Tangy, sour-sweet Hibiscus flower with brisk Ceylon tea. The fruity-spicy aroma and rich flavor are refreshing hot or iced!
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Hibiscus, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
Showing reviews 101-150 of 963.
CommuniTEA 5/23/22: while this is a tea with hibiscus in it, the black tea greatly overpowers it (if you are like me and live on hibiscus herbal blends). However, this tea is great iced! The bright Ceylon works better with the hibiscus tang in iced form. I recommend with lemon for extra zing or without for more subtle aroma.
200°F 3 minutes
I'm not too big on hibiscus, nor on ceylon. Normally I'd mute out the ceylon flavour with milk, but I have bad experiences with milk shifting in hibiscus-heavy teas, so I didn't have that option here. It's sadly just a poor combination of flavours for me.
Could not taste the hibiscus but what came out more was the black tea flavor maybe next time l'll try it iced.
I like this tea-- fruity and a little tart. It doesn't rock my world, but it is good. I did, can, and would drink it plain occasionally. However, there's a whole world of tea to drink. Chances are this one will still get neglected by me most of the time.
A tasty black tea. The hibiscus adds the right amount of tartness.
After reading other reviews commenting on bitterness, I steeped this tea for 3 minutes at 190°, instead of the recommended 212°. I also added a generous amount of sweetener to cut the tartness. This worked well for me, as I found the tea quite pleasant with no hints of bitterness. There was a strong floral aroma when I opened the packet, but I had only mild hints of floral flavor in the tea itself. Very nice blend overall.
2022-05-23 Update:
A nice floral hibiscus aroma was imparted from today's tea packet. An abbreviated 3min steep allowed this tea to not become too bitter, as I had success with before.
The hibiscus was tame and mild, yet still provided nice floral hibsicus flavor notes. A good complement to the brisk black Ceylon tea. Hibiscus isn't my favorite, but this tea still managed to win me over a bit.
2021-08-15 CommuniTEA Review:
A slightly floral aroma was released when opening today's packet. A quick 3 minute steep at 212°F produced a medium brown tea.
The floral hibiscus aromas continued to rise up from the cup as it cooled. The first sip was full of brisk and bold Ceylon black tea flavor base, with a nice hint of floral hibiscus hiding underneath. I was fully expecting the hibiscus to make this brew overly tart and bitter, however it was surprisingly tame and mild in this blend. It turns out that this is a well balanced hibiscus blend that gives just enough hibiscus to accent the black tea's dark cocoa notes without becoming sour and overly acidic. Usually hibiscus is not my 'cup of tea' so to speak, but this one is actually tolerable and nice. It's not bad, yet still it wouldn't be my first choice. If you like hibiscus and floral black teas, you'll probably like this one.
I was worried about how “tart” this claimed to be, but was surprised to discover that the taste reminds me a lot of blueberries. Slightly tart and crisp, but also sweet and velvety. It’s very nice paired with the Ceylon, which I steeped at a slightly lower temperature to avoid bitterness.
I later re-steeped the leaves for a second cup and that one surprised me by tasting very peppery! Delicious either way.
I usually enjoy hibiscus in other herbal blends, but it just didn’t mesh well with the Ceylon for me. Adding a little sweetener helped.
This tea was a very pleasant surprise! I was careful not to over steep it. I also added a little sugar and Almond vanilla creamer, and it was wonderful!
Exactly what you want from a hibiscus tea - tart and yummy! It does benefit from some sweetener, in my opinion.
I didn't have the foresight to cold brew today's tea and didn't want to have a high caffeine tea later this evening, so I enjoyed it hot. The hibiscus flavor is well balanced with the Ceylon and adding a small amount of monk fruit tamed some of the tartness and astringency, but I think that I would have enjoyed this infinitely more if cold brewed. I can see why this is such a popular base for fruity blends.
Updated 5/23/22 I should have read my previous review to try it iced. I drank it hot brewed at 195. It was flavorful and not bitter or tart at all. I enjoyed this very much in a black tea.
I was different to taste hibiscus in a black tea. The tartness of hibiscus was very mild and was a nice addition to a solid black tea. I brewed this at 200 for 3 mins and drank it hot. I am sure this would be great iced as well.
CommuniTEA sample, well knock me over with a feather, I didn't hate this tea. I really cant stand hibiscus usually it's way too tart and way too pungent for me. However this tea was actually tolerable. I didn't love it but I drank most of it too.
As someone who loves the addition of hibiscus to all my favorite herbal teas I was fully expecting to love this tea as well. The aroma was fruity and pleast but the flavor was just a little to tart and bitter for my personal taist, even after adding sweetener. I don't think its bad but it's not something I'm going to reach for often.
4 stars for this tea- it's not bad but I don't love it. I expected this to have a little more flavor, and that hibiscus tartness often found in other teas that feature hibiscus, but I found this blend a little bland overall. This tea has a floral aftertaste that I do like, and some sugar helps, but. I wouldn't come back to this tea again. 3 mins @ 200°F
Does taste like a hibiscus flower however it is too tart and astringent for my preference. Followed the brewing suggestion on the CT packet. Generally speaking I do enjoy Hibiscus in blends with other ingredients but here where it is the only addition to the blend it is just too much for me. Added sweetener, sipping slowly, I will wait for it to cool to see if I like it better. So far, when it’s hot I do not care for it.
I’m not a huge fan of Adagio flavored blacks. They really have to WOW me with lots of flavor (I’m looking at you Kentucky Bourbon!) This one is a bit too shy for me. You get a light hibiscus scent on the nose and a light tang in the cup. There is a hint of floral throughout the sip. I added some sweetener which helped pull the flavor out more. If you are a huge hibiscus fan maybe you’ll fall in love with this one but I’m going to have to keep our relationship platonic. Happy Sipping!
I usually do not drink hibiscus as I find it way too overpowering for me. But based on other reviews, I decided to give it a go. I was really happy I did, nit tart at all, juts a tangy sweet and the black tea was thr main note. I really enjoyed this!
I didn't think I would like a 'flowery' tea. This one changed my mind. After reading other reviews and lowering the temp to 190 F to steep (avoiding the bitterness of black tea) I really enjoyed the scent first and the tea second. I don't sweeten my tea, but I suppose you could do that instead.
UPDATED from 4/15/21: There is a floral aroma as the CommuniTEA packet opens. It steeps at a lower temp and it tastes good - with no bitterness. This has a beautiful dark red/ amber color. Surprisingly it has no tartness either. It has a nutty/ floral flavor. Adding 1/4 teaspoon of sweetener and some heavy whipping cream makes it taste even better! It is high in caffeine, so not for me. (3 mins @ 200F).
This is actually quite nice! Sort of a fruity-floral black tea, hibiscus is a great addition to Ceylon. A tropical holiday in a cup!
I love hibiscus in herbal blends. I am not a fan of it in black tea. I bought some plain hibiscus so I will give it a try in some green, oolong, and white tea and see if I prefer a different tea type with this flower.
CommuniTEA portion:. I am not a hibiscus fan so I went the cold brew route to try to combat the tart and floral notes. Apparently it worked! Not my favorite but an enjoyable subtle black iced tea.
May 2022- Decided to cold brew the tea. What a big difference it made in the flavor for me. I added a little extra water as well. It was light and refreshing with no bitterness. Enjoyed this cup. I think it would be even better iced.
last time:This tea had a bitterness that spoiled the hibiscus flavor. Maybe I should have brewed it for even less time to avoid it. Probably my mistake.
I'm not a fan of sour hibiscus herbal tea, so I was pleasantly surprised with this rich fruity floral cup. To me, the flavor comes in similar to Ripe for Romance's chocolate raspberry when hot, but was a bit more like at Conga's fruity flavor profile when warm or cold. It's not a complex or overwhelming flavor, and in my mind inferior to those other teas, but it is a pleasant tasting experience and not at all bitter or sour like hibiscus herbal tea.
Freshly brewed this proved to be a puckering cup. As it cooled it became sweeter and the floral notes pushed through. Should I encounter this one again, I think I will cold brew it.
I am not usually a fan of hibiscus (too tart) but with this tea, there is a sweetness of hibiscus trying to shine through the bitterness of Ceylon. It doesn't quite get it past the first sip though...bitterness wins. (196F for 3min)
I was quite nervous
Totally apprehensive...
I thought, 'hibiscus?'
It is wonderful!
Layered, smooth, luscious and rich
Like dark chocolate
(haiku review)
The hibiscus is lovely--tart and bold. The black tea made itself more and more known as it cooled, so I didn't let it get too cool before finishing my cupful.
I was so surprised I liked this tea as much as I did. Chatter about the tart taste of hibiscus in blends made me apprehensive about trying it as a stand alone tea. With thoughtful brewing, the black tea base complemented the deep raisin, almost plum like flavor. I’m a fan of currant tea. And brewed side by side these two teas could be cousins. The currant had a brighter raisin berry flavor while the hibiscus had a deep rich earthy one that was delicious with sweetening.
My CT packet had lots of dark tea leaves and some maroon hibiscus petals 3 g / 2 ¼ tsp. The dry tea had a sweet raisin berry scent and it brewed into a dark garnet liquor. The initial sip was tart but sweetening helped and allowed the berry-like flavor to blossom. At room temp., the flavor seemed more plum like. Sweetened and chilled along with a comparable amount of currant tea, the flavor of the two teas were hard to tell apart and were both delicious iced. First steep 200*F for 3 min. 13 oz. 2 ¼ tsp. and resteep 6 oz., 3 min. I love how this floral tea tasted more berry-like than floral and any initial tartness melted away with sweetening to reveal a deep rich berry/sweet plum flavor.
Black tea astringency and hibiscus combine beautifully in this blend - rather than tart, hibiscus flavor is sweet and floral throughout. These flavors paired surprisingly well!
I enjoyed the flavor of the tea but I thought it was a bitter.
Absolutely yummy. I love the floral smell and feel.
I unfortunately couldn't taste much of the hibiscus, mostly just the black tea it was blended with. I'll try brewing at a higher temp before cooling it off but I think it could do with more of the flower and less of the tea.
I brewed it hot this first time, but I think this would be very refreshing iced. I like the slight tang to it. I've never tried a tea with sour notes before. It's a nice change!
Hibiscus tea is always a pleasure to have hot or cold!
Much more black tea than hibiscus. Pretty strong flavor. Not sure if will order next time, but still a good morning option.
I do not taste the hibiscus and it is mainly a black tea which I had to enhance with honey and cream.
I LOVE the Hibiscus flavored black tea! I even added some extra hibiscus and some garden herbal honey. I love adding hibiscus to my other teas, but had never had it by itself. It truly is very good. I highly recommend this tea!
The scent of the dry leaves in the package was a bit more perfume-y than I prefer so I was pleasantly surprised to find a sweet (but not too sweet), tasty brew that smells divine in the cup. Exactly what I was looking for in a spring tea. Will be enjoying this through the transition to summer, I am sure.
I was surprised by how citrusy this is. When lightly brewed, it's a wonderfully tropic taste with lots of citrus and notes of floral. But a heavier brew, it tastes a lot like orange rinds which isn't pleasant at all.
Great with peppermint tea. Light and airy. Great cold
Fruity and floral, this tea packs a flavorful punch. A refreshing herbal pick me up that works well hot or cold.
I prefer this one as iced tea with a fair amount of sugar...will be great in summer!
Excellent! A really solid black tea with a hint of floral. One of my absolute favorites. It doesn't need any sugar, honey or milk and is perfect as is.
In general I like hibiscus because it's tangy, and this tea is anything but. It's not terrible, but not for me.
The loose tea smells mostly of black tea with hint of floral. I steeped it too long so it tastes mostly of black tea with a hint of pomegranate.
This tea is really fun and flavorful on it's own but it also adds really nice flavor twist when you pair it with other teas...like blood orange, peach...and more.
It a great black tea but not enough Hibiscus. It needs more Hibiscus.