Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane & Spice Melange
Where to Buy: ESP Emporium
Tisane Description:
Winter solstice, also called midwinter, is the pendant to midsummer and symbolizes hope: it marks the longest night of the year after which the days slowly become longer! The period of the Zodiac signs of Capricorn to Gemini. However, since the four elements of the twelve astrological zodiac signs – air, earth, fire and water – comprise the second half of the year, we are certain that the warm flavors of caramelized pomegranate in combination with the wintry spices are also a real indulgence and bright spot for the signs of Cancer to Sagittarius! The stars are in your favor!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I am usually hesitant to try fruit and herbal tisanes such as this Winter Solstice Herb Tea Blend from ESP Emporium, usually because hibiscus scares me just a tad, but also because I really just prefer TEA … as in the leaf of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Fruit and herbal tisanes aren’t bad, but, they just aren’t as interesting to me as tea.
However, I am enjoying this blend. It is heavier on the fruit than it is on the herbal, and there is a nice touch of spice to this that makes it very palate pleasing. The hibiscus is not a heavy component to the tisane – there is some and it adds to the color (the liquid brews to a beautiful ruby color), the texture (which is thick but not too thick or syrupy), and just a hint of tartness to the flavor (which offers a nice contrast to some of the sweet and spice of this blend).
I like that I can taste the pomegranate, the orange, and the cranberry. I like the combination of these fruits. Together they are sweet, tangy and verging on tart but not so tart that I find it off-putting, and I tend to be very sensitive to tartness. (I don’t like to pucker when I’m drinking tea!) Of these three fruits, I think that the orange is the strongest, and perhaps the orange (together with the apple, which offers more of a “sweetness but not so much of a distinct apple flavor) is what tones down the tartness to a drinkable level for me.
I don’t taste a whole lot of the Star Anise here, and I find myself wishing there were more of that licorice-y note that anise is known for. I taste the cinnamon, and I feel the cinnamon! Toward the end of the sip, and in to the aftertaste, I feel it toward the back of my mouth and the top of my throat. It isn’t a strong cinnamon note, but it is enough to keep things interesting.
Overall, this is a very interesting blend of fruit, herb and spice. And even though it’s called “Winter Solstice” it is one that I’d drink year round … it would be excellent served iced, and one that I think kids would really enjoy.
Vanilla African Redbush Tea from MarketSpice
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Tisane Description:
The addition of Vanilla flavoring and Chamomile to our standard African RedBush provides a rich and satisfying cup of tea. Add honey for that extra zing. High in anti-oxidants and naturally caffeine free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a really nice vanilla flavored rooibos blend. Normally, chamomile is not my favorite thing, but, I like the addition of chamomile here. It adds just enough of something different to the cup to keep it interesting.
The aroma of the dry leaf is quite distinctive. It smells of tobacco – like the pipe tobacco that my step-mother would buy for my dad as she attempted to encourage him to smoke a pipe. She liked the smell of pipe smoke. I am not particularly fond of the smell of the smoke, but I liked the smell of tobacco (is it called “raw” tobacco when it’s not smoked and still in the package?)
But I’ll be honest, it throws me off a bit when I smell that fragrance in a tea. I find the smell of pipe tobacco pleasant but it doesn’t smell like something I want to consume, you know what I mean? But, once it started brewing, the aroma became much more like rich vanilla and less like tobacco.
The flavor is very pleasant. It has a smooth, creamy vanilla taste with a hint of nutty rooibos in the background. The woody tones of the rooibos come out as well, and I like the way they meld with the vanilla notes. The chamomile is very light, but I can taste that hint of apple-like flavor from the chamomile.
Overall, it’s a very enjoyable tea. I especially enjoy it later in the evening while watching TV, it’s got such a relaxing quality to it. Very nice!
Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea from Bird Pick Tea & Herb
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Bird Pick Tea & Herb
Tea Description:
High Mountain Oolong Tea is synonymous with the finest Oolong teas in the world. They are grown at high elevations in Taiwan, which has a unique environment due to its geographical location, mountainous terrain, and subtropical climate. The result is a greater quality tea. Also known as Wu-long Tea, this semi-oxidized tea is commonly brewed strong and is known to help metabolism.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve not had the opportunity to try a lot of Bird Pick Tea & Herb’s teas, but the ones that I have tried, I’ve been very impressed with and I can say without hesitation have been among some of the very best that I’ve tasted. This Taiwan High Mountain Oolong is no exception.
This is exquisite! The flavor is sweet and creamy, but not in a similar way to the creamy, buttery and/or milky notes that I’ve experienced from other green Oolongs. This is a bit like sweet cream, yes, but, it doesn’t ever feel like it’s going to overwhelm the palate the way so many milk Oolong teas can. It finishes so softly, so cleanly. I get that sweet, creamy taste but without feeling like it’s building up on my tongue.
There is a lovely fruit note here as well, as though the sweet cream had been sweetened with fruit. Plum, perhaps? But a bit sweeter … like the sweetness of the plum without the tartness.
And of course there are some floral notes – but again, the floral tones are different here. They aren’t sharp – just smooth and sweet. Like a flower from a dream: sweet, soft and gentle. Nothing distinct or rudimentary, instead, this is like a billowy cloud of flowers floating off in the distance.
Another lovely and unique tea experience from Bird Pick Tea & Herb. I love this!
Six Herb Tea from MarketSpice
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Tea Description:
A tangy yet fruity blend of herbs. This old time favorite tea contains Lemon Grass, Rosehips, Hibiscus, Peppermint, Orange Peel and Wild Cherry Bark. Caffeine free.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yet another tea that I held on to because the herbal content scared me a bit. Hibiscus! Yikes! Run for the hills!
But now that I’m finally tasting it, the hibiscus really isn’t a very strong flavor. It does offer a slight tangy note to the overall cup, as well as some texture and a pretty pinkish hue. However, the other herbs in this blend manage to keep the hibiscus in check, and keep it from getting too tart or syrupy. Of course, being diligent on the steep time is important too, I steeped this for six minutes using water at 195°F, and I really wouldn’t recommend steeping it any longer than that.
Really, despite all my trepidation, this really is quite a tasty tisane. Tangy, yes, but not overly so. It also has some sweet citrus-y notes that meld nicely with the tangy notes to give it a light sweet-tart kind of flavor that I find rather enjoyable as well as soothing. And the peppermint – which is another sometimes aggressive herb – manages to stay in check too. I like how the minty note really freshens up the cup, providing a crisp, cool note to contrast with the sweet and tangy flavors.
A nice herbal that both kids and adults can enjoy any time of day.
Wild Forest Tulsi from The Tao of Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: The Tao of Tea
Tisane Description:
Flavor Profile:Very fragrant, notes of kafir limes, orange, mint and cloves.
Ingredients:100% Organic Wild Forest (Vana) Tulsi leaves and stems.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I often find myself at a loss on how to describe an “unflavored” tea or herb, because, even though the natural flavor of the product has not been altered by flavoring, it is often quite flavorful on its own and therefore I don’t feel the word “unflavored” applies.
Unadulterated? Unaltered? Untainted? These words seem to intimate that the act of flavoring tea is somehow wrong, and I don’t agree with that sentiment, as I enjoy many types of tea, both flavored and “unflavored.”
Unmixed? This almost seems like the reverse sentiment … like tea and herbs should be blended, flavored or mixed, and I don’t agree with that either.
How about Plain? This seems to imply that the tea or herb is boring. Plain. Dull. And I don’t agree with that either.
So, after what has seemed a long “inner debate” with myself, I think I may have finally settled upon the word PURE to describe an unflavored tea or herb.
And, I think that the word pure is the perfect word to describe this Wild Forest Tulsi from The Tao of Tea. The aroma of the dry leaf is quite herbaceous, reminiscent of the fragrance of the air one might experience while taking a hike in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. (We have a lot of mint growing wild up here!) Once brewed, the tea becomes extraordinarily fragrant. I noticed a medicinal quality to the aroma as I poured it, reminding me a bit of vapor rub.
And to tell you the truth, that isn’t exactly what I would consider to be a mouth-watering scent. But, I still managed to get myself to take a sip … and I found myself taking another, and then another. At first, it seemed to be more curiosity than anything else, but, by the time I made my way to mid-cup, I found myself really enjoying what I was drinking.
The flavor is incredibly complex for an herb: I taste hints of mint and a warm, spicy note to it (not “spicy hot” really, but more of an exotic spicy note) as well as notes of citrus. It has a very satisfying savoriness to it; it is very calming and relaxing to sip.
A lovely, pure herb. I love how it offers a sense of tranquility to me as I wind down this evening.