Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tea Description:
Are you having one of those days where you just want to snuggle under the covers and go back to sleep…but you can’t? Are you in the middle of one of those afternoon lulls when you just want to rest your eyes for a wee little bit?
GOOD NEWS! Let the naturally caffeinated green tea found in Vibrant Morning Herbal Tea help put a little pep into your step! You don’t like green tea, you say? Well, to be honest, I’m not a fan of its rather sharp taste either. However, Vibrant Morning’s added combination of lemon verbena, spearmint, lemongrass, and lemon peel will whisk that astringency right away. Whew! Green tea for all!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yes, I’ll get into my review of this Vibrant Morning Green Tea blend from Because UR Priceless in just a moment. But first, a rant:
I find myself in disagreement with the above description – I am a fan of green tea. I LOVE green tea! I don’t find the flavor of it to be sharp at all. In fact, when brewed properly, green tea is buttery, soft, and silky. Vegetal, yes. Most green teas are. But they’re also beautifully sweet, smooth and complex.
Some green teas are astringent, but I find green teas to be on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to astringency. Sharp or bitter? No, not if you use a good quality product and brew it properly.
I think that the reason so many people dislike green teas is because either: a) they’re brewing a sub-par product, and/or b) they’re steeping the tea incorrectly.
To address matter a): as with just about anything, you get what you pay for. If you’re going to the grocery store and buying the cheapest green tea off the shelf, green tea dust and fannings that have been stuffed into teabags and then packaged in boxes that have probably been sitting on that aforementioned grocery store shelf for the last year (or longer!), you know what? I wouldn’t want to drink that stuff either. I’m not a fan of that stuff. Do yourself a favor and find a reputable purveyor of loose leaf green teas.
Which leads me to matter b): Learn how to brew those loose leaf teas! Because green tea leaves have not endured an oxidation process the way black tea leaves have, they are more delicate. They can’t withstand boiling water temperatures because boiling water can and most likely will scorch the leaves. They don’t need to be steeped as long as black tea either – usually 1 – 2 minutes will do. Some green teas should only be steeped for 30 seconds! A purveyor that knows their stuff will be able to tell you the best way to brew the tea to get the most out of it.
Now … on to the review!
What a lovely green tea blend! I love the combination of spearmint and bright, lemony notes! The green tea offers a soft, sweet background note.
The lemon-y notes are prominent and when I sip this, I find myself thinking: vibrant. Sunny. So … yeah, the name of this tea works. The burst of lemony flavor is very Vibrant and makes me think of the sunshine in the morning. I like that the lemon notes are tangy and tart, but not so tart that I’m puckering. The presence of the crisp spearmint and the smooth green tea help to soften the tartier notes of the lemon.
The spearmint adds a fresh taste to the cup. I like the choice of the spearmint here, which I find to be a little less aggressive than peppermint. The spearmint doesn’t overwhelm the flavors. Rather, it complements the juicy flavor of the lemon.
And the green tea isn’t lost in this blend (and I admit that I was a wee bit concerned that it might be after reading the above description). I taste the light vegetal notes. It has a light buttery taste and a silky texture. And this blend of spearmint and lemon-y herbals would not have the same flavor or mouthfeel without the presence of the green tea.
A very enjoyable, satisfying blend that’s delicious served hot or iced!
Lemon Aid Herbal Tisane from The Rabbit Hole
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: The Rabbit Hole
Tisane Description:
The marriage of lemon and ginger, need we say more? Great hot with a dash of honey but equally at home with a few ice cubes to chill it down.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice! This Lemon Aid Herbal Tisane from The Rabbit Hole is really refreshing! There is a really nice balance between the ginger and the citrus-y tones here, the ginger is not overpowering … it doesn’t have that high-powered pepper kick to it. Instead, it is warm and soothing and it complements the citrus flavors of the tisane.
Like the ginger, I am finding the lemon-y notes to be somewhat subdued, but, it has a really lovely, sweet lemon taste rather than a pucker-y lemon flavor. There is, of course, some tart and tangy notes to the lemon and these are most noticeable in the aftertaste where I feel a little tingle on my tongue. The aftertaste also offers some of the peppery tones of the ginger … but it is still quite subtle. It’s very pleasant.
I drank this hot, since the weather is still so cold outside, and I found it to be very comforting and cozy to drink hot, but as it cooled, I found it to be very refreshing, like lemonade. I did notice that some of the flavors tapered slightly as it cooled, so I would recommend brewing it strong if you’re making iced tea with this.
This is the kind of tea that you want to keep on hand for the times when you might be feeling a bit under the weather, because it’s so soothing to the throat. I am not feeling under the weather at the moment, but, I did notice how nice it felt on my throat, regardless!
A very nice tisane!
Sunset in Seattle Tea from Market Spice
Tea Type: Herba;
Where To Buy: Market Spice
Product Description:
One of our sweetest and most popular herbal teas, Sunset in Seattle is a blend utilizing a myriad of herbs that are soothing and mellow. Ingredients: Rosehips, Vanilla, Chamomile, Spearmint, Raspberry, Lemon Grass, Hyssop and herbs. Contains no sugar and is caffeine free.
Tasters Review:
Sunset in Seattle Tea from Market Spice looked much like the picture above thru the see-thru bag it came in but there was white powder heavily throughout the blend. For me not knowing too much about this tisane before trying it I was confused by the powder ingredient but quickly released it was the vanilla within the mix.
The vanilla ‘powder’ is powerful and very nice smelling. The overall aroma consists of Chamomile, Mint, and Vanilla. The color post-infusion is a cloudy gray-orange-yellow type color. The taste is minty but floral…Herbally yet smooth…lemony yet vanilla….this is odd but lovely. It’s interesting and surprising! I ended up REALLY liking this one! The aftertaste is minty yet sweet! Opposites completely attract in this case…and it makes me grin from ear to ear!
I especially liked the vanilla and minty notes!
Lemongrass Tea from Supple Skin Boutique
Tea Type: Herbal
Where To Buy: Supple Skin Boutique
Product Description:
Common name: Citronella
Used for calming effect that relieves insomnia or stress. Also considered as a mild insect repellant.
Used as diuretic for detox as well as antibacterial and antifungal.
Used on dogs to reduce barking and as an aid to retraining
No established contraindications.
This information is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Tasters Review:
Did you know that LEMONGRASS can help dogs bark less? I guess I never knew that!
Another thing I must point out is that my other Lemongrass herbal teas don’t really look like this. This one looks like a pale-tannish-yellow color and has lemongrass but also what looks like root and powder in the mix!
It really didn’t have an aroma prior to infusing but afterwards…it was pleasant but not over the top! It infuses to a VERY clear and clean pale almost completely clear color liquid-wise. It’s a very gentle lemongrass and a gentle herb type taste.
This isn’t too bad! I think it would make a nice base for blending! It does leave a refreshing aftertaste, too! I give this one a thumbs-up from Supple Skin Boutique!
Fennel Masala Chai from Yogic Chai
Tea Type: Chai
(Black Tea Base)
Where To Buy: Yogic Chai
Product Description:
Herbal Properties:
– Assam Tea (black Tea): Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the green, oolong and white varieties. All four varieties are made from leaves of Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas.
NOTE:The USDA recently stated that drinking black tea may lower bad cholesterol levels and could one day be used to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Read more. Click here!
– Cardamom: A household spice that is commonly used to support digestion without increasing Heat.* It has expectorant and diaphoretic actions.* The mucus forming properties of milk are neutralized when cardamom is added to it.*
– Cinnamon: This warming spice is traditionally used in cold formulas as an expectorant and diaphoretic (sweat inducing).* Due to its warming property, cinnamon is known to promote digestion.*
– Cloves: An energizing herb,* cloves are an effective stimulant and aromatic for the lungs and stomach.* Cloves are used extensively in Ayurvedic herbology.
– Ginger: In Ayurvedic and Chinese herbology, Ginger is known to have heating, cleansing, toning and stimulating properties.* Ginger promotes digestion, relieves abdominal discomfort, dispels chills and it is also useful for relieving respiratory complaints due to phlegm and arthritic conditions due to coldness.*
– Fennel: A common spice that it is traditionally used in Ayurvedic Medicine to improve digestion and absorption without increasing Fire. Fennel is calming to the nerves and their aroma acts upon the mind and promotes mental awareness. * Fennel is also found to increase low milk supply in breastfeeding moms.*
- This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Tasters Review:
I was afraid when I saw just how much fennel was in this dry blend mix! I must say I have had some less than pleasant experiences with fennel in tea. BUT…
This is wonderful! It leads me to believe that much of the fennel that I have had in teas has been either artificial or enhanced in some way with additional flavoring and/or the blends I have had have been too over the top with the other ingredients that either don’t mesh well with the other spices or interrupt the natural fennel taste!
Regardless…
This is what fennel SHOULD be all about! This has a great deal of Fennel IN the mix but it tastes very good and more natural tasting than others I have tried prior to this little gem from Yogic Chai!
The other ingredients are gentle and in the background. They only assist and do the fennel justice in this specific case! I’m very impressed with Fennel Masala Chai fro m Yogic Chai!
This if my favorite Fennel Related Tea to date!