Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Tisane Description:
Pronounced “roy-boss” and means “red bush” in Afrkaans, studies have shown this tea is comparable to green tea in the amounts of EGCG it contains. Rooibos is totally pure and natural. It contains no colorants or preservatives.
And Rooibos tastes divine! It is less bitter than most teas.
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m making more of an effort to drink more tisanes in the evening. Until recently, I would continue drinking Camellia Sinensis teas well into the evening, up to just a couple of hours before I go to bed. And I’ve come to realize that it does affect my ability to fall asleep. So, when it starts getting close to bedtime, I’ve been turning to caffeine free drinks like rooibos and honeybush, and on the nights when I know I need to catch some zzz … I even have a chamomile tea. I’ve noticed a difference with my sleeping patterns now that I’m drinking more tisane later in the evening.
Tonight, I wanted something soothing on my tummy, so I reached for this Rooibos Ginger Peach from Tea of Life. I like that it’s sweet from the peach notes and the honeyed, nutty flavors of the rooibos, but there’s just enough of a zesty kick from the ginger to give the cup some contrasting flavor.
The ginger isn’t an overpowering flavor. It starts out rather subtle. The first couple of sips, I could barely taste the ginger. But as I continued to sip, the ginger flavor began to develop, and now there is a gentle heat at the back of the palate. I feel the warmth of the ginger but it’s not too hot.
And the sweetness of the peach curbs the zing of the ginger. Ginger and peach are a classic flavor combination and they really complement each other well in this tisane.
The rooibos is sweet, slightly earthy and nutty but I like that the drink doesn’t taste too strongly of rooibos, which is not my favorite flavor. The natural honey-like sweetness melds quite nicely with the peach and ginger notes.
Overall, a pleasant cup to enjoy later in the day.
Honeybush Herbal Tisane from Simple Loose Leaf
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tisane Description:
A sweet, smooth honey-scented herbal tea, Honeybush is made up of the leaves, stems, and flowers of a bush native to South Africa. Honeybush provides a bit of a natural smoked flavor with a touch of a tart finish. It is caffeine-free, low in tannins and contains antioxidants, making it a delicious, healthy, and versatile beverage.
Ingredients: South African Honeybush Herbal Tea
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Save 25% off when you sign up for the Selection Club. Use the coupon code SISTERSELECTION25 when you join. This discount is applicable only to the monthly Selection Club subscription and not the retail selection of teas.
Taster’s Review:
It’s not very often that I have a cup of straight-up honeybush anymore. Usually, I’m tasting honeybush as part of a flavored blend. But as I sit here, sipping on this Honeybush from this month’s box from Simple Loose Leaf, I find that I’m quite enjoying this! I’m enjoying it a lot more than I expected to.
In fact, as I was brewing it, my attitude was kind of glib. I wasn’t all that excited about it. I mean, it’s not like I’ve not tried pure honeybush in the past.
But as I said, it’s been a while since the last time I had a cup of pure honeybush. I don’t know for sure how long it’s been, but it’s been long enough to where I’ve forgotten just how tasty a cup of straight-up honeybush tastes.
It’s sweet and honey-esque. Hence the name. There is a nutty note to it, and a slight woodsy tone. The description above suggests a “natural smoked flavor” and while I can’t say that I ever remember that smoky note in the past, I am noticing it now. It’s slightly toasty. It enhances the nutty flavors, so perhaps that’s why the smoky/toasty note was indistinguishable in the past because what was “smoky” or “toasty” was also “nutty.”
It’s a very soothing beverage, and because it’s naturally caffeine free, it’s one that you can drink later in the evening without worry that you’ll start bouncing off the walls from a caffeinated buzz. And while pure honeybush is not something that I keep on hand regularly, it sure is nice to have a cup of it every once in a while, and I have Simple Loose Leaf to thank for reminding me of that!
That’s one of the reasons that I absolutely LOVE the Selection Club tea box that arrives from Simple Loose Leaf in my mailbox every month. I get five sampler size packages of high quality loose leaf tea in every box. Each month, these five teas are different, and every month, the box is a new adventure. It’s so much fun to receive this box every month!
Fenouil Tisane from Les 2 Marmottes
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Les 2 Marmottes
Tisane Description:
Fennel, magical blend of flavors! Who can resist its sweet anise, its sweet and sugary notes? It is a symphony of flavors of the South, who said at first sip and do not easily forget. This is indeed the mark of a great deceiver.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I absolutely LOVE the aroma of this tea. Licorice! Love! The dry leaf has a stronger fragrance than the brewed liquid (not surprising) but they both smell absolutely amazing.
I steeped the bag at 195°F for 8 minutes and while it was steeping, I enjoyed the delightful licorice aroma that filled the kitchen. Fennel is not an herb that I usually keep in the kitchen, mostly because I’m the only person in this household that enjoys its sweet, licorice-y taste. I used to keep it on hand back when I was blending my own tea blends (it was one of the ingredients of my Masterpiece Chai blends), but since I closed my business, I haven’t had much need to keep it around anymore since, as I said, I’m the only one who really likes it here, and when I’m cooking, I’m cooking for more than just me.
So, it was a real treat to have this tea and enjoy the smell of fennel in the house again! Although, I have to admit that I have never actually had a cup of infused, 100% fennel before. I’ve had it in teas and tisanes as part of a blend before, but never have I consumed a 100% fennel infusion before.
But it’s really tasty! It tastes like black licorice, and since I’m a huge fan of black licorice, I’m loving every sip of this Fenouil Tisane from Les 2 Marmottes. It’s sweet – almost sugary sweet – and it doesn’t have quite as much sharpness or snap as the black licorice that I’m fond of generally has. This is a “softer” version of black licorice … black licorice’s sweeter younger sibling.
But it is very enjoyable. I found it to be very soothing – this would make a great tisane to reach for if you’ve an upset stomach. If you’re not particularly fond of the taste of black licorice, you probably won’t enjoy this either. But if you like black licorice, you’d really enjoy this tisane.
Verveine Tisane from Les 2 Marmottes
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Les 2 Marmottes
Tisane Description:
When stress plays tricks on you, verbena takes you by the hand. Let us guide you, it will take you to a quiet and peaceful place. At the end of a meal, ask him his note. She will present weightless and far from salt.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love the smell of verbena. That light, bright, lemon-y aroma that smells so fresh and lively. And that’s the fragrance that greeted me when I tore into the packet of this Verveine Tisane from Les 2 Marmottes.
It’s a scent that reminds me of summer. My grandmother had a very prolific lemon tree in her backyard, which meant a summertime full of freshly squeezed lemonade, lemon meringue pies and other yummy lemon-y treats.
As much as I love an ice-cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade, I think I prefer the taste of a cup of brewed verbena over lemonade. I can get a smooth, sweet lemon-curd like taste from a cup of verbena without the tartness and without all that sugar that I’d get from a glass of lemonade.
And this Verveine from Les 2 Marmottes is very refreshing and relaxing to drink! It would taste great iced (and I like to add some verbena to my pure Ceylon tea when I brew it for iced tea for a nice little touch of citrus), but tonight, I’m enjoying a cup of hot Verveine and it’s quite soothing. I feel it calming me with each sip I take.
The flavor is delicately sweet and bright with lemon-y notes. It doesn’t have that tart pucker that I’d get from lemon, though, this is a smooth, gentle lemon note with a touch of butter, similar to what I might taste if I were to eat the sweet, creamy filling of a lemon meringue pie. There are some subtle herbaceous tones to this as well, but I like that they don’t disrupt the lovely lemon notes.
A really nice cup of pure verbena!
Organic Original Tulsi from Tea of Life
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tisane Description:
Tulsi or Holy basil is considered a medicinal plant with different parts of the plant possessing various different medicinal properties. Tulsi is said to be a remedy for digestive problems, acidity and other digestive disorders and help reduce weight as well.
Ingredients: Organic Tulsi Leaf
Taster’s Review:
I think that I prefer Tulsi when it’s part of a blend (with other ingredients) than when it’s going solo like it is with this Organic Original Tulsi from Tea of Life. This tulsi has a bit too much of a medicinal/herbaceous flavor for my liking and I find myself wishing that there was something else to perk up the beverage a bit.
That’s not to say that it tastes bad. It doesn’t. It has a basil like flavor, with peppery notes and a whisper of minty like background notes. It’s a pleasant enough, savory tasting cuppa. But, really, it’s just kind of … boring. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled and been treated to quite a few flavored blends with Tulsi leaf, andso I feel like this tisane is falling a little flat in comparison.
Some good points: It is a nice, gentle drink with a pleasing touch of spice, a really nice beverage to enjoy after meals. I find that it has a soothing, settling quality to it especially after a very filling meal (like spaghetti!) My tummy feels calmer now after drinking it than it did before I started sipping. Another positive: I like that this is organic.
Not a bad drink, but, not my favorite from those that I’ve tried from Tea of Life, either. I do like that it’s an organic tisane, and I appreciate the health benefits that Tulsi offers, although as I’ve said on other occasions, I drink teas and tisanes not because they’re good for me, but because I enjoy the taste. This is alright, but probably not something I’d want to drink often.