Red Hot Hibiscus from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co. . . . via Sipsby Box

Happy Monday morning tea friends! Hope your weekend was a great one. Mine was mainly because my Sipsby Box arrived for February.  I’ve been a subscriber to Sipsby for sometime and I have to say, their selections just keep getting better. This month I only received one tea that I know I won’t be able to drink and that is mainly due to medical reasons.  I was super happy to see one of my favorite tea companies in my box, The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co.

If you haven’t had tea from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co, I encourage you to check them out. Flavored and Straight Tea drinkers alike can find delicious offerings.  This particular blend, Red Hot Hibiscus, was the perfect way to enjoy some subtle Valentine vibes before the big day later this week.  Consisting of organic cinnamon, hibiscus, and orange peel, this blend had my name written all over it.

I brewed up with water prep at boiling and allowed to steep for about 5 minutes and cooled for an additional 4.  I was slightly nervous this tea would deliver a super tart punch first sip in, but that wasn’t the case at all. The main flavor that really comes across is the cinnamon and this cinnamon isn’t overly spiced.  Just a delicious solid flavor. The tartness from the hibiscus and citrus notes from the orange peel really pull together and mingle gorgeously with the cinnamon, providing you almost with this sweetly spiced orange punch tone.   A delicious evening treat and a nice change of pace from the traditional chamomile evening blends I usually enjoy.

Overall, an incredibly delicious herbal that is simple and to the point.   I ended up drinking my entire pouch of this tea in one night and sadly wish I had saved some to try as a cold brew.  Nevertheless, this blend reminds me just how much I do enjoy The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co and appreciate my Sipsby Box.

Can’t wait to dig into the other goodies I received later today!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co.
Description

Sweet cinnamon and tart hibiscus are blended to a perfect balance. Orange zest provides a fruity background. This tea is fantastic hot or iced and actually deserves extra steep time for its full flavor to shine!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Unwind and Relax / Great Tea Road Co.

This is my first herbal tisane post for SororiTea Sisters. . .  or at least the first in a very long time.

As a purist I just tend to not drink much herbal but I do love Evening in Missoula and I was curious as to the taste of this one compared with that.

Let me tell you it is different. This one has a bit of a kick with the cinnamon. Personally I don’t find it very relaxing but then I may be biased with my love of the aforementioned tisane.

If you are a fan of cinnamon with hints of chamomile this could be a good fit for you.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Great Tea Road Co.
Description:

Amazing aroma with great taste. This tea will help you relax after your long day.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sereni-tea from Because UR Priceless. . . . .

I was never an herbal tisane person…until I realized that my trouble sleeping might be coming from the copious amounts of late night tea. I need something nice and cozy with good flavor that won’t keep me up, so I am enjoying checking out some caffeine free options.

There are a lot of herbal blends that are not just free from caffeine, they actually help promote relaxation.

I turned on a playlist of spa/sleep music and made a small pot of this tisane. A couple of cups later, here is my impression. Use a strainer meant for very fine particles if you mind bits in your cup. I don’t mind them at all. The chamomile is a good one, either lacking the tongue twister some can have or being smoothed by the other ingredients, and the peppermint is very relaxing. It leaves a tingle long after the sip and I do find it refreshing without being stimulating. Peppermint by itself doesn’t thrill me, but in blends I like it. In fact, I am finding it a little difficult to stay up long enough to finish this review.

This was out of stock on the etsy shop at the time of this writing, but may be back in time for publication! May you have Sereni-tea as you sip today! (Or tonight!)


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Because UR Priceless 
Description:

Take a few moments to sit quietly and enjoy the ultra-soothing taste of SERENI-TEA.
Go ahead, the world won’t end if you take a break. (Unless of course, you are guarding zombies. In that case, please wait for your replacement first.)
Release the tension and bring on the calm.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Peach Melba from Traillodge Tea. . . .

Caffeine doesn’t bother me as much as it does for some people but now that I have to go to sleep at a decent hour most nights to get up early for work, I try to make sure I have a selection of caffeine-free teas for the evenings. So now I am always on the lookout for good caffeine-free options. That is why when I saw this Peach Melba tea by Traillodge Tea in a traveling teabox, I had to give it a try.

This tea is made of organic rooibos, organic honeybush, organic apple bits, organic raspberry bits, organic marigold, and natural flavor. I decided to cold brew it overnight because more often than not, cold brewing tames the base flavors and allows the other ingredients to shine. That was my hope for this tea.

That doesn’t necessarily seem to be the case because there is a lot of honey notes from the rooibos and honeybush. The flavorings are subtle so they are taking back seat to the base which luckily is not medicinal or woody. I do get some raspberry but honestly I am just left wanting more. More raspberry. More peach. Just more flavor overall. If I had blindly tasted this tea, I don’t think I would have determined it was Peach Melba.

As far as rooibos and honeybush teas go, this is not bad but the flavors leave something to be desired. It was an okay drink but by no means Peach Melba. I don’t think this will be added to my line up of caffeine-free teas but it was fun to try.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Rooibos/Honeybush
Where to Buy:  Traillodge Tea
Description

This is a Trail Lodge Exclusive tea. The inspiration for this herbal tisane came from eating a peach melba sundae, and just like the desert, this tisane is a refreshing treat. The sweet taste of fresh peaches combines perfectly with the tartness of raspberries. It’s as if summer has been captured in a cup of tea. This tisane is great hot or iced. Ingredients: organic rooibos, organic honeybush, organic apple bits, organic raspberry bits, organic marigold, and natural flavor.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Francesca from Sicilian Tea Company. . . .

It’s always good to have a chamomile blend or two in your tea cabinet for those when you need something extra comforting and caffeine-free.  Francesca from Sicilian Tea Co. could be the perfect choice for your evening cup of tea.

Some people consider herbal teas to be medicinal, with herbs like lavender and chamomile to help combat stress.  Both of these fragrant blossoms are in abundance in this blend, bringing their lovely color and shape to the dry leaf, and the lemony and floral scent of the brew.

There are also cinnamon sticks, Saint John’s Wort, and licorice root in this blend.  The cinnamon adds just a hint of spicy warmth, rekindling thoughts of spiced baked goods.  A touch of licorice root adds smooth sweetness to the brew.  As an added bonus, licorice root can help soothe a scratchy throat, so the ingredient helps make the brew extra restorative.

I’m not sure that Saint John’s Wort adds much flavor, but the herb is rumored to help heal against depression.  I’m not sure if I felt those effects or not; brewing a cup of tea is always my happy place, and helps me out of a dark mood.

This tea is all herbs and blossoms, so it’s completely caffeine-free and full of natural flavors.  If the licorice root isn’t sweet or soothing enough, it wouldn’t hurt to add a dollop of honey to your mug for a little extra sugar.  After brewing a cup of Francesca blend, there’s not much left to do but sit back, relax, and have a sip of tea.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Sicilian Tea Co.
Description:

Naturally caffeine free, this chamomile blend won’t keep you up all night like some other sleepy time treats.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!