Root Down Tisane from Swallowtail Teas

The colorful label for Root Down Tisane from Swallowtail Tea features a yellow and orange sun on the horizon.  It must be a sunset, as this tea is perfect for after dinner or before bed.

This tisane is driven by licorice root.  I’m a fan of licorice in all its forms, including as a root in herbal teas.  Licorice root is a natural sweetener, adding a bit of spicy anise flavor along with its sugary perk.  Licorice is also a throat soothing herb, so it brings a very smooth mouthfeel and soothing sensation.

Beyond the bold licorice, this blend features some cinnamon warmth and just a ghost of mint and orange peel.  There are also dandelion root and nettle leaf in the blend, but they are more for color and health benefits than taste.  I wish the mint and citrus were just a little bit bolder to add more flavor texture to the brew.

Root Down Tisane would be a great blend for those who are tired of herbal teas having ginger, chamomile, or even rooibos, as none of these ingredients are included.  This blend is all licorice and herbs, and is a nice change of pace for a naturally caffeine free blend at bedtime. I’ll have to save the rest of my tea sample for when I need to set down some roots and snuggle in for the night.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea (Red Rooster Coffee)
Description:

This signature tisane was artfully crafted as a warming and supportive infusion. Perfect as an after dinner treat.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Wellness Tea-Bone Repair from The Virginia Tea Company. . . .

It is the beginning of a new year and I’m sure if you are like me, you are seeing a ton of detox and healthy wellness teas in your social media feeds. I’ve never been a big fan of good for you herbals but I’ve always enjoyed herbals that are full of dried fruit.   Recently I’ve noticed my taste buds are starting to change. I’m no longer craving the floral teas like I used to but am finding myself really craving herbs and spices like ginger, spearmint, peppermint, chamomile, and so on.

So today I thought would be a great day to try Bone Repair from The Virginia Tea Company.  I am a huge advocate for natural herbal remedies to cure what ails you. Not that I don’t grab OTC drugs when I’m in need, but I do prefer to try out a more natural approach for certain body issues I have.

Bone Repair is a mix of nettle, St. John’s Wort, chamomile, dandelion, ginger root, and peppermint.  All are organic. This tea’s description on the site goes something like this:

High in vitamins and helpful bone minerals, these herbs make this tea a wonderful enabler for strengthening your body’s skeleton.

Regardless of the health benefits, I have to say this tea is amazing. Herbal teas to me always have that herbaceous feel to them and this tea doesn’t really have it or maybe I should say that feel isn’t overwhelming.

There is a light sweetness mingled with a hint of spice surrounded by a refreshing cooling mint aftertaste. I can’t say that I’ve ever had such a smooth herbal tea like this before. I have literally had four cups of this tea today alone (resteeping the same bag even!).

I haven’t had some of these spices and herbs before so I can’t say if what I’m tasting is from this or that. All I can say is even if I am not in need of bone repair specifically-this tea delivers a refreshing, soothing, and calming flavor that could be enjoyed any time of the day.

Really happy with this one and I have a feeling that this will be a re-order for me. Plus, there is a cool option to get tea accessories added in for just a bit more. You have to love that option!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: The Virginia Tea Company
Description

High in vitamins and helpful bone minerals, these herbs make this tea a wonderful enabler for strengthening your body’s skeleton.

Ingredients: Organic Nettle, Organic St. John’s Wort, Organic Chamomile, Organic Dandelion, Organic Ginger Root, Organic Peppermint

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Orange Detox Tea from Teavery

Orange Detox Tea from Teavery is another herbal/tisane detox tea that we were sent for review consideration here at Sororitea Sisters.  I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised at some of the newer herbals coming along the pike!

I was impressed with the diverse ingredients in this tisane.  Orange Detox Tea from Teavery has Alfalfa, Dandelion, Orange Peel, Plantain, Red Clover, Peppermint, Nettles, Rooibos, and Orange flavor.

When it comes to the ingredients I have some notes, findings, and opinions I would like to share.  Most of these herbs I would consider to be superfoods or super herbs!  I have had some really great experiences with them individually-speaking.  Of course I am not a doctor, am not offering advice, and am not making any medical claims, here, just sharing my own experiences along the way!

Alfalfa sprouts I enjoyed as a child.  Believe it or not it was one of my 3 favorite foods growing up.  I know – I know…I was a weird kid!  Between that and Red Clover I have sprouted both with success over the years and have enjoy them in various ways!  I used to have allergies to Dandelions when I was a teen but have since grown out of that – thankfully.  I really enjoy the herbal, sprouty, citrusy, and floral notes in this tisane!  When it comes to the Plantains I have to say it offers a sweet and slightly creamy texture to the sip.  It’s funny because I HATE Bananas but I seem to like Plantains!  The Rooibos also contributes to the hint of sweetness – I’m sure!  The Orange flavor and peel really kick this one out of the park in terms of flavor.  And Nettles are said to be one of the best things you can consume but I have a hard time incorporating them in my daily life so this herbal tisane was perfect in that regard!  And I think you already know my stances and LOVE of peppermint!

I think the reason I am enjoying this cuppa is not only for the taste but for all of the ‘good stuff’ in it that seemed to mesh well with everything else in the cup!  Orange Detox Tea from Teavery is another herbal and Rooibos blend I will be putting in my  GOOD PILE.


Here’s the scoop:

Leaf Type:  Herbal/Tisane/Rooibos

Where to Buy: Teavery

Logo-thickDescription:

An Herbal Blend, Beneficial For The Mind And Soul. Enjoy A High Noted Orange Tea With Undertones Of Mint, Plantain, Nettles, Clove, Alfalfa And Dandelion.

Organic Alfalfa, Organic Dandelion, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Plaintain, Organic Red Clover, Organic Peppermint, Organic Nettles, Organic Rooibos, Natural Orange Flavor

Learn more about this tea and tea company here.

Body Tea from NudiTea

body-teaTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal Tisane

Where to Buy: NudiTea

Tea Description:

Take control of your weight with our natural body blend. The rich combination of hawthorn berries, dandelion root and fennel actively assist in burning excess fat and reducing fat storage in the body throughout the day and into the night. This delicious brew also helps suppress your appetite, reducing those pesky cravings. This is the perfect aid to help you look good in the nude. 

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

As I’ve said before, I have my reservations about teas that claim to help you lose weight.  I have never drank a tea based on its health claims, I drink tea because I love tea.

So, I won’t be reviewing this Body Tea from NudiTea based upon what it claims it can or cannot do.  I’ll be reviewing it based on what it tastes like.

The dry leaf smells very herbaceous, a bit like an herb garden.  The brewed liquid has kind of a weird smell.  It’s not the most appetizing smell, either.  It’s unfortunate to me because I usually inhale the fragrance of a tea before sipping and this generally enhances the overall experience.  Since I’m not digging this scent, I don’t want to deeply inhale the fragrance and I feel like part of the experience is lost.

As for the taste:  it’s actually kind of tasty.  I’m surprised to say it!  I might not enjoy the aroma of the brewed tisane but the flavor is quite pleasant.

I love the warmth of the fennel and I am enjoying the way the five ingredients – Alfalfa, hawthorn berries, dandelion root, fennel and nettle – interact with each other.  It’s a warm and comforting beverage.  Not really spicy but there is some warmth from the fennel, as I said, and while it does have somewhat of an herbaceous taste, given the ingredients, I expected it to taste a little more herby than it actually does.  There seems to be a palatable balance of flavors in this tisane.

As I said at the start, I’m skeptical about any claims of weight loss that a tea might make.  But, if I were going to try to embark upon a weight-loss-by-tea regime, I wouldn’t mind making this particular tea part of my daily routine.  It’s actually quite pleasant and it’s surprises me just how much I’m enjoying this!

Sweetfern Tonic Tea from The Algonquin Tea Co.

sweetfernTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal/Functional Tisane

Where to Buy:  Algonquin Tea Co. 

Tea Description:

Delicious daily tonic formulated to assist every major organ in the cleansing of toxins. Immune boost and detox. Great iced tea. Tastes similar to black tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.

Taster’s Review:

The above description suggests that this tisane tastes similar to black tea.  And despite this ‘promise’ – I found myself still hesitant to try it because … well, because it’s a tisane.  And I know that I’ve mentioned more than once or twice my apprehension when it comes to tisanes.

But I finally decided that it was time to try it.  So, to brew this, I measured out three bamboo scoops of the tisane into the basket of my Breville One-Touch tea maker and added 500ml of water to the kettle.  Then I set the temperature for 195°F and the timer for 7 minutes and I let the tea maker do it’s thing!

I let it cool for a few minutes before taking the first sip.  And yes, it does taste a bit like black tea.  More accurately, it tastes like a ‘thinned’ black tea with herbaceous notes.  Like maybe someone took half a cup of black tea and topped it off with an herbal tisane.

It’s actually quite pleasant to sip.  And this tea has a few “pros” to it:  a) there’s no hibiscus!  Yay!  b)  it has echinacea which is a fairly well-recognized herb that boosts the immunity system.  c) it’s pretty tasty.

Unlike many tisanes I’ve had in the past, this tisane is more like a unified flavor of all the components.  That is to say – this tastes like one flavor and I’d find it difficult to discern the different flavors/ingredients of the blend.  I taste a gently warm flavor to it – like a subtle spice.  I notice a slight “root-beer-ish” kind of note that I attribute to the burdock.

But other than the “thinned black tea with herbaceous notes” – that’s really all I can taste.  I taste a thinned black tea, herbaceous flavors, warm, subtle spice and a hint of root beer.  It’s a tasty tisane.

The brochure from Algonquin that was included in this edition of the Postal Teas box suggests that tea is an effective “cleanser” or detox type of tisane and this is a detox tea that I wouldn’t mind drinking now and again because it does have that black tea + herbal tea taste to it and I’m finding it to be pleasant.

One thing I gotta say about Algonquin, their packaging is beautiful!  If I saw these packages in the store, I’d definitely be tempted because the artwork is stunning and as I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for artwork!  The packages that we got from Postal Teas are not as lovely as what I see on the Algonquin website, but if it wasn’t for receiving this 9th edition of Postal Teas, I probably wouldn’t have discovered the beautiful artwork!