CTRL+ALT+DEL from Pluck Teas. . . .

I had this once before, hot and hated it. Let’s see how it is iced…

Well, first thing I noticed is this iced cup has less sediment than the original hot cup had. It brewed up a cloudy but light golden yellow but less cloudy than the hot brew. Hopefully both these things will result in a cleaner taste than what I recall.

The smell is strongly of ginger but with lemon in the background as well as a touch of musk that I am thinking is probably from a mix of this tea and some scent remaining from the mint tea that was in the press previously. Luckily, it is not transferring over to the flavor.

Instead, this has a strong ginger flavor with a bright lemon aftertaste. I wish I got more from the cranberries since they were the reason I was drawn to this blend in the first place alas they are hiding underneath all the other components. Nonetheless, the iced tea flavor is really quite natural and rich. To me, it is as if someone took fresh ginger and lemon and steeped that…and then maybe muddled it with some other ingredients. The lemongrass is maybe a bit more herbal tasting than I would like but this could be a nice caffeine free option for those who like this sort of tea.

Personally I am more of a dessert tea kind of girl so I don’t see myself reaching for this in the future but I am happy to report the the iced cup is much improved from the hot tea.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal Tea
Where to Buy:  Pluck Teas
Description

Hit the reset button – with this refreshing lemon and ginger infusion featuring Muskoka cranberries. Caffeine-free and delicious hot or iced, this tisane packs a lot of flavour.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Tulsi Orange Cranberry Ginger Organic Tea from Simpson and Vail

tulsiorgcrangingerTea Information:

Leaf Type: Herbal

Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail

Tea Description:

This Tulsi tea blend is caffeine-free and combines herbs that have vitamins and anti-oxidants. This organic herbal blend of Tulsi, orange peel, hibiscus, rosehips and ginger root brews to a reddish amber cup with a mellow minty, fruity taste and light, sweet ginger notes. A well rounded brew that’s great for afternoon or evening enjoyment.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I have been on a herbal kick as of late and loving it.  Herbals are something that I think you either love or hate depending on the ingredients.  I know chamomile and hibiscus blends are sometimes referred to as vile, but I love them.  About the only tea I don’t care for is red rooibos blends, but beyond that I’ll try anything.

Work has been nuts lately and I wanted something to be refreshing yet soothing so I grabbed my sample of this Tulsi blend from Simpson & Vail.  I was crazy impressed with their Cozy Comfort blend that I tried the other day (tasted like monkey bread!) I had high expectations but once I took in the fragrance from the dry leaf mix, I had my hesitations. The ginger smelled like it was going to be strong.

Brewed this up in my Sei Sei Tumbler and allowed it to steep for about 5 minutes in boiling water.  Poured the brew into my cuppa and sat down to go over what I needed to to for the day.  As I took my first sip, I literally thought, nope, I will not be reviewing what I need to do today.  I am going to sit right here with my feet propped up on my desk and enjoy my tea. And that is exactly what I did!

This tea hit the spot in so many ways.  I wanted a soothing blend that touched the soul, so to speak.  Once that would refresh and calm me but also be vibrant enough to deliver that kick I would need to keep going.  This tea did all of that. No, I’m not going to say it will cure what will ail you, but in that moment of time, this tea delivered everything I needed.

What I loved the most was the citrus flavor that had a tart twist at the end of the sip with the ginger floating in and out.  The ginger wasn’t overwhelming like I was worried about and actually became the flavor I was seeking each sip I took.  Which is very surprising to me.  I am not a huge ginger fan.  This tea had such a cozy charming feel to it with the tart and sweet contrast that I found myself wanting more of this tea right after the cuppa was gone.  I ended up drinking this tea for the remainder of the day, letting the flavors really give me that cozy feeling I was wanting with that kick I desperately needed.

Tea #2 that I have tried from Simpson & Vail and another tea I am adoring!