Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong, Pu-erh and Herbal
Where to Buy: BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Description:
We’ve gotten enough feedback from guys to know you want your own tea, and you don’t want a frilly peacock feather on it. Point taken. Here you go.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the three different teas from BijaBody Health + Beauty I was sent to try, this was the one with which I hesitated longest. I could think of all kinds of silly excuses, but, if I were to be completely honest, it was because it was a “man” tea, and well, the last time I checked, I’m a woman.
But, really, that’s pretty silly too. It’s a tea! There are some herbals in there that are definitely intended for men, but, I have never claimed to drink tea for its health benefits, so why should I not drink a tea because of its purported health benefits for men?
This tea has a strong earthy quality to it, much stronger than I recall tasting with either the Daily Beauty Tea or the Nightly Beauty Tea from BijaBody. I definitely taste the Pu-erh here, but, it isn’t an overwhelming or off-putting flavor. I also taste the Oolong, and I can feel the texture from the Oolong too – its smooth and almost creamy.
This also has a slight medicinal quality to it, but not so much that it makes me want to stop drinking it. The medicinal flavor is balanced out with the warm spice notes in the background as well as the tea flavors to give this a very enjoyable taste. After a glance at the ingredients, I worried that the cayenne might be a bit too much for the cup, but, it is actually quite subtle, providing a little bit of heat, but, certainly not to the point where I’d categorize this as spicy or even medium-hot. It has a mild spice – it’s warm and energizing.
Overall, this is an enjoyable beverage, even for those of us who are not men. If I were to change anything about it, though, I should like for there to be more of a chocolate taste from the cacao nibs… I taste only hints of cocoa here. But for what it is, I found it quite agreeable.
Root 66 Tea from Monterey Bay Spice Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane/Spice Melangé
Where to Buy: Monterey Bay Spice Company
Product Description:
Roasted dandelion, chicory root, and sarsaparilla root get you started towards Root 66 Tea. Creating a robust and dark infusion, this herbal tea exudes a mouth-watering natural earthiness. Good for your liver, Root 66 Tea also twists in a bit of the exotic: the lively sweetness of coconut and the slight chocolate taste of carob. With lingering licorice airiness, this herbal makes a fantastic coffee substitute or a dessert tea!
Ingredients–Sarsparilla root, chicory root, roasted dandelion root, carob pods, cinnamon, fennel, crystal malt and coconut.
Caffeine Free
Taster’s Review:
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m always a little leery of herbal blends such as this. I’m always afraid that they’ll taste too medicinal for my personal taste, so I find myself always putting off trying them.
And I am really sorry that I put off trying this one as long as I did, because it’s rather tasty! It has a sweet, root beer-like taste to it which is enhanced by the spices and malt. It has a slightly roasted taste to it too, and I like how the coconut and sarsaparilla taste together. It’s really much better than I imagined it would be.
The Sarsaparilla root gives this tisane its root beer taste. The licorice-y taste of fennel and the cocoa notes of the carob enhance the sweetness of this cup while the cinnamon gives it a nice warmth in the background. There is a roasted note to this as well from the chicory and roasted dandelion root which adds depth to the cup.
But what really makes this tisane special is the coconut. I love the combination of flavors – it’s sort of like a chocolate and coconut flavored spiced root beer!
This tisane has a little bit of an herbal/medicinal aftertaste that I would define as almost peppery – it’s the dandelion! However, this aftertaste doesn’t linger very long. And because I enjoy the flavor of the tea so much, I can overlook the aftertaste.
I am sipping this now as a hot beverage – it is cold and wet outside and I am enjoying the warm, cozy comfort of a hot tea, but I think that this blend would be even better iced – it would be a great substitute for soda! Just a little pinch of sugar will enhance the sweeter notes and make it an irresistible treat for the kids. It’s naturally caffeine free, so there’s nothing to overstimulate them, either!
This is YUMMY!
Dandylicious from Byron Bay Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Byron Bay Tea Company
Company Description:
Rich, full-flavoured and caffeine-free, this specialty blend is a cleansing coffee substitute. The roasted wattleseed makes it a little nutty, while the cinnamon adds a spicy sweetness. Ideal for ‘Soy Dandelion Lattés’ (LSDs) plus perfectly palatable on its own.
Taster’s Review:
As I sit here with the cup in front of me, I can smell the aroma from the cup – and it really does have a very coffee-like scent. When I bring the cup up to my nose for closer olfactory “inspection” the fragrance of the cinnamon becomes more distinguishable, but there is still a very coffee-like essence to it.
The flavor is a little … different. It isn’t bad, but it is rather unusual, and I can see how the flavor might be a bit off-putting to some. This blend’s saving grace is the cinnamon, which adds a very pleasing spicy sweetness.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried a dandelion tea before, or if I have, I wasn’t aware of it. So I don’t really know what that tastes like. I mean, when I was a kid, I used to munch on dandelion stems, and I occasionally enjoy a spring mix salad that has dandelion greens in it, but that pretty much sums up my culinary experience with dandelion.
And then there is the wattleseed. I’ve only tried one other tea blend with Wattleseed in it (at least only one other to my knowledge!) and it was Byron Bay’s Chai.
My lack of experience with two-thirds of these ingredients is quite apparent; however, I will do my best to review the teas based upon what I taste. I taste cinnamon (as I mentioned previously) – its sweet and warm spice tones are very apparent in this cup.
There is a herbaceous kind of background note that is somewhat bitter and reminds me a bit of cooked dark leafy greens, so I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that this flavor comes from the dandelion. As odd as this bitterness is, I am finding it quite interesting and a delicious addition to the cup. There is also a pleasing malty flavor. I can also taste a nutty flavor to the cup. All of these interesting notes lend themselves well to the coffee-like translation of this tisane.
I really liked this herbal tea. It is quite different from any other tea or tisane that I’ve tried thus far, and this uniqueness alone sets it apart and makes it rather enjoyable.