Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: NudiTea
Tea Description:
Lost your chill? You can rest assured our UNWIND blend is the tea for you. Chamomile blossoms complimented with spearmint leaves work harmoniously together to strip away stress and anxieties, leaving you calm and relaxed. These delectable tea leaves are sourced from lush fields in Egypt, so now you can sleep like an Egyptian.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Before I get into this – the final review of NudiTea’s teas – I want to tell you a little bit about the packaging! The teas are packaged in mylar lined, kraft pouches that are handsomely stamped with the name of the tea. There isn’t really anything that stands out so much about the pouches, but what did stand out to me is the way these pouches were packaged in the box.
The teas were wrapped up in Kraft paper and then tied with twine cord and there was a little tag tied onto the cord, like a gift! I’ve mentioned before that I love it when there is some special attention paid to details like this. It was such a joy to receive this package!
But the packaging wouldn’t mean a whole lot if I didn’t enjoy the teas. Fortunately, I found their Body tea to be tasty and I also enjoyed their Focus blend. And I’m actually quite enjoying this Unwind blend too!
As I’ve said (many times) – I’m just not all that excited when it comes to chamomile. However, chamomile is certainly a useful herb when it comes to unwinding and sometimes, I need to do just that so I turn to chamomile when I need to relax and destress.
Today is a day like that – I’ve had a very busy day and now it’s time to calm down and get ready to rest. So, I brewed a cup of Unwind Tisane from NudiTea. This is a blend of Egyptian chamomile and spearmint.
And while chamomile isn’t my favorite herb, I have to admit that I’m finding this blend to be rather tasty. The sweet, apple-y, honeyed notes of the chamomile meld really nicely with the minty notes of the spearmint. Normally, I prefer peppermint over spearmint because I like the zestier flavor of the peppermint, but for a calming, relaxing herbal tea such as this, spearmint is the perfect choice. It’s a little softer and the chamomile helps to soften it even more so that I’m just getting a smooth, even minty note without the sense of invigoration that I often experience with mint teas.
If you want your tisane a little sweeter, add a dollop of honey. I found it to be quite enjoyable straight. Very soothing, very relaxing and a really nice way to “unwind”!
Snowflake Gyokuro Green Tea from 52Teas
Please take a moment to visit my Kickstarter Campaign to Take Over 52Teas! Please help me achieve my goal and make this dream of mine a reality!
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Zoomdweebies
Tea Description:
For our first Fifth Monday blend since we changed our subscription plans, we’ve created a delicately flavored Gyokuro. Gyokuro (or “jade dew”) is one of the highest quality Japanese green teas available. It is grown in the shade for approximately three weeks before harvesting, resulting in a richer, sweeter cup that is unparalleled in flavor. We have given this sacred tea a healthy dose of organic marshmallow root, a little peppermint and spearmint and organic marshmallow, peppermint and spearmint flavors and named our happy creation “Snowflake Gyokuro”.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
On Steepster, the tasters of this tea are comparing it to Graveyard Mist and I get that comparison. The base tea was different – this is a Japanese Gyokuro and the Graveyard Mist was made with a blend of Chinese Sencha and Yun Wu, but this one is less buttery, I think.
The buttery notes of the Chinese green teas gave the Graveyard Mist a creamier sort of flavor that melded quite nicely with the fluffy marshmallow flavors.
Here, the Gyokuro tastes fresher and cleaner, which melds better with the minty notes of the spearmint and peppermint. So this tastes and feels cleaner and crisper.
And the natural sweetness of the Gyokuro plays with the minty notes in a different way, offering a really pleasant sweetness to go along with that crisp, exhilarating flavor. The sweetness of the Gyokuro also brings out the marshmallow in a different way than the Graveyard Mist did. The marshmallow here tastes sweet but not quite as creamy. It’s still creamy – just not quite as creamy as I remember the Graveyard Mist tasting.
By the way, one of the first reblends that we’re going to be creating when we take over 52Teas will be the Graveyard Mist!
The best part about this tea? The second and third infusions! Yeah! The flavors really come alive for the second infusion – so much so that I finished the cup in record time. The third cup is almost as lovely as the second – the minty notes are soft and fluffy from the marshmallow. The Gyokuro is sweet and melds beautifully with the flavors.
Anyway – this is a really lovely tea. I know that some will think that Gyokuro should not be flavored. I don’t know that I’d have the guts to do it myself. It would have to be on day when I’m feeling extra courageous.
But I applaud Frank for having the guts to do it because I really quite enjoyed this. Did I enjoy it as much as I would have enjoyed a straight up cup of Gyokuro? I don’t know. I don’t know that this tea was actually improved by being flavored, but I don’t think that it destroyed the Gyokuro, either. I enjoyed it flavored and I’d happily drink it again. Just as I’d happily drink a straight up Gyokuro again. Both are remarkable in their own way … so, I say, why not?
Moroccan Mint Green Tea from M&K’s Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
A popular tea prepared in the North Africa region, Moroccan Mint is prepared with fresh spearmint leaves and Chinese gunpowder green tea, which is tightly rolled into small pellets. Lemon Verbena is also used to give it a little taste of lemon flavor. We recommend this tea sweetened.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received this Moroccan Mint Green Tea as part of my Wintertime Sampler Pack that I ordered from M&K’s. This isn’t a special “seasonal” tea but it is one of the most unique Moroccan Mint teas that I’ve ever tasted!
What makes this one so special? Well, like some of the best Moroccan Mint teas I’ve tried, the tea base for this is a Chinese Gunpowder Green. To give it the “Mint” – M&K’s chose not just one minty herb, but two: spearmint and peppermint. But then they added Lemon Verbena to give it just a hint of citrus. That bright, sunny note of lemon gives this crisp, minty drink just the burst of flavor it needs to make it just a little different.
The citrus-y tone isn’t a loud flavor. It doesn’t overwhelm the flavors that make a Moroccan Mint tea what it should be. It just adds a little extra to the cup. I like that!
The Gunpowder green is a smooth green tea with hints of earth. It’s not overly vegetal. I think I mentioned in a previous review that I like the combination of gunpowder green teas with mint – that in my mind, this is the making of a true “Moroccan Mint” tea. Other Moroccan Mint teas that use other teas as a base just seem to miss the mark for me. It’s a little earthy but not too grassy or vegetative. It has a light smoky tone in the background. I find these flavors to be a nice contrast to the cool, crisp notes of the mint without it tasting too “herbaceous.”
I also enjoy the combination of spearmint and peppermint in this blend. I usually prefer peppermint because it’s a bit more zesty than spearmint, but I like the way these two work together to provide a minty taste to this cup without it tasting too minty. I’m not drinking mouthwash, I’m drinking tea. And this tastes like tea with a fresh, cool minty taste. Perfect.
This is one of the best Moroccan Mint teas I’ve tasted – and in my years as a tea reviewer, I’ve tasted quite a few!
Candy Cane Tea from Naked Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea & Rooibos
Tea Information:
Organic! A fun tea inspired by the classic holiday candy. It’s not like drinking a candy cane though. It’s actually more on the softer side. Perfumed floral aroma, lightly minty, softly sweet with hints of raspberry.
This tea is available from Amoda Tea.
It’s also part of Amoda Tea’s Holiday Box!
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
So, I got a nice surprise from Amoda! As their way of thanking me for not only subscribing but also for writing reviews of the teas that they send, they sent me the Holiday Box that I wished for when I received December’s subscription box! Amoda = my Santa Claus!
And this is the first tea that I’m trying from the Holiday Box.
And YUM! This is really good. It’s a bit different than you might expect if you taste this without reading the above description of the tea. The name Candy Cane is a very suggestive name and having tried several different “candy cane” teas over the years, I’ve kind of come to expect a tea called “Candy Cane” to taste a little bit like liquefied candy cane in tea.
But just as the description above states, this doesn’t taste like that. This has a minty taste (just like most candy canes!) but the mint is balanced with a sweet-tart raspberry flavor, hints of cinnamon and whispers of sweet jasmine and rose.
The base of this tea is a green tea and red rooibos base – very festive! I don’t taste a strong flavor from the rooibos, maybe a hint of nutty flavor but it’s slight. I taste the sweet green tea peeking through the mint, raspberry and cinnamon.
The mint is a combination of peppermint and spearmint, but even though we’ve got two mint types in this blend, the mint doesn’t overpower the cup. It’s minty without tasting too much like a swig of mouthwash. The warm cinnamon contrasts with the cool minty tones and gives this cup it’s holiday flavor.
The rose and jasmine are very subtle. There’s just a soft insinuation of flower in this – and it’s just enough to add a little bit of interest to the cup. If you take a sip of this and find yourself searching for the floral notes, slurp the sip. The aeration will bring those floral notes to life.
Raspberry is the one unexpected flavor of this cup, but I like that fruity sweetness and the hint of tart that melds with the cinnamon in the aftertaste.
This is definitely an unusual Candy Cane! (But let me tell you, if I found a candy cane that tasted like this, I’d be a big fan of it, because this is yummy!) It definitely has a ‘sweet treat’ kind of taste to it, but it isn’t the traditional Candy Cane. This is a new-and-improved Candy Cane, Naked Teas Galore style!
Vibrant Morning Green Tea Blend from Because UR Priceless
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!