Intensely Liquorice and Mint/Twinings -Ashmanra

Photo Credit: Twinings

The tea I am drinking came in a sampler pack and has a slightly different name from the one in the link provided. However, the ingredients listed and their proportions are identical, so I am convinced they are exactly the same.

I read a lot of tea reviews, and what I glean from said reviews is that I am one of the few people who really likes liquorice root. I love the sweetness liquorice root gives and I love the weird, almost indescribable throat feel and the lingering taste.

There is more mint in this tisane than liquorice, but the liquorice nevertheless makes itself known immediately. The mint is hot on its heels, however, and the cooling effect lasts and lasts.

I was pretty excited by the mention of this having blackcurrant flavor, but a little disappointed that I couldn’t taste it as much as I had hoped. There is also fennel, but I am not too familiar with the taste of fennel in an infusion so I am not sure what it adds to this mix.

Bottom line – this is liquorice upfront with lingering fresh mint taste and hint of fruitiness. It wasn’t stellar and unforgettable, but it was a decent evening cuppa.

Readers be aware: most teas or tisanes containing liquorice carry a warning that people with hypertension should not consume large amounts, as liquorice root can cause blood pressure to rise.

 


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Herbal

Where to Buy: Twinings 

Description

Liquorice and Peppermint Infusion with Blackcurrant Flavour.

Let’s take a nostalgic wander through the flavours of your past, transporting you back to your favourite sweet shop.‚  We infuse sweet liquorice and fennel with cooling peppermint to create a delectable, sweet and refreshing taste.

This infusion is made with all-natural ingredients and is naturally caffeine free so you can enjoy it any time of the day.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Lapsang Souchong from Twinings. . .

Chapters & Cups – The City of Brass’s Perfect Tea

Welcome my dear readers to a new segment exclusive to Sororitea Sisters! Here I will discuss my latest reads and what tea goes perfectly with the said read. I welcome your comments about new reads I should look into, what tea you would also think goes well with the read, or anything else you would like to add!

.Within the past few months, I have become the proud owner of S. A. Chakraborty’s debut novel, The City of Brass. To give you a little bit about this book before I get started, this book focuses on a young Egyptian woman who lives in poverty and to make ends meet she uses her impressively deft hands and the mysterious ability that allows her to heal the sick. Now since this is set in the 18th century her abilities mark her as unholy but regardless she is still called on by the population of Cairo to heal their ailments. While doing this she foolishly summons a several centuries old Daeva warrior that quickly pulls her into the world of Daevabad that is unseen to the human eye full of ancient magic and dangerously confusing court politics.

To say the least, I devoured this book and now I have to wait until 2019 for the next installment. And while this book is commonly referred to as a young adult because the protagonist goes on a journey of self-realization I think it will be more apt to call this an adult novel because of some of the themes in this book. There are violent and sexual themes but it is not to the level that the Game of Thrones series is. I would say that this would be good for someone who is 18 and up.

Now the tea that I believe that is the perfect companion is Lapsang Souchong. More specifically Twinings Lapsang Souchong but I am sure that any other tea brands will do. I think this tea is a perfect companion for this read for it is as rich and smoky as the mood is that Chakraborty crafts. From the smoky djinn and daeva to the richness of the history and the populace of Daevabad. Also not to mention there is a part where a certain magical tea is described and it reminded me instantly of Lapsang Souchong.

As you can probably guess reader, I give this book 10/10 cups of tea. This book is perfect for any fantasy lover that enjoys traveling to a new world inside of our familiar world. The protagonist is strong and clever and the cast of characters that are presented in the book are fully fleshed out and are memorable.

See you for the next read!

Kara


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Twinings
Description

Lapsang Souchong, also referred to as smoked tea, is one of the worlds’ oldest and most distinctive black teas. The tea is grown in the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian Province of China and is made by only a select number of estates. Once a very secretive process, Lapsang Souchong is prepared using the same manual techniques today that have been passed down from generation to generation.

After the tea is plucked, the leaves are withered over cypress or pine wood fires. They are later placed into barrels so that the smoky aroma intensifies. As a final step, the leaves are placed into flat wicker baskets and positioned on bamboo trays over smoky pine fires, where they dry and absorb even more aroma. The finished tea leaves are thick and black and when steeped in hot water, produce a rich tea with a unique, smoky taste.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Velvety Vanilla Chai from Twinings. . . . . . .

A dear friend who lives in England sent me some teas in the mail, and they’re all teas I’ve never had. The first tea I decided to try is of course Chai. I can never resist a good Chai. With a name like velvety vanilla, how could I not try it? It is a Chai made with black tea, but I threw my caffeine caution to the wind and brewed a cup. This morning was grey and cool so I needed the extra lift anyway.

Awhile back I tried a vanilla Chai and the vanilla flavor tasted very chemical-y. It tasted like the imitation vanilla flavoring with alcohol in it. That is not the case with this vanilla chai. The vanilla flavor is natural tasting and perfectly balanced with the other chai spices. And the vanilla doesn’t overpower the other spices, and vice versa. This was absolutely delicious, I have no complaints at all. It was as close to a perfect cup of tea as you can get.

This flavor is a limited edition flavor, and I really wish it were widely available year round. It is really a special and delicious tea, and it was worth every drop of caffeine! There are a few online shops selling this delicious flavor, and I can’t recommend it enough! It’s definitely my new favorite chai. Because of the vanilla, I only added a splash of coconut milk and no sweetener and it was still perfectly sweet and delicious. It’s also mildly spiced, so for anyone sensitive to spice this would be perfect!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Twinnings
Description

A limited edition indulgent Chai Latte blending fragrant Indian spices with velvety vanilla from the new Loose Leaf Pyramid range. The resealable bag contains 12 loose leaf pyramid tea bags.

Ingredients: Black tea, vanilla, spice and syrup flavourings (26%).

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Intensely Buttermint from Twinings. . . . .

This tea is a personal favorite of mine. I tried a sample sent by a tea friend and when I went to London, I knew I needed more. I actually had to cross a marathon just to get to the Twinings shop and it was 100% worth it.

It lives up to the “intensely” in its name, being incredibly flavorful. Though that is not the only way it lives up to its name. This tea is both buttery and minty.

The butter element providing a great deal of creamy sweetness while the mint keeps everything fresh and interesting. The flavors together are so rich that they create an almost caramel-like taste. And since it’s a caffeine-free teabag, it is easy to make and can be enjoyed anytime.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Twinings
Description

Ah the seductive taste of Buttermint! So refreshing. So homely. And now brought to life in this delightful infusion.

We’ve taken peppermint leaves – in all their fresh tasting glory – and blended them with aromatic vanilla for a dreamy satin-soft buttermint finish. Intensely, dreamily delicious… it’s just ever-so-slightly reminiscent of the sweet shops of olde.

 

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

The Full English from Twinings

TheFullEnglishTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy: Twinings

Tea Description:

This tea is not available on the US Twinings website. 

Learn more about Twinings Black Tea options for the US here

Taster’s Review:

I am on a quest.  A quest to drink down some tea.  My tea cupboard has gotten outrageously out of control.  So I am now honor and duty bound to drink some up before this coming fall season when there will be pumpkin spice and apple pie teas tempting me to gobble and snatch them up!

The first one I grab is one that isn’t available in the US.  This is something that I have always been confused about. Twinings has a US store and an international store.  The international store has an amazing selection of teas that make me drool thinking about them.  But alas,the same selection isn’t available on the US site.  Eventually one of these days, I’ll order form the international store and deal with the higher shipper cost.  For now, I’m happy I was able to try this one.

The Full English is a tea I believe I picked up from a Steepster member who was putting together some pretty amazing boxes from her travels.  I couldn’t resist.  I kept reading these amazing reviews from teas she had picked up from other Steepsterites and I wanted to be part of the club!

I say this with my head low but this is the first time I’ve even cracked into the box.  I know! Shame on me.  Like I said, my tea cupboard is getting out of control.

I brewed this up like a traditional black-212F-3 minutes and pulled the tea bag out.  I didn’t want to leave this one in which turned out to be a good thing.  At 3 minutes this tea was already turning bitter.  The first few sips were just plain lovely black unadulterated black tea.  Nothing fancy, just good. But as this starts to cool, the bitterness is swooping in.

For a tea at work, this one would do, but I would be afraid that I would constantly have an issue with the bitterness.  This is definitely one you don’t want to forget about. I can just picture this one being lovely when at a tea party or enjoying a spot of milk in it along with a treat.  Yum!