Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yabao & Green Tea & Tulsi
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
Unique and unexpected. This version of their amazing Eight Treasures Winter blend has been altered to emphasize the surprising similarity with a Valentine’s tradition – candy hearts. If you break the flavours down, this blend is complex – sweet and almost candy-like,with lively citrus, warming vanilla and natural wood and pine.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I probably say this every month, but I’m always so excited when my Amoda Tea box arrives! I was especially excited for this month’s tea box because I had read on Steepster that this would be a “special” blend box, similar to what we received in December. This month, Amoda Tea teamed up with another one of my favorite tea vendors: Verdant Tea!
And this special Eight Treasures Valentine Blend from Verdant Tea is the first tea that I’m tasting from this month’s Amoda Tea Box. Having previously tried their Eight Treasures Yabao Blend, I felt pretty confident that I’d enjoy this Eight Treasures too.
The ingredients of this blend are similar to the previously tasted and reviewed Eight Treasures, with a few notable differences: this blend has juniper, tulsi and burdock, while the previously reviewed tea has goji berry, marigold and honeysuckle. The result is a drink that tastes slightly warmer … spicier. The previous tea had a more floral and fruity taste – I’d liken it to a “springtime” sort of flavor, while this tea that sits before me has more of a warm “wintertime” kind of flavor to it.
I taste notes of marshmallow from the yabao and these mingle nicely with the vanilla notes. The above description suggests a “valentine hearts candy” sort of taste, and I get that. It does have a sweet taste that is vaguely reminiscent of those little hearts that say “Be Mine” or “Kiss Me” on them.
I also taste the woodsy notes that the description suggests and these notes give it a very winter-y kind of taste: imagine a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace and sipping on tea with your valentine! This tea inspires thoughts like those.
I found that my second infusion was even more delicious than my first – the sweet notes seemed more intense and those “candy heart” notes were better defined in the second cup.
This is a really delightful blend from Verdant, and this box from Amoda Tea makes me a happy subscriber once again.
Tulsi Infusion Black Tea from Teatulia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teatulia
Tea Description:
Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), or “Holy Basil” is native to the Old World tropics and is cultivated for religious and medicinal purposes as well as its essential oil.
Invigorating black tea blend with a rich, full-bodied spiciness. Excellent on ice.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tasted and previously reviewed this Tulsi Infusion Black Tea from Teatulia for another blog, but when the opportunity arose for me to try it again, I took advantage of that opportunity to see how my thoughts for this tea may have changed. After all, when I first tried this tea, I was still fairly new to the herb tulsi. I had tried a few at that point, but, since then, I’ve tried a few more and my liking for tulsi has grown.
The flavor of this blend is very balanced. I can taste the tulsi and the black tea pretty evenly. The black tea is a strong, robust tea. In my previous review of this tea I mentioned that there was a “fair amount of astringency,” but, I’m not noticing a whole lot of astringency to this cup. I am not sure why that is, but I suspect that my brewing parameters are slightly different for this cup.
Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve come to realize the importance of lowering the water temperature for teas and tisanes that contain herbs in them, because the boiling water seems to scorch the herbs and create a little bit of bitterness that I’d rather not be there. By brewing my teas and tisanes that have herbs in the blend at a temperature of 195°F rather than boiling water, I experience less of a bitter bite from my herbal infused teas – including this tea.
An unexpected side affect of this change in temperature might also be less astringency from the brewed cup of tea. This is much smoother and more delicious than I remember the tea being in the past. So, if you’ve been experiencing the same type of issue, try turning the temperature down just a bit and you might find that you’re able to enjoy the herbal blends more.
The tulsi gives this cup a warmth that is just a wee bit spicy (don’t think “chai spicy” … think savory spice) and a crisp flavor that is a little reminiscent of mint, but a more savory tasting mint than peppermint or spearmint. When united with the flavor of the black tea, I get a cup that offers a rich, earthy, savory flavor that tastes of both black tea and warm spice, and mid-sip, I’m greeted with a crisp, invigorating note.
A really good tea – I find that it soothes, calms and gently restores me, especially nice after a hectic day of holiday shopping!
Poppy Fields Tisane from Indie Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi & Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tisane Description:
Tastes like jujubes
Sweet aroma of berries, apple and chamomile. Slightly sweet on the tongue, lightly minty with a tart finish. This tea is full-bodied and rich. Sip this tea and it will calm your body and relax your mind. ahhhhh.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
So, I’m a bit behind on my Amoda Tea reviews! This Poppy Fields Tisane from Indie Tea came in my July Tea Tasting Box, but, I’m just now getting around to reviewing it. What can I say, when it comes to tisanes … I always seem to be reluctant to try it!
But this is one of the prettiest teas I’ve seen in a long time! Big flower buds of chamomile, poppy and rose. And BONUS: No Hibiscus! Yay!
I was excited to see Tulsi as one of the ingredients in this tea (here, it was called “holy basil”) because I have enjoyed the tisanes with Tulsi that I’ve tried. I like the herbaceous, slightly minty, slightly spicy taste that Tulsi brings to a tisane.
In this tisane, the Tulsi offers subtle hints of the minty basil tones which are especially noticeable in the finish. I’m noticing more of a peppery warmth during the sip from the Tulsi than the cooling mint taste. But I like the way the Tulsi comes through in this blend, because there is a strong fruity character to this cup, and the spice gives it some added interest and depth.
The description from Amoda Tea suggests that this tastes like Jujubes … and I don’t know that what I’m tasting is Jujubes. I’ll be honest and mention though, that I’ve not had Jujubes since I was young. They were never really a favorite candy of mine (I didn’t like the way they stuck to my teeth). But I did like their bright, fruity taste, and while this tisane does have a fruity taste to it, I can’t say that this reminds me of that candy.
But it is sweet with lots of fruit notes: apple, orange, and hints of lemon. I don’t really taste a lot of ‘berry’ as mentioned in the description by Amoda, but, I do notice the tartness that lingers in the aftertaste. Given the sheer number of flowers in this blend, I did expect it to taste more floral than it does. It does certainly present a floral note to the palate, but, it’s a smooth, subdued floral taste rather than the sharpness that I often associate with floral tones.
Then again, everything about this particular blend is very calm and relaxed. The flavor is gentle and mild. It is a really tasty tisane … certainly better than I expected it to be given my hesitancy to actually try it. I like the fruity overtones, I like that it doesn’t taste overly herbaceous or medicinal, and I like that there is a pleasant warm yet sweet taste to it … without adding sugar.
As I mentioned in my review of The Road To Hana (also from Indie Tea) – a tea that also came from my Amoda Tea Box for July – I have already tasted and reviewed the third tea that came in my box: Lover’s Lane. I was really happy to see that Amoda Tea focused in on Indie Tea, because they are a company that I really like. They are a fun company with a youthful vibe … I like the jovial attitude they give their teas!
So this tea review gets me all caught up with my July reviews for Amoda Tea … and a good thing too, because I have August’s box waiting for me! I can’t wait to try the teas in that box from their featured blender: Tea Xotics … a company I’ve not yet tried! Yay!
Tulsi India Chai from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
Ingredients… Tulsi, Cinnamon, Rooibos, Ginger Root, Cardamom, Fennel, Pink Peppercorn
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Tulsi India Chai from Shanti Tea is a really tasty twist on what I’ve come to expect from something labeled “chai.” Usually, when I think “chai” … I think of a black tea base with the usual spices: ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. And while this blend does have three of the four usual spices … instead of black tea, it offers up a blend of rooibos and tulsi as the base for this chai.
The result is a naturally caffeine free blend that is spicy and sweet and really very delightful. The tulsi gives it an herbaceous taste without pushing that herbaceousness into the “medicinal” zone, it tastes light and fresh and crisp … exhilarating! There is a refreshing minty taste, notes of savory/sweet basil and this melds so beautifully with the spices.
As for the rooibos – well, I don’t really taste them here, and that’s just fine with me. Rooibos isn’t my favorite taste anyway … and I like this blend just the way it is.
My favorite thing about this blend is the fennel … it gives this cup a snappy-sweet licorice-y taste that I’m really liking. The cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and ginger work very harmoniously to provide a warm, comforting taste without tasting over-the-top spicy. Instead, I’d call this well spiced … certainly warm and zesty without leaving my palate feeling overwhelmed by spice.
A very pleasant way to enjoy chai later in the day when you don’t want to load up on the caffeine … but still want that great taste of chai spice!
The Witching Hour from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Tulsi
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
If you liked our Graveyard Mist from a few weeks back, I think you are going to love this one. We’ve combined Rooibos and Tulsi Rama with cacao nibs and fresh cut peppermint for an unearthly, caffeine-free Halloween treat. The rooibos, tulsi rama and chocolate smooth out the peppermint and make it more rounded, less sharp, more soothing and less jolting. the mint is most prominent, but it’s a subdued mint tamed by this blend of tisanes and chocolate.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh … YUM! This is some seriously delicious minty chocolate goodness in a teacup!
The rooibos and tulsi together offer a bit of an unusual base, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. It it actually quite good. I think that the tulsi helps to soften the rooibos’ sometimes weird woody taste just a bit, and it also adds some definition to the mint, giving the overall cup a more of an herbal-y/earthy kind of taste rather than the typical woody/nutty rooibos flavor, which is, if you think about it, very in keeping with the “witchy” kind of theme. The bit of herbal taste makes it seem as though this might have been freshly ladled from a witches caldron!
But, if it were a potion, I don’t think it’s an evil potion, because an evil witch wouldn’t put chocolate in her potion! This was a potion concocted by a very good witch (or a brilliant, mad, Zoomdweebie of a genius named Frank!)
I like the balance in this cup. I taste the chocolate (and OK, I’ll be honest, more chocolate is always better), and I taste the mint, but, the mint isn’t overpowering. It tastes crisp and smooth at the same time. There is a slight nutty flavor from the rooibos, but as I mentioned before, I find that the taste of the rooibos seems to be tapered somewhat by the tulsi. Everything just seems to work together very harmoniously to create a very soothing, calming, easy to sip tisane.
What a perfectly enchanting brew!