Rooibos Vanilla – Organic Rooibos with Bourbon Vanilla

Rooibos Vanilla by Kusmi Tea: South African Red Bush with Bourbon Vanilla

Rooibos Vanilla is a caffeine-free organic herbal infusion made from South African red bush, enhanced with natural Bourbon vanilla flavoring. Primarily rooibos, with Bourbon vanilla flavoring. Loose leaf in a 100g tin, organically grown. Mild, honey-sweet, vanilla-flavored – the classic caffeine-free evening infusion.

Rooibos Vanilla by Kusmi Tea is not a tea in the botanical sense, but rather a herbal infusion made from the South African red bush (Aspalathus linearis). After harvesting, the needle-like leaves are chopped, fermented, and dried in the South African sun – this gives them their typical reddish-brown color and mild, slightly honey-sweet taste. In this Kusmi version, organic rooibos is refined with natural Bourbon vanilla flavoring. Naturally caffeine-free, low in tannins, never bitter even with long brewing times.

Reddish-brown infusion, mild-sweet with a warm vanilla scent

As soon as you open the tin, a comforting aroma rises: the warm, slightly woody note of rooibos, enveloped in the round sweetness of Bourbon vanilla. The leaves are characteristically fine and needle-like, reddish-brown, almost cinnamon-colored – anyone who has seen rooibos before will recognize it immediately.

In the cup, Rooibos Vanilla presents itself in a radiant reddish-brown, reminiscent of amber or tea from a samovar. The first sip is mild and round, the familiar honey note of rooibos forms the foundation – good rooibos teas taste of honey, wood, spices, and caramel. Over this lies the vanilla: warm, creamy, with that velvety sweetness that distinguishes Bourbon vanilla from the rest. No bitterness, no tannins, no sharpness – just soft, mild warmth.

For evening reading or as a caffeine-free nightcap

Rooibos Vanilla is the ideal evening tea for anyone who wants to drink something warm late in the evening without jeopardizing their sleep. It pairs well with vanilla crescents and butter cookies during Advent, with a slice of apple pie with cream, with rice pudding and cinnamon, or with a quark dessert. It also cuts a fine figure at weekend brunch with panettone or pandoro, and in the colder months, it becomes a warming companion on Sunday afternoons.

Rooibos Vanilla tastes best on its own – the vanilla already brings sweet accents, so sugar is usually superfluous. A small splash of milk can transform the tea into a South African style, as it is often drunk in Cape Town.

You need about 2 tablespoons of rooibos per liter for a pot, steeped with 95°C hot water, for 5 to 6 minutes. One advantage over real tea: even if you steep the rooibos longer, it won't turn bitter – the plant contains no tannins that could over-extract.

Within the Kusmi rooibos family, Rooibos Vanilla is the sweetest variety – it gets nuttier with Rooibos Almond. Those looking for the vanilla note in caffeinated teas can find it in St. Petersburg black tea with caramel and vanilla or in Prince Wladimir with orange and vanilla.

Kusmi Tea and caffeine-free alternatives

Rooibos grows exclusively in the Cederberg Mountains in the South African Cape region – nowhere else in the world does it thrive. The indigenous Khoisan people were aware of the plant's healing powers long before it became internationally known.

It is harvested from January to March, in the South African high summer: the branches are hand-cut, finely chopped, fermented, and then sun-dried. This process transforms the green needle leaves into the characteristic reddish-brown infusion – warm, mild, pure.

The history of Kusmi Tea begins in 1867 in Saint Petersburg, where 21-year-old Pavel Mikhailovich Kousmichoff opened his own tea house. After the Russian Revolution, the family fled to Paris in 1917. In addition to classic black and green teas, the house now also offers a selection of caffeine-free alternatives such as rooibos and herbal infusions – for all those looking for caffeine-free enjoyment in the evening.

Since 2017, almost all products have been organically grown, bottled at the manufactory in Le Havre. In our Kusmi Tea collection, you can find an overview of all blends.