Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Herbal
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tisane Description:
This healthy and harmonious herbal tea blends peppermint, ginseng, cinnamon, echinacea, sarsaparilla, licorice, and organic South African rooibos. The cooling peppermint and warm cinnamon notes pair perfectly with the sweet, soothing finish provided by the other herbs. This special blend is an ideal and tasty way to stimulate your immune system.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Co-Op program here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said in the past, I’m not usually a big fan of ginseng, but this blend has enough going on that I barely notice that the ginseng is there! I’m too busy enjoying the contrast between crisp, cool peppermint and zesty cinnamon and snappy licorice to focus on the ginseng. The peppermint, cinnamon and licorice are the three strongest components of this cup.
This is a delightful tisane to sip on this cold winter’s night. The combination of cinnamon and licorice are warming me from the inside out, while the peppermint adds a refreshing element. As I said, I don’t taste much from the ginseng. I also don’t taste a lot from the rooibos or the echinacea.
At first, I had trouble locating the sarsaparilla in this, but if I slurp the sip, I do pick up on a light root beer-ish flavor in the distance, and it’s quite an interesting note to be tasting along with the cinnamon. Peppermint and licorice are both profiles that I’ve occasionally noticed in gourmet root beers, but not cinnamon. The cinnamon and sarsaparilla are quite intriguing and this combination is keeping me sipping.
This is a tisane that was a sample in my last box from Simple Loose Leaf (when they switched from the selection club to the co-op plan), and I held on to it for a while because … well, because it’s a tisane. That’s why. I have admitted before that I’m often skittish when it comes to tisanes and this just goes to show what I mean by that.
But I’m glad I finally decided to try it because I enjoyed this. It’s a wonderful medley of contrasts, and there’s a lot of health benefits in this too!
Reading Nook Tea Blend from Plum Deluxe
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Tea Description:
The reading nook blend is our signature organic tea created for enjoying while perfecting some of our dearest passions: reading, writing, and enjoying conversation with friends.
One needs a touch of caffeine to keep the conversation flowing, the pages turning, or the pen on the move, so we start this blend with a wonderful cream black tea. We then added rosebuds for creativity and sustenance, passionflower and lavender for flavor and aroma, and top it off with a bit of chamomile which adds a calming balance to it all. Customers often tell us this is our prettiest tea!
All Plum Deluxe teas are hand-blended and infused with love in Portland, Oregon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow! This tea has a delightful aroma! I can smell the floral notes – the passionflower, the lavender and the rose … along with hints of chamomile – and these beautifully fragrant flowers mingle with the notes of vanilla cream and it’s intoxicating! I imagine that this amazing scent would be the perfect accompaniment while reading a favorite book, a fantastical fragrance along with the fantasy of literature.
On the Plum Deluxe webpage for this tea, there are little snippets of customer responses about the tea. One that stood out to me was this:
A black tea with an herbal taste. Very cleansing aftertaste.
I think that this really describes the flavor of this tea quite well. I probably would only edit this comment to add the word “floral” behind the word “herbal” because I think that these two descriptive words better clarify what I’m tasting. It’s a black tea and the black tea base is mellow – I suspect it’s a Ceylon – and the herbaceous tones and floral notes come through as the strongest, most forward flavors, but without completely overwhelming the flavor of the black tea.
Now, usually, I’m in full support of a tea tasting more like tea and less like it’s additives. However, in the case of this blend, I think that I rather like the way the floral notes dance upon the palate. I like that the black tea is more of a supportive background ‘voice’ that allows these flowery tastes to take on the lead of this tasty symphony of flavors.
It’s really quite dreamy – the flavor of this cuppa!
And what makes it so dreamy is not the floral notes or the black tea – but the cream notes. The cream is not a dominant or aggressive flavor in this cup of tea, but it seems to be the stage that brings everything together so harmoniously.
When it comes to brewing this tea, I recommend using a slightly lower temperature. I think that the floral notes are better expressed when the water is just below boiling (I used water heated to 200°F). After giving the pouch a shake to redistribute the ingredients, I measured a heaping bamboo scoop into the basket of my Kati Tumbler and added the water and let it steep for 3 minutes. Perfection!
Black Mint Maté Blend from Because UR Priceless
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea & Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tea Description:
According to research studies, Yerba Matế (pronounced mah-tay) contain Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, Niacin, and B5 along with Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Zinc. It is also considered a good source of 15 different amino acids and a plethora of antioxidants.
In other words, its good for you. Our BLACK MINT MATẾ tea is an energizing blend of black tea and yerba mate along with a invigorating touch of mint. Refreshingly bold flavor for a happier, healthier you.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I took my first sip of this while the tea was still very hot (just finished brewing!) and at that moment, I wasn’t too sure I was all that excited about what I was drinking. So, I let my cup cool for a few minutes and now that the temperature of the liquid has dropped to a “drinkable” temperature, I find this much more enjoyable! Sometimes, tea needs time to develop it’s flavor – don’t give up on it just because the first sip isn’t all that!
This is an interesting blend of two types of mint – peppermint and spearmint – and yerba mate and black tea. Just as with the Sweet Cinnamon Mate, the yerba mate used for this blend is a green (rather than roasted) yerba mate. The green yerba mate has a fresher taste to it which accents the minty tones in a very pleasing way. Although, it would be interesting to see how the roasted yerba mate would work in this blend. It might enhance the black tea flavors.
The black tea here is certainly discernible, but in the earliest sips, I felt as though it was just a little overwhelmed by the mint notes. It could also be the way I chose to brew this tea: Instead of going with boiling water to steep as I would with most black teas, because this tea also had yerba mate and mint in it, I decided to drop the temperature to my usual yerba mate setting of 195°F. When I brew mate at a higher temperature, the flavor often becomes bitter, and I find this to be true with herbal leaf as well. So I went with a little lower temperature and steeped the tea for 4 minutes.
But now that I’ve sipped past the halfway point in my cup, I’m picking up on more black tea flavor. It offers a nice dimension of flavor and at this point, I’m starting to realize that this blend is more about “balance” than “black tea.” I taste not only yerba mate and mint, but also black tea. It adds a certain smoothness to the earthy notes of the yerba mate and the clean, fresh flavor of the mint.
The mint is prominent. I like the way the mint notes are melding with the earthy/vegetal notes of the mate. The mate seems to subdue the powerful, zesty flavor of the mint in a very favorable way. For those of you who tend to avoid “minty” teas because you don’t want a cup of mouthwash – this is the tea for you! This doesn’t taste like mouthwash – there is just enough crisp, cool mint flavor for that uplifting, invigorating flavor without tasting like a liquefied breath mint. It tastes refreshing!
Overall, this is a very enjoyable cup of tea. I like the balance of this blend. I like that I taste mint but it doesn’t overpower the cup. I like that I can taste the black tea and the yerba mate. And I like how these components compliment each other. I like this!
Cinnamon Plum Caffeine-Free Herbal Blend from Rishi Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
The sweetest Saigon Cinnamon, also known as Vietnamese Cassia, melds with the deep, luscious flavors of currants, hibiscus and plum to yield a rich, warming cup in winter or a refreshing glass when served iced in summer. With its fruity, full-bodied and juicy character, Cinnamon Plum’s robust, crimson red infusion is delicious on its own or mulled into cider or wine.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I’ve said it about a hundred times (or more) … I’m not a fan of hibiscus. But I am a fan of cinnamon and of plums, and I also like currants and licorice. So this tisane seems to have more going for it than it does going against it as far as my palate is concerned.
So, I’ll give it a try!
The aroma of the dry leaf is an abundantly cinnamon-y fragrance. (The same is true of the brewed tea.) I can also smell notes of licorice and hints of fruit. It doesn’t smell distinctly plum-like or even like currants, it just smells warm (from the cinnamon), sweet (from the licorice) and fruity.
To brew this tisane, I used my Kati brewing system and I measured out a bamboo scoop of the loose leaf into the basket. Then I heated the water to 195°F and poured it into the tumbler. I let the tisane steep for 6 minutes. The liquid is a very deep ruby red color … like brewed hibiscus. Fortunately, the color does not accompany the thick texture of brewed hibiscus. Either the steep time prevented this or possibly the fact that there are a lot of other ingredients in this blend. (Or a combination of both these factors.)
It also doesn’t taste too much like hibiscus. I am getting a strong cinnamon-y flavor. It’s a sweet, warm cinnamon flavor. Not like the sweet, red-hot type cinnamon but like the kind of sweet, spicy cinnamon you’d sprinkle on your morning toast.
And I am tasting plum. It is both sweet and tart. The tartness is enhanced somewhat by the presence of the currants as well as the hibiscus, but fortunately for my tart-sensitive palate, this is not an overly tart drink. I’m not puckering as I sip it. I think that the tartness works in the favor of this tisane because it offers a nice contrast to the spicy and the sweet notes.
Overall, it’s a very enjoyable beverage. I like it served hot – it has a very autumnal feel as I drink it. It’s cozy and reminds me a lot of a mulled cider. In fact, I think that would taste lovely with this, I might try steeping this tea in some warm apple cider! It would also make a tasty iced drink that would be appealing to children as well as adults.
Coconut Cream Pie Honeybush from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Sweet, caffeine-free African honeybush combined with our signature honking-big coconut flakes and organic flavors. Our Coconut Cream Pie black tea is one of our all-time bestsellers. I can’t fathom why we haven’t made a honeybush version of it yet, but I’m here to fix that now.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
As mentioned in the above description, the Coconut Cream Pie black tea from 52Teas is one of their best sellers. There’s a reason for that! That tea is seriously, awesomely good. Their iced tea version from Southern Boy Teas is also quite yummy. So I was very interested to see how these flavors went with a honeybush base.
The answer: it’s really tasty!
Now, I have to admit that I prefer the black tea version, but then again, I’m more of a camellia sinensis type of girl than I am a Cyclopia (aka honeybush) kind of girl. However, I must say that I like the nutty, honeyed sweetness that the honeybush brings to the coconut cream pie flavors! The coconut and the honeybush meld together nicely, and the honeybush also accents the buttery pie crust notes deliciously.
I taste strong notes of coconut mingling with sweet notes of creamy vanilla and touches of buttery pastry. The nutty, sweet notes of the honeybush marry together with these flavors in a very pleasing way. It’s sweet, creamy and yummy!
It’s dessert in a teacup! It is sweet without coming across as cloying. This is the kind of dessert that you can “indulge” in without feeling guilty afterward.
And even though I do prefer the black tea version of this tea, I like that this is naturally caffeine-free, making it a nice choice for later in the evening. You know those late night sweet tooth cravings? This tea is just what you need to help you satisfy those cravings without eating something that you’ll regret in the morning.