Sereni-tea from Because UR Priceless. . . . .

I was never an herbal tisane person…until I realized that my trouble sleeping might be coming from the copious amounts of late night tea. I need something nice and cozy with good flavor that won’t keep me up, so I am enjoying checking out some caffeine free options.

There are a lot of herbal blends that are not just free from caffeine, they actually help promote relaxation.

I turned on a playlist of spa/sleep music and made a small pot of this tisane. A couple of cups later, here is my impression. Use a strainer meant for very fine particles if you mind bits in your cup. I don’t mind them at all. The chamomile is a good one, either lacking the tongue twister some can have or being smoothed by the other ingredients, and the peppermint is very relaxing. It leaves a tingle long after the sip and I do find it refreshing without being stimulating. Peppermint by itself doesn’t thrill me, but in blends I like it. In fact, I am finding it a little difficult to stay up long enough to finish this review.

This was out of stock on the etsy shop at the time of this writing, but may be back in time for publication! May you have Sereni-tea as you sip today! (Or tonight!)


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Because UR Priceless 
Description:

Take a few moments to sit quietly and enjoy the ultra-soothing taste of SERENI-TEA.
Go ahead, the world won’t end if you take a break. (Unless of course, you are guarding zombies. In that case, please wait for your replacement first.)
Release the tension and bring on the calm.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Spa from Tea Vibes. . .

A few months ago, I found myself stuck in on a plane in Detroit due to a wicked thunderstorm.  The delay caused myself and basically the rest of the plane to miss our connecting flights.  There was a silver lining though, while on the plane I met this incredibly interesting lady who was a podcaster and we started talking about the blogs, podcasting and all sorts of geeky subjects.  Of course the conversation turned to tea and she told me about an interesting tea company that she had recently been introduced to via her podcast.  Fast forward a few months, that same tea company reached out for SororiTea Sisters to review their teas. I was ecstatic!

The first tea I tried was literally the first tea I grabbed from the sample pack.  Spa- a blend of green tea, mint, cucumber, and citrus vibes. This tea called to me in many different ways and I will admit, I’m a sucker for a cool crisp mint cucumber tea.  Of course as soon as I parceled out my sample from the pouch and into my tea pot, I had to stick my nose right in and take a big whiff. I was instantly enamored with the gorgeous pops of citrus cucumber aromas with a minty undertone. No lie, my kettle couldn’t prep the water fast enough. Brewed with water right under boiling and allowed to brew for right around 3 minutes, I took my first sip and I’m not going to lie, my heart sank a little.

Though I could get these bright pops of citrus, cucumber, mint, green tea. . . I also tasted stevia.  Unfortunately, I am not one that enjoys stevia in my tea and usually have found that stevia over takes the tea in general and I’m sad to say that is what has happened with this blend. Being one that typically doesn’t add any kind of sweetener to her tea, I went to Tea Vibes site and noticed that this blend did in fact have stevia.  Not a bad thing and there are some blends that stevia does seem to work, but for me this wasn’t one of those blends.

But I will say, thru the stevia, I can taste these awesome flavors that scream relax vibes with authority.  So if you are one that doesn’t mind stevia in their tea, I highly highly encourage you to check out this blend.  Their site is so appealing and their packaging is different than what I have been seeing for other companies, along with the unique palm tree being built into their logo.  So even tho this one go may not have been for me, I’m excited to dig thru the rest of the samples Tea Vibes sent us to see if I can find a tea that is more to my taste buds.

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green
Where to Buy:   Tea Vibes
Description

An invigorating loose-leaf green tea infused with mint, cucumber and citrus vibes. Add one of our infuser accessories to complete your Vibe.

Ingredients: organic green tea, peppermint, green tea, cucumber, lime pieces, lemon peel, lime juice, flavors, stevia, lemon myrtle, lemon juice, sea salt, citric acid, malic acid. Blended in a facility that processes nuts (coconut). Vegan. 

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Thoughts on Soothing with Chamomile / Balcony Tea. . . .

It is often said that you can steep anything that isn’t a true tea for much longer then regular.

For the most part it is true. I would suggest, however, to still taste every few minutes while you are steeping. I steeped this tea for the majority of the morning and now it is basically a chamomile punch in the mouth.

When steeped for 5 – 7 minutes it is a perfect harmony of herbal notes with the chamomile and rose nicely balanced. Like most tisane with rose petals this one also smells like a garden when you open the bag.

Truly a pleasant aroma.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description:

Feel transported to a beautiful evening in the Mediterranean. All is calm and you can smell wild flowers. Perfect for a moment to yourself or to wind down after a busy day.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Orange Dreamsicle from Wise Ape Tea Co. . . . .

Wise Ape Company might be best known for its Chocolate Hustle tea blend, a high-caffeine yerba mate blend, but recently, the Wise Ape has branched out to feature an assam black tea blend and an herbal blend as well.  Orange Dreamsicle is the new herbal tea offering from Wise Ape.

I love the names and designs from Wise Ape, not to mention their videos featuring a big ape hand brewing tea.  Orange Dreamsicle is a great name for a bedtime tea, evoking the flavors of a favorite ice cream bar.

The blend itself is very chamomile-driven, with the gentle lemony tones from that herb taking the lead.  Behind the chamomile, I taste vanilla and orange as well, contributing to the creamy ice-cream-inspired flavors in the blend’s name.  The vanilla and orange add sweetness without being too artificial or sugary; they are gentle yet flavorful and let you add more sweetness to suit your own tastes.  For my personal preferences, I will say that I wish there was a bit more citrus and a bit less chamomile, but it makes sense that there is lots of chamomile for a sleepytime brew.

Smooth and easy-drinking, a great cup of tea to ease you into sweet dreams.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Wise Ape Tea Co.
Description: A dreamy blend of chamomile flowers with subtle hints of orange and cream, combined with adaptogenic super-herbs to support your nightly zen. This relaxing elixir is designed to calm the mind, ease the body, and help you sink into a restorative night’s sleep.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Rose City Rooibos from Beach House Teas. . . . .

Spring and summer are my favorite time for drinking floral teas, complementing the flowers blooming outside of my teacup.  So this seemed like the perfect time to try a cup of Rose City Rooibos from Beach House Teas.

This is the first tea I’ve tried from Beach House Teas so I took a look at their website.  Family-run business in the Pacific Northwest with a focus on organic and wild ingredients, producing hand-blended teas.  They also have an Etsy shop, if that’s more your style.  They even offer herb-infused sugar for cooking, and herb infused salts and bath bombs for the bath.

Let’s get back to the tea at hand, Rose City Rooibos.  Like many tea blends on Beach House Teas, this blend looks great in the dry leaf with beautiful curled rose blossoms in pink and cream, and the rich russet tones of the red rooibos.

Brewed, this tea is smooth and simple, with the nutty, caramel tones of the red rooibos with gentle floral overtones.  The ingredients list says there is peppermint in this blend as well, but the mint gets lost under all the rooibos taste and rose scent. I wouldn’t mind more peppermint in the next batch to help add more dimension to the flavor set of this blend.  I usually favor teas with a bit more punch to their flavors, so I might not brew this one again.  Overall this was very simple and comforting.

This tea’s description calls this a “liquid spa” and I won’t deny that the floral notes are relaxing, and the rose petals are captivating to look at.  A good tea for when you need some relaxing aromatherapy.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Beach House Teas
Description:

Rose City Rooibos is 100% organic loose leaf tea blended with red rooibos tea, rose petals, peppermint, and pure extract. This floral elixir is all about beauty and what better way to surround yourself in beauty than rose petals and rooibos that’s like a liquid spa?

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!