*This Article May Contain Affiliate Links* See our Affiliate Disclosure for more Info
Describing what a tea taste like not always the easiest thing to do. What I think tastes one way someone else will taste something completely different. So treat this as a general idea of what hibiscus tastes like.
What Does Hibiscus Tea Taste Like? Hibiscus tea has a fairly complex flavor profile. Best described as a slightly floral, fruity flavor with a bit of natural sweetness and a touch of tartness to it.
If You are just looking for a good hibiscus tea to try the I recommend Frontier Co-op Organic Hibiscus Flowers(*affiliate link), available on Amazon.
Hopefully, you will be intrigued by enough of the overall taste description that you will give hibiscus tea a try and decide for yourself what exactly it tastes like. Be sure to check out our list of the best hibiscus teas that you can try right now.
Fruity Notes Are Front And Center
Hibiscus tea has a very distinct naturally fruity flavor as part of its overall flavor profile. The fruitiness is not what I would call overwhelming.
But it is enough to make it one of the top 2 or 3 flavors that you are going to notice most when you steep a cup of hibiscus tea properly.
What this mild fruit flavor does add is a real sense that you are drinking an herbal tea instead of a true tea.
The flavor profile makes it a refreshing and clean drink with very little bitterness that is sometimes associated with green tea for example. Check out our article on how to make green tea less bitter without sugar.
Hibiscus Tea Is A Little Tart As Well
Even with the fruit flavor that is prominent in Hibiscus tea, there is still a touch of tartness to it.
It is often described as a cranberry flavor(source). I think this is a fair assessment of the overall fruity flavor.
While there is a tartness reminiscent of cranberries in the teas overall flavor profile, I don’t think it really impacts the overall flavor as much as you might expect.
So if you don’t like cranberries, you might still like hibiscus tea due to it not being an overwhelming cranberry taste.
Is Hibiscus Tea Naturally Sweet?
One of the biggest reasons, why the cranberry tartness of the tea is not overwhelming, is because of the slightly sweet taste in hibiscus tea.
It is a natural sweetness that does not overwhelm you in any way. It doesn’t taste like you loaded the cup up with a few tablespoons of sugar.
Not at all. The sweetness is subtle and most pronounced in the aftertaste in my experience.
This natural sweetness is pretty common among many types of herbal teas and in regular teas.
Green tea, in particular, has a nice sweetness to it in many of the types of green tea. You can read more about our favorite green teas right here.
A Floral Note As Well
There is a nice floral flavor to the tea. Although it is somewhat diminished once you begin to drink the steeped tea.
The floral notes are a bigger part of the aroma, which I will get into in the next section.
With that said, they do add a nice counterpoint to the fruitiness that makes up the bulk of the flavor for hibiscus tea.
The floral taste also blends well with the sweetness and helps to mitigate the slight tartness of the “cranberry” flavor.
The Aroma Of Hibiscus Tea
The aroma of hibiscus tea mirrors the flavor in many ways. However, I think the floral fragrance really takes center stage in the smell of your loose leaf dried hibiscus petals.
There is definitely a fruit note to the overall aroma but it is the incredibly fragrant floral notes that really make a lasting impression.
The floral notes take a back seat once the tea is steeped so be sure to take a deep breath of this wonder and fragrant experience while you are preparing your cup of tea.
Once steeped you can really begin to smell the cranberry, fruity notes and the flowery aroma is still present but not as pronounced as it is in the bag.
Mixing It Up
Hibiscus tea is often mixed with other herbal teas to make a more palatable beverage.
For example, it is often blended with Chamomile tea(source) due to chamomile tea having a very divisive flavor profile.
You can check out our article on the flavor of chamomile tea to see if you agree or disagree with our take on chamomile tea.
By adding hibiscus to chamomile you get the fruity sweetness of the hibiscus that helps to mitigate the sometimes bland chamomile taste.
The fusion of these two wonderful herbal teas makes for a wonderful experience and a double dose of health benefits that each tea brings to the table.
The Hibiscus Tea Finish
Here is the thing about describing a flavor and an aroma to someone else. They may not see or taste or smell it the same way.
Use this article only as a guide. Floral and fruity is the best way to describe hibiscus tea. The particulars and intricacies must be left up to you to decide if you like this type of herbal tea or not.
For other herbal flower, tea ideas check out guide right here.
I hope this has given you a general idea of what to expect when you finally sit down and have your first cup of hibiscus tea.
There really is no right or wrong answer to be perfectly honest. What it tastes like to you and whether you like it or any tea for that matter, is what really matters. Find your perfect time to have a cup of this wonderful herbal tea.
Experience it for yourself and see if you like it. Very good hibiscus tea to start out with is from Frontier Co-op. You can learn more about it in our list of best Hibiscus Teas.
Thank you for visiting and have a wonderful day.