I have had a few of the SuperHerb teas sitting around to be tried but kept putting it off. If it’s good for me, it’s going to taste nasty, isn’t it? I want a lovely evening cuppa, not something medicinal that builds character! But it is time to take courage and go for it!
Nettle is traditionally used to combat inflammation and allergies. And pollen and dust allergies really are inflammation, in a way, aren’t they? I am plagued with allergies so much that I don’t really know what it is like to hear clearly or breathe without feeling stopped up. But can I stand nettle tea well enough to drink it often and hopefully put these allergies at bay?
I lift my cup to my lips. Wait, what’s this? This smells like….CAKE. Really. Bless their hearts, they have added vanilla and mint to nettle and pulled off a relaxing, soothing aroma that smells like vanilla cake. Vanilla is the strongest component of the aroma, and the taste is mint and nettle with a touch of vanilla. Mint does relax me, and vanilla is always a “feel good” flavor, so this is a good bedtime choice for me.
The aftertaste of this tea is very herbal but pleasant, with a mineral flavor mixed in, like the smell of water on stone in a forest. This is definitely on my “to buy” list now to see if it drinking it regularly will help with my allergies. And I will look forward to it without fear now!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Republic of Tea
Description
Nettle leaves have been known to support the body in a variety of ways. Studies have shown that it can help reduce joint inflammation and can help support kidney function.* Nettle tea has also been popular as a tonic for centuries to help women through all phases of life, from menstruation, through pregnancy and breastfeeding, to menopause.* A touch of mint and vanilla makes this tea a joy to sip.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Elderberry Chai from Elderberry Herb Farm
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Chai
Where to Buy: Elderberry Herb Farm
Tea Description:
A delicious warming & fragrant blend of organically grown all-natural herbs & spices! Historically, elderberry & many of the ingredients were used to boost the immune system. Brew as herbal tea or Chai.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea is beautiful. There are nice sized elderberries, chai ingredients, herbs and spices in this blend. I’m pretty impressed with the quality of this blend.
Elderberry Herb Farm carries a few different herbal teas. I’ve tried a couple and they are really good. This one is good too, but I think it is my least favorite.
I am not a huge black licorice fan and this blend has a black licorice taste to it. There is also a strong clove flavor running through each sip. I could very easily drink this. The tea is good. This is just isn’t my favorite chai or would this be a tea I would reach for again.
On the other hand, one of my boyfriends’ twins tried this and adored it. He asked me to make him another cup of it. This kid loves chai, so the fact that he loves this tea is really no surprise. He asked if I would keep some aside for him for tomorrow and later in the week when he and I have our “tea parties”. It was really cute.
If you are a fan of black licorice, this blend is totally for you. If not, I say give it a try anyway. I am not a huge chai drinker and I could drink this if it was around.
With a touch of honey, sugar, and cream, I bet this tea would be fantastic!
Lemon, Ginger & Ginseng Herbal Tisane from Rington’s Premium English Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Rington’s Premium English Teas
Tea Description:
Naturally caffeine free, the Lemon, Ginger & Ginseng Herbal Tea is a refreshing and invigorating infusion that balances the lemon and ginger flavours.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Do you ever go through that moment when – as you’re brewing a cup of tea – you think to yourself: what was I thinking, choosing this tea? I actually go through that sort of moment more than I care to admit to.
And I experienced that moment as I was brewing this Lemon, Ginger & Ginseng Herbal Tisane from Rington’s Premium English Teas. I mean, I like lemon and I like ginger and I actually enjoy the two together quite a bit. But ginseng? I think I’ve mentioned more than once here on this blog that I’m not a fan of it. So, what possessed me to grab this tea to try it?
I don’t know. But, now that it’s brewed, I might as well try it, right?
I brewed one bag in 6 ounces of hot water (195°F) for 5 minutes.
The aroma offers a strong lemony note with hints of ginger. I also detect an earthy ginseng aroma. Ugh.
Fortunately, the ginseng smells stronger than it tastes! Happy day!
The lemon is the strongest flavor of the cup and it’s bright and invigorating. It’s not overly tart, it’s more of a sweet lemon note with hints of tangy. But I’m not puckering here.
The ginger is somewhat subdued, it’s not an overly peppered flavor from the spice of the ginger. It’s warm enough to offer some contrast to the zesty flavor of the lemon but not so spicy that it distracts from the lemon. This cup is really all about the lemon!
I can also taste the slightest hint of a cinnamon-y flavor to this. It’s very slight and it complements the ginger in a very enjoyable way.
What I don’t taste a lot of – thankfully – is ginseng. Even when I attempt to focus on the ginseng flavor to determine how much of it I actually do taste, I don’t taste a lot. A slight earthiness – that’s it! And the earthy notes meld favorably with the earthy notes of the ginger and cinnamon.
It really is as I said earlier, this tea is really all about the lemon. This would be something nice to keep on hand for those times when you’re feeling a bit under the weather and want something lively to sip. It would go nicely with a dollop of honey and would be soothing on a sore throat.
It’d also be nice if you’re cold-brewing some basic black tea – add one of these tea bags in along with the black tea and you’ll have a pleasant lemony flavor to your iced tea.
Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised by this tea!
Green Rooibos from M&K’s Tea Co
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal.
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Co
Tea Description:
The non-oxidized, green counterpart to the redbush rooibos you may have heard everyone talking about! Less red, more green, less autumn, more spring! Green rooibos tastes much more vegetal and refreshing and less robust than regular rooibos.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The weather is getting warmer and the spring bug is starting to set in. I’ve noticed that my iced tea intake has gone way up. My kids have the bug too. Everyday they ask me if they HAVE to go to school. My five year old who goes to a pre-K program has already declared himself as being done with learning and school. I had to inform him that he has many years ahead of him and that next year he will be going all day next year versus the half day he currently goes now.
This tea reminds me of springtime. The dry leaves smell very vegetal and have a hay/grass like smell to them. Brewed up (212F-3tbsp-5 minutes in my Breville-then poured into a tumbler of ice) this is honey goodness.
Beautifully done. Smooth and honey like. A well done yet simple tea. I’m not picking up any kind of vegetal flavor like the description had said. That is fine with me. This hit the spot. Just wish I would have brought more along with me. I could drink this all day. Yum!
Unwind Tisane from NudiTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: NudiTea
Tea Description:
Lost your chill? You can rest assured our UNWIND blend is the tea for you. Chamomile blossoms complimented with spearmint leaves work harmoniously together to strip away stress and anxieties, leaving you calm and relaxed. These delectable tea leaves are sourced from lush fields in Egypt, so now you can sleep like an Egyptian.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Before I get into this – the final review of NudiTea’s teas – I want to tell you a little bit about the packaging! The teas are packaged in mylar lined, kraft pouches that are handsomely stamped with the name of the tea. There isn’t really anything that stands out so much about the pouches, but what did stand out to me is the way these pouches were packaged in the box.
The teas were wrapped up in Kraft paper and then tied with twine cord and there was a little tag tied onto the cord, like a gift! I’ve mentioned before that I love it when there is some special attention paid to details like this. It was such a joy to receive this package!
But the packaging wouldn’t mean a whole lot if I didn’t enjoy the teas. Fortunately, I found their Body tea to be tasty and I also enjoyed their Focus blend. And I’m actually quite enjoying this Unwind blend too!
As I’ve said (many times) – I’m just not all that excited when it comes to chamomile. However, chamomile is certainly a useful herb when it comes to unwinding and sometimes, I need to do just that so I turn to chamomile when I need to relax and destress.
Today is a day like that – I’ve had a very busy day and now it’s time to calm down and get ready to rest. So, I brewed a cup of Unwind Tisane from NudiTea. This is a blend of Egyptian chamomile and spearmint.
And while chamomile isn’t my favorite herb, I have to admit that I’m finding this blend to be rather tasty. The sweet, apple-y, honeyed notes of the chamomile meld really nicely with the minty notes of the spearmint. Normally, I prefer peppermint over spearmint because I like the zestier flavor of the peppermint, but for a calming, relaxing herbal tea such as this, spearmint is the perfect choice. It’s a little softer and the chamomile helps to soften it even more so that I’m just getting a smooth, even minty note without the sense of invigoration that I often experience with mint teas.
If you want your tisane a little sweeter, add a dollop of honey. I found it to be quite enjoyable straight. Very soothing, very relaxing and a really nice way to “unwind”!