What the heck is Schizandra? According to Wikipedia, the word schizandra, or schisandra, stands for "five-flavor berry" and is a vine native to Northern China and Russian Far East. OK...that sorta fits the kombucha theme...I guess.
The aroma is far from inviting with a sharp fermented rose/schizandra/tea (I assume that's what that is) note. The flavor is equally sharp at first with a strong sour fermented tea start followed by a strong, flowery rose finish tarnished by the fermented tea. Once you have a few sips, the rose flavor is accentuated and you get more of the berry tones near the finish. The aftertaste becomes a bit funky at first, but fairly clean and refreshing after 30 seconds or so.
This flavor is definitely way more funky than the Hibiscus Rise I had a few months ago, but does reward you a little if you can get past the aroma and the first few mouthfuls.
Taste - 6.5/10...suck it up the first few mouthfuls to be rewarded with a pleasant rose flavor
