Enjoy Rest – Apple Cinnamon Chamomile from Teamotions

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal Tisane

Where to Buy:  Teamotions

Product Description:

Flavor Profile: Smooth and fragrant with notes of sweet apple and warm cinnamon.

This product is Caffeine Free

Ingredients: Chamomile, Rooibos, Green Rooibos, Orange Peel, Ashwagandha, Cinnamon, Natural Flavors.

Emotional Benefit: Fosters rest and relaxation. Calms and sooths the body and spirit to aid recovery from emotional and physical exhaustion. Helps induce sound, restful sleep.

Taster’s Review:

This is great!  And that is NOT something I will generally say with so much enthusiasm about a chamomile tisane.

In fact, when I receive chamomile tisanes, my initial reaction is a sort of cringe, and then I usually stash it away and try to forget about it until it manages to get my attention (usually because I’ll feel badly about neglecting it). It’s not even that I dislike chamomile, because although I can’t say that I love it, I don’t hate it, and I have grown to appreciate it.  But, I don’t drink it every night, and I think I probably should as it does provide restful benefits.

The apple flavor is not an overwhelming taste, but it is a natural pairing with the chamomile which tends to have a somewhat apple-y character to it anyway.  The cinnamon and apple flavors is what I taste here, with hints of a nutty flavor from the rooibos.  The flavor of the rooibos is not a strong taste, mostly what I taste is a nutty sweetness, but no aftertaste and not so much of a wood-like quality that I sometimes get from rooibos.

But as I said, what I taste primarily is apple and cinnamon, and these two flavors seem pretty evenly matched.  It isn’t a hot, spicy cinnamon taste – it is a mild, sweet cinnamon that accents the apple tones.  It tastes a bit like an apple-y dessert!

If this was the chamomile tisane in my tea cupboard, I’d have no problems at all drinking it every night.  In fact, I think I’d look forward to it.

Seek Peace – Rooibos Coconut Chai from Teamotions

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Rooibos

Where to Buy:  Teamotions

Product Description:

Flavor Profile:  Smooth with subtle spicy notes and a hint of creamy sweetness.

Ingredients:  Rooibos, Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Dandelion Root, Milk Thistle, Coconut, Black Pepper, Pink Peppercorn, Neem Leaf, Natural Flavors.

Taster’s Review:

When I first sat down with a cup of this tisane, I could smell the wonderful aroma of autumnal spices and coconut.  It was like autumn in the tropics!  As the tea cools, though, it takes on a more herbaceous scent.  The spices and coconut are still there too, but, there is also a “medicine-y” smell in the background that seems to develop as the temperature of the tea drops.

The flavor is nice.  The coconut is the first flavor I notice and it remains the strongest flavor throughout – from first sip to the last.  The chai spices are subdued:  I can taste the cloves especially, but also the cardamom and cinnamon, with the peppers and ginger sort of laying low in the background.  I don’t know if this is because the coconut flavor softens the spices, or if it’s due to the other ingredients (dandelion root, milk thistle, and neem).

The flavor of the rooibos seems to be concealed by the other ingredients and that’s just fine with me!  I haven’t had much experience at all with the herbal components of this tea (again, those being dandelion root, milk thistle and neem), so I really can’t tell you what these herbs bring to the party as far as taste goes.  But from what I understand these herbs provide some health benefits, and if they don’t add a horrible taste (and they don’t), why not invite them to the party?  Health benefits + no bad taste = win/win in my book.

This would be an excellent chai choice for those who find the spice of most chai blends to be too aggressive.  However, if you like your chai blends to be spicy, this may not be the blend for you.  These spices are on the subtle side; they are smooth, warm and inviting.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed this Rooibos Coconut Chai.  And the best part, as I am finishing my cup, I can feel this sense of calm and restfulness wash over me.  A restorative sense of PEACE is enveloping my mind and body, and since I have to get up early in the morning… I’m thinking I chose the right tea tonight.

Find Strength – Passionfruit Jasmine Green Tea from Teamotions

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Teamotions

Product Description:

Regain inner strength and self-confidence with empowering jiaogulan blended with fragrant jasmine green tea and tropical passionfruit.

Ingredients:  Jasmine Green Tea, Jiaogulan, Jasmine Flowers, Cornflowers, Natural Flavors.

Taster’s Review:

The dry leaf smells so strongly of passionfruit that it is hard to believe that there are any other ingredients in this tea.  I can see the jasmine flowers and the green tea, but I worried that I wouldn’t be able to taste the jasmine.  However, as the tea brews, the passionfruit fragrance softens somewhat and allows the other aromas to emerge.  In my cup, I can now smell the passionfruit, the green tea and the jasmine … and it smells wonderful!

The flavor is fantastic.  I was a little unsure, because I had never heard of jiaogulan before, and on this information page about jiaogulan, there were some comparisons made to ginseng, and I hoped it wouldn’t taste too much like ginseng as that is definitely not my favorite flavor.  Fortunately, it does not.

I really like this combination of flavors.  The sweetness of the passionfruit together with the somewhat sharp notes of the jasmine and the slightly grassy taste of the green tea really meld together beautifully.

Passionfruit is the strongest taste here.  It tastes sweet and luscious.  The jasmine notes weave their way onto the palate throughout the sip, while the vegetative taste of the green tea sits in the background, content to let the passionfruit and jasmine play.

There is a fair amount of astringency to this cup.  The finish is smooth and the aftertaste is sweet yet clean and herbaceous.  Maybe even a little bit soapy – but not unpleasantly so.  As I near the end of the cup, I find that there is almost a numbing of the tongue, an effect that I suspect comes from the jiaogulan.  It isn’t an unpleasant experience, though, it is just a little unusual.  It doesn’t detract from the very pleasant flavor.

This tea is delicious hot or iced – it is extremely refreshing (and invigorating!) on a hot summer day!

Achieve Clarity – Vanilla Earl Grey from Teamotions

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Teamotions

Product Description:

Flavor Profile Rich and robust black tea with notes of citrus and vanilla.

Ingredients Earl Grey Black Tea, Black Congu Tea, Black Breakfast Blend, Neem leaf, Tulsi, Lavender, Cornflowers, Natural Flavors.

Emotional Benefit Improves mental function. Calms a racing mind. Helps restore one’s ability to think clearly under stress and emerge from denial or confusion.

Taster’s Review:

This is a remarkable and deliciously different variation on the classic Earl Grey, and I’m enjoying it quite a lot!

The black tea is quite bold, and no wonder!  This is a blend of an Earl Grey black tea, a Black Congu, and a Breakfast Blend (Assam and Ceylon?)  With that many different black teas forming the base of this blend, it made me wonder if the bergamot might get lost in the mix.  But one sniff of the dry leaf assured me that the bergamot is definitely there.

The aroma of the brewed tea is quite delightful.  I love the way the various black teas, bergamot, vanilla, tulsi, neem and lavender mingle together to create one very intriguing and nose-pleasing fragrance.  This is a tea that you want to inhale deeply before taking a sip to get full effect from the scent as well as the flavor.

The black tea is bold and robust, and there is a fairly strong astringency to this cup – it is slightly drying and leaves the palate feeling clean so that the aftertaste of vanilla, bergamot and the slightest whisper of mint can be enjoyed.

The bergamot flavor is considerably softer than in a typical Earl Grey tea, or even in a typical Earl Grey Creme for that matter.  In fact, it is the vanilla that reaches the palate first.  Smooth and creamy – and beautifully sweet!  The bergamot is more of a sneaky flavor in this blend – peeking in and out of the sip.  While I do love my bergamot strong and bold, it is also nice to come across one that is more mysterious like this.

The Neem, Tulsi and lavender do not contribute a lot of flavor to the cup, but I can taste a very subtle mint-like tone from the Tulsi.  The lavender presents a VERY delicate yet distinct note that develops as I continue to sip, but it never becomes a strong presence in the cup.

Neem is not a taste that I’m very familiar with, I only remember trying it once or maybe twice.  So, I can’t really tell you that I’m tasting Neem or not, but, what I can say is that I am familiar with the other flavors of this blend. I do detect a rather unusual sweetness – I want to describe it as an almost “wild” tasting sweetness – that is quite enjoyable.

This tea is a myriad of delicious flavors that makes for a very contemplative tea.  It is aptly named “Achieve Clarity” as it does seem to recharge the mind and readies it to do what it does best – think!  What a perfectly brilliant blend!

Find Strength – Passionfruit Jasmine Green Tea from Teamotions

Tea Type: Green Tea

Where To Buy: Teamotions

Product Description:

Flavor Profile Refreshing, floral and fruity.

Ingredients Jasmine green tea, jiaogulan, jasmine flowers, cornflowers, natural flavors.

Emotional Benefit Restores inner strength and self-confidence.

Did You Know? Green tea is a natural anti-depressant and is mildly stimulating to the body and mind. Jasmine flower calms and centers the body, mind and soul, fosters confidence, and opens up emotional pathways. Jiaogulan increases strength, stamina and vitality in the body, boosts immunity and balances all body systems.

Our Little Tip As you sip, think of something kind you could do for someone else and do it. Empower yourself by serving others

What is Jiaogulan?
Check this out:
http://www.herb.com/jgl.html

Tasters Review:

Find Strength – Passionfruit Jasmine Green Tea – from Teamotions – has the BEST Passionfruit Aroma in a tea I have ever smelled!
The jasmine is mellow and I LOVE that about it as I’m not a Jasmine Flavored Fanatic like some people are.  I have an appreciation for it, sure, but I usually don’t go choosing teas just for their Jasmine content.

The Green Tea and the Passionfruit are the highlights here!

It has a nice surprisingly smooth finish which was unexpected yet enjoyed very much!  This tea is dandy!