Lapacho Orange/Vanilla

I don’t think I have ever tried a true Lapacho. I read that I am to infuse for up to 25 minutes! WOW!!!! Is that right? LOL

Anyhow…

Smells like orange prior to infusion. As it’s infusing you can smell the vanilla too. It also has a sweet wood smell – slight – sweet

As it continues to steep it smells more and more like a creamsicle.

I’m sampling a sip here and there as it continues to steep. So far I am at about 15 minutes…it does seem to get better and better tasting the more it continues to infuse but I am very impatient. LOL

Okay…at 20-ish minutes I couldn’t wait any longer! LOL

I did noticed it gets LESS bitter and smooths out the longer it sits. It’s quite smooth at 20-some minutes and juicy and thirst quenching. I’m getting more orange than vanilla…next to no vanilla but then again it probably pulls back the orange flavor a bit and makes it more smooth…so I guess it all works out.

I must say this is different from anything I have prepared but I really like it.

In the words of Sheryl Crow…
A CHANGE WILL DO YOU GOOD
:)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapacho

I used to drink this a lot until I gave it all away to a friend who had another friend who was ailing from something. She thought it might help her. I have no idea if it did or not.
I am one of those people who believe in tea’s medicinal qualities, as well as herbal healing etc however that is not my primary reason for enjoying and drinking tea.

Still I felt it fair to post the link above so those who are inclined can learn more about Lapacho.

This is a very nice tea – lapacho or otherwise it is very well blended with excellent flavorings! Just like a creamsicle with a light peppery bite.

This may appeal to Missy and Dylan or anyone who enjoys a chai. While it is not a chai and does not have most of the flavors IN a chai it is somewhat spicy although not overly so and has a great earthy base from the lapacho.

This reminds me of walking in the woods sucking on a fresh orange with that little added kick of vanilla which came through in both taste and mouthfeel.

I will enjoy this somewhat regularly – even more so in winter. Would be quite excellent iced as well.

Note steep time does not go high enough – you DO in fact steep this for 25 minutes then allow to sit just a little.

Thanks Azzrian for the generous sample. This is one I specifically asked for. Azz being Azz sent me a well-filled box of teas to go with this. She is one awesome person. :D

I’ve know about lapacho for a while now. I peruse wiki when I’m restless and find random things to learn. A very dangerous hobby, since it leads to many hours of research generally.

This is a strange duck, but I like it. Orange and vanilla are an excellent combination in my head and both are present here. The lapacho is earthy and deep. It does have a slight bitterness. Like if you let your pill set too long on your tongue before you swallow it. The bitterness goes away really quickly, so it’s not bothersome.

I’m glad I got to try it, thanks again Azzrian. :D

This was a treat from Azzrian, so a big thank you to her!

I’ve never had lapacho before, so this was a unique experience. I also had to go read a bunch on it, which was kind of interesting.

Per a hint from Azz that you’re actually supposed to steep this for 25 minutes, Missy let it boil on the stove for a while. The result is an earthy, cream-sickle-y, slightly medicinal brew with a bit of an almost-bitter bite at the end. The flavor itself is quite interesting and pleasant.

All in all, not something I would mind drinking. MountainRoseherbs also sells lapacho (under the name Pau d’Arco) for a fairly modest price of $2/4oz. I bet it would taste good with mint or cinnamon. I’d be a little concerned with combining the lapacho with Tea, as it’s most regularly-agreed upon physiological effect is blood thinning, and well, blood thinning and caffeine can lead to a pretty rough night ;)

Thanks again for the sample, Azz!