste of it but adding a few layers of complexity. The earthy taste built up, becoming quite strong in the bottom third of the shot, and lingering in the aftertaste. It hit me at the back of the throat, making my gullet tingle for a few moments. I love it when a drink toys with your senses like that!

The aftertaste kept moving around the palate, shimmering around my taste buds. Lisa, Brian's partner in crime, quite appropriately described the effect as dancing, and reported that it was particularly intense on the left side of her tongue. I didn't taste the vanilla much at all this time, but the complexity was still there so I didn't miss it much. This is a great shot of espresso! 

I still haven't found a place to try Red Espresso. Not even Rick knows where to find it in the city, and he knows everyone in Toronto's coffee world. The search continues.