Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Tealux
Tea Description:
Summer solstice is the name for the mythical night of the 21st of June ‘ the shortest night of the year. Midsummer is often described as a pause in-between a change in nature and provides us with the opportunity to pause for a moment in order to align ourselves with the energy changes of the natural forces. We have united the taste of ripe sun fruits and fresh herbs with the Swedish midsummer tradition of blossoms, in order to keep the rays of sun a little while longer in your cup.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s not quite the Summer Solstice yet, but the weather is definitely getting warmer! Perhaps that’s why this particular blend really spoke to me today. It’s hard to tell from the description exactly what you’re going to get, so I jumped right in and brewed up a cup. The first thing of note is the size of the fruit pieces contained in this blend. There are whole raspberries, generous slices of freeze-dried strawberry, and large pieces of apple, pineapple and papaya (about 1 inch square.) There are smaller pieces of hibiscus, small flakes of nettle leaves, and a scattering of sunflower blossoms. The blend as a whole is bright and colourful – very summery-looking. It smells quite rich and fruity, rather in the manner of fruit cake.
I used approximately 2 tsp of leaf, and gave it 4 minutes in boiling water. It’s by no means easy to measure, due to the large leaf size, but I did my best! The resulting liquor is golden brown, and the scent is mildly fruity – I’m picking up blackberry and coconut primarily.
To taste, the raspberry and strawberry are a lot more prominent than I thought they might be. They’re juicy and natural-tasting, sweet initially and then a little tart. The more “tropical” flavours develop in the mid-sip; a lot of coconut, a hint of pineapple, and a slight pepperiness from the papaya. It’s a slightly odd combination, like two halves of two different teas have been unexpectedly brought together. It’s not unpleasant, but the transition from summer berries to tropical fruit is a little jarring. The fruit flavours linger well into the aftertaste, and I can detect a splash of blackberry at this point. It’s tart and a little sour, but again incredibly juicy, and I could see this working well with the initial strawberry/raspberry combination. Somehow, though, it’s not quite what I wanted after the tropical explosion that preceded it.
I quite like this one, purely for it’s accurate fruit flavours and sheer juciness. It’s a great thirst quencher on a warm day. I would have preferred it to be either berry or tropical, though, rather than both. The two flavour sets aren’t a brilliant match to begin with, and nothing is gained when they have to compete with each other for dominance. Still, it’s a pleasing cup on the whole, and I can imagine it working well iced in the warmer months to come.
Malibu Beach Beauty Tea from Newport Skinny Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Green & White Teas
Where to Buy: Newport Skinny Tea
Tea Description:
Malibu Beach Beauty Tea has ingredients that soothe inflammation in your body, especially your tissues, and regulate the hormones that cause acne and skin irritation to show up on the surface. Ingredients in it strengthen collagen production, eliminate excess water trapped in your tissues and reduce the look of cellulite. After using the tea bags, you can place them on your external skin to reduce redness and inflammation of acne, keep away from your eye area.
Learn more about this tea blend here.
Enter to win a Newport Skinny Tea 21 Day “TeaTox” Pack!
Taster’s Review:
Before I even brewed this tea, I read through the description card that came with my sample of this Malibu Beach Beauty Tea and browsed the ingredient list and this tea has a lot going on! Check it out:
Ingredients: Earl Grey Tea, Young Hysson Green Tea, White Tea, Calendula, Lavender Flowers, Red Clover Blossoms, Peppermint Leaves, Rose Flowers & Hips, Linden Leaf & Flower, Elder Flower, Chamomile, Lemon Peel & Oil, Gota Cola, Honeysuckle Flower, Blackberry Leaf, Privet Fruit, Stevia Leaf, Mangosteen Peel, Natural Flavors.
See what I mean? There’s a lot going on. I hope that it’s not too much going on! But I won’t know until I try it. So, I’m off to go brew it in my Kati Tumbler. I’ll use 2 teaspoons of tea in the Kati basket and add 12 ounces of hot water (but not boiling). The parameters on this description card suggest boiling water but with that many herbs plus green and white teas, I feel that boiling water is going to be too hot. I’ll opt for a lower temperature: 180°F, and steep it for 4 minutes. Let’s see how it goes!
Hmm … interesting. It’s an interesting flavor – in a good way! And as I said, there IS a lot going on. Because of that, the result is a flavor that’s a bit more like an herbal tisane than a tea. But that isn’t a bad thing. I like that I’m tasting the lavender and lemon and honeysuckle! I like that I am picking up on the flavors of peppermint and elder flower and rose! And I can still taste notes of bergamot (which are highlighted by the lemon notes) and the black, green and white teas.
I like that there is a lot going on but it all seems to work together in a way that pleases my palate. When I take a sip, my palate is intrigued and interested in what its experiencing. I find myself wanting to sip more rather than push the cup aside – which is, quite frankly, what I feared! I thought I’d take one sip of this and say NO! No like! But that’s not what’s happening. Yeah, it’s different. Yeah it’s a busy tea. But I like it!
The prevailing note here is floral. The lavender and honeysuckle and rose and linden and elder flowers give this a very floral flavor, but it doesn’t cross the line into perfume-y. It doesn’t even really toe the line because there’s other flavors going on to help it take a couple of steps back and keep it tasting floral/herbaceous without going into the icky area of floral/perfume-ish.
This is something I can see myself wanting to drink on a regular basis. It’s a got a really interesting flavor that compels me to continue drinking.
If the idea of beauty from the inside out interests you, check out Newport Skinny Tea’s complete line of teas. You can even enter their raffle – they’re currently giving away a 21 Day TeaTox package!
Lime Cola Guayusa from Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Energy boosting Guayusa tea is blended with cola nut and linden leaves in this lime and cola flavoured tea blend. Guayusa is another one of those Amazonian energy charged super plants and Linden leaves (Lime) has been used for centuries to treat colds, fevers and inflamation.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a guayusa tisane, so when I saw that Bluebird Tea Co. had this Lime Cola Guayusa, I knew it was something that I just had to try!
Guayusa is an herb that has a high caffeine content, so it’s one of those tisanes that you should consume earlier in the day so that you’re not overstimulated as the day comes to an end. I find that after I’ve consumed a cup of Guayusa, I’m much more alert and energized!
This is a tasty blend. I don’t know if I’m getting a true “Lime Cola” taste out of this, but it does taste good. Guayusa tends to have a slightly coffee-esque taste to it, but its smoother and not bitter the way a cup of joe tends to be. And I do get that thinned coffee taste from the Guayusa here.
Then I taste lime! It’s a bright, uplifting flavor that elevates the cup. I taste the citrus notes throughout the sip and well into the aftertaste where I’m getting a little tarty tingle on the tongue.
I do get a slight cola-like flavor and this is especially noticeable as the drink cools. While the drink is hot, though, I could barely taste any cola notes at all. This definitely tastes better chilled!
Even though I didn’t get as much “Lime Cola” taste as I thought I would based on the name of this tisane, I did really enjoy this. I found it tasty and of course, invigorating! A really tasty blend!
Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi, Herbal & Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tisane Description:
The light apple aroma of the chamomile is tempered by herbs and florals and grounded with cacao. This blend does what tea is known to do – bring you to a place of relaxation and reflection. Love & Joy blend tastes sweet and has a soft and round mouthfeel. Sip, relax and enjoy.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
What an interesting tisane! This Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea is the second tea that I’m tasting from February’s Amoda Tea Tasting Box. Yeah, I’m a little behind. My March box should be arriving within days, and I’m still getting around to tasting February’s teas! Better get a move on!
This tisane has an abundance of ingredients:
Marigold (calendula), Goji, Linden Leaf + Flower, Honeysuckle, Chamomile, Tulsi, Elderberry, Cacao, Coriander, Frankincense.
And even though there seems to be a lot going on here, the flavors all meld together in an agreeable way. The first flavor that I can identify is the chamomile, and it offers a light, crisp, apple-y flavor to the cup. Then I notice the tulsi, and it tastes of basil and mint. There is a background of berry notes, and these berry notes come forward in the aftertaste. I get that tart note, that tingly berry sensation that you might experience after eating a tart berry.
After my first few sips, I start to realize that there is a distinct lime-ish note to this and then I re-read the ingredient list: linden! Yep, that would do it. The linden really brightens the cup.
There are light floral notes, not so much from the calendula (I very rarely taste a strong flavor from the marigold petals), but from the honeysuckle. It tastes sweet and floral and I like this little bit of sweetness from the honeysuckle.
In this cup, I smell the frankincense more than I taste it, but there is a warm spiciness to this cup which is not just from the coriander (and the tulsi!), but also the frankincense.
I found myself wanting more cacao. No big surprise there, I guess, since I am a chocoholic. My first 1/3 of the cup, I didn’t really notice much cacao at all, but by the time I finished that first 1/3 of the cup, I started to pick up on the notes of chocolate, and … YUM! I like the way the notes of chocolate meld with the other flavors of this cup. Sure, I’d like more cacao, but, I always do, don’t I?
As it is, this is a really interesting, intriguing cup. It seems to draw me deeper into the depths of its flavor with every sip. I discover more flavors each time I take a drink.
I have to admit that I like this a whole lot more than I thought I would. I’m not usually all that excited to try tisanes, but, this is really tasty!
Persistence of Memory Green Tea Blend from Hari Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Hari Tea
Tisane Description:
Sometimes it feels like the drawer is open and the file is right there, but the printing is in some other language. It is the persistence of memory that we count on.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I held off trying this one for a little while. I’m not a big fan of ginkgo, and since it’s one of the main ingredients in this Persistence of Memory Green Tea Blend from Hari Tea, I was hesitant to try it. But, this is alright! I like it.
Perhaps it’s the other ingredients in this tea – lemon grass, pepper and basil – together with the Sencha green tea that elevates this tea for me. I taste subtle notes of pepper and hints of citrus. I also taste the rose. The herbs together with the floral tones really turn this tea into something tasty.
The aroma of the dry leaf is herbaceous and sweet with floral tones. The brewed tea doesn’t have a strong aroma … it smells like Sencha green tea … but it’s a soft scent. There are whispers of herbal tones along with the green tea fragrance.
An enjoyable and soothing drink. A really good way to add ginkgo to your diet if you’re like me and don’t find it to be particularly enjoyable … this is a good way to get your ginkgo and enjoy it too!