Karkade

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane

Tisane Description:

Origin: Egypt
Certification: Organic
Ingredients: Lemongrass, Hibiscus
Naturally Caffeine-Free Herbal Tea

Taster’s Review:

“Yikes! Hibiscus!” That’s exactly what I exclaimed as I measured out this tisane into my Breville One-Touch. My history with hibiscus has been well documented here, and I don’t need to rehash it, so I’ll simply summarize by saying hibiscus isn’t my favorite herb. It’s too tart and when brewed too long, it produces an icky, syrupy liquid. Yeah, I know it’s good for you. Lots of vitamin C, and all that.

So, I am trying not to judge this tisane too harshly before I even try it. Who knows, I may like it. Stranger things have happened!

OK… so it’s not bad. Not bad at all. I am not about to proclaim it the best tisane I’ve ever tried because it isn’t, but, considering this is a blend of two ingredients, and one of them is hibiscus, I think it’s quite alright.

The hibiscus lends a sort of berry-ish kind of flavor to it, it is tart, but, because I steeped this for only six minutes, I’m not dealing with an overwhelming amount of tartness here. The lemongrass does it’s bit to soften the hibiscus somewhat and to provide a hint of buttery creaminess to the cup, as well as a citrus-y taste to complement the berry-like taste of the hibiscus.

I prefer this hot, because as it cools, the hibiscus starts to get a bit too tarty for my taste buds. I find it to be quite soothing to the throat. My throat has been put through the ringer lately because of my allergies (I have them all year round!), and I find this to be quite nice to sip and help relax the itchiness in my throat. I imagine this would be best served with a dollop of honey, but, I am drinking it straight and it’s not bad that way either.

Overall, it’s pretty tasty. It isn’t my favorite offering from Shanti Tea, but I can see how this might appeal to someone who likes hibiscus but wants a slightly lighter hibiscus drink. Not something I’d want to drink every evening, but it isn’t something I’d turn away if it were offered, either. Pleasant … not bad … but I’ve had better, certainly.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Shanti Tea, Tea Company, Type Of Tea