Tea Type:
Oolong Tea
Where To Buy:
Shanti Tea
Product Description:
Directions…
2 – 3 min, milk not recommended
Ingredients…
Tea (Camellia Sinensis), Coffee Beans, Cacao pieces, rosehips, safflowers, natural essences
Tasting Notes…
Certification: Conventional
Grade or Quality: full leaf
Aroma: chocolately, smoky, coffee notes
Infusion Aroma: smooth chocolately aroma with mild smokiness and pronounced coffee
Infusion Color: dark amber
Base flavor: chocolate mocha, earthy
Infusion Strength: strong, full bodied
Tasters Review:
Oh.My.Gawd! YUMSVILLE! I know a lot of people are either a coffee person OR a tea person…of course I would say I was a tea person! But any time a company combines the two – I am intrigued!
The aroma of this is amazing! Juicy-sweet strawberry, Smooth and Sweet Chocolate, Hearty Mocha/Coffee! WOW!
The flavor is wonderful, too! All of the above in addition to semi-smoky Oolong!
It’s sweet, it’s juicy, it’s smooth, it’s slighty smoky, it’s coffee-bean, it’s a DREAM.
This is TOP NOTCH and takes you on a flavorful RIDE! LOVE it!
Dragon Mint Rooibos Blend from Shanti Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tisane Description:
Certification: Organic
Aroma: Minty
Infusion Aroma: Minty (hint of nuts)
Infusion Color: Deep Amber
Base flavor: Minty
Infusion Strength: Medium
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Minty! This Dragon Mint Rooibos Blend from Shanti Tea is for those of us you who really love mint!
The mint flavor here is strong! So strong that it nearly overpowers the rooibos. And in my opinion, that’s not a bad thing, especially since rooibos aren’t my favorite thing. This blend has just enough rooibos to add just a little something extra to the cup – a pleasing nutty tone in the background – without adding that sometimes “off” or funky taste that comes from rooibos.
Then there is the PEPPERMINT! It is really zesty and invigorating! And yes, it does have a very minty taste, but, perhaps it’s that nutty note that is in the background … but I am not thinking “toothpaste” or “mouthwash” as I sip this. It is definitely fresh tasting … and leaving my mouth feeling fresh and clean. But it’s more like a breath mint to me than an oral hygiene product.
A pleasant cuppa served hot or cold!
Tulsi India Chai from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
Ingredients… Tulsi, Cinnamon, Rooibos, Ginger Root, Cardamom, Fennel, Pink Peppercorn
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Tulsi India Chai from Shanti Tea is a really tasty twist on what I’ve come to expect from something labeled “chai.” Usually, when I think “chai” … I think of a black tea base with the usual spices: ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. And while this blend does have three of the four usual spices … instead of black tea, it offers up a blend of rooibos and tulsi as the base for this chai.
The result is a naturally caffeine free blend that is spicy and sweet and really very delightful. The tulsi gives it an herbaceous taste without pushing that herbaceousness into the “medicinal” zone, it tastes light and fresh and crisp … exhilarating! There is a refreshing minty taste, notes of savory/sweet basil and this melds so beautifully with the spices.
As for the rooibos – well, I don’t really taste them here, and that’s just fine with me. Rooibos isn’t my favorite taste anyway … and I like this blend just the way it is.
My favorite thing about this blend is the fennel … it gives this cup a snappy-sweet licorice-y taste that I’m really liking. The cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and ginger work very harmoniously to provide a warm, comforting taste without tasting over-the-top spicy. Instead, I’d call this well spiced … certainly warm and zesty without leaving my palate feeling overwhelmed by spice.
A very pleasant way to enjoy chai later in the day when you don’t want to load up on the caffeine … but still want that great taste of chai spice!
Ginger Sencha from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
Ginger Sencha is a warming blend of organic ginger root and organic Japanese sencha. A great green tea for the cold winter months and to help settle an upset stomach.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I first started scooping this Ginger Sencha from Shanti Tea out into my teapot, I was a little worried. There appears to be a whole lot of ginger in this! I mean, I like ginger, sure, but, with this much ginger, was I going to taste the Japanese Sencha?
Fortunately, Shanti blended this one just right. Yes, the ginger is strong – and it is warm and soothing … which is especially welcome on this cold, wet winter day. But it – surprisingly! – does not overwhelm the green tea. On the contrary, I find there to be a really delightful balance between the tea and ginger here.
The Japanese Sencha tastes sweet and slightly grassy without tasting bitter. I don’t notice much astringency to this cup, and I suspect this is because the ginger is strong enough to mellow out any astringent overtures.
The ginger is strong, as I’ve already mentioned, and it has a nice, peppery bite, but the soft, buttery taste of the Sencha seems to soften some of the zestier notes that I might otherwise notice with the ginger.
While it may seem a little bit “simple” to combine two ingredients, in this case, Sencha green tea and ginger root, but, even the simpliest blends require the right touch, and this blend from Shanti tea is masterfully combined. It provides a strong, warm bite from the ginger while still being able to allow the drinker to enjoy the soft, supple taste of the Japanese Sencha. Well done, Shanti Tea!
Lemon Karkade from Shanti Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tisane Description:
Origin: Egypt
Certification: Organic
Ingredients: Lemongrass, Hibiscus
Naturally Caffeine-Free Herbal Tea
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
“Yikes! Hibiscus!” That’s exactly what I exclaimed as I measured out this tisane into my Breville One-Touch. My history with hibiscus has been well documented here, and I don’t need to rehash it, so I’ll simply summarize by saying hibiscus isn’t my favorite herb. It’s too tart and when brewed too long, it produces an icky, syrupy liquid. Yeah, I know it’s good for you. Lots of vitamin C, and all that.
So, I am trying not to judge this tisane too harshly before I even try it. Who knows, I may like it. Stranger things have happened!
OK… so it’s not bad. Not bad at all. I am not about to proclaim it the best tisane I’ve ever tried because it isn’t, but, considering this is a blend of two ingredients, and one of them is hibiscus, I think it’s quite alright.
The hibiscus lends a sort of berry-ish kind of flavor to it, it is tart, but, because I steeped this for only six minutes, I’m not dealing with an overwhelming amount of tartness here. The lemongrass does it’s bit to soften the hibiscus somewhat and to provide a hint of buttery creaminess to the cup, as well as a citrus-y taste to complement the berry-like taste of the hibiscus.
I prefer this hot, because as it cools, the hibiscus starts to get a bit too tarty for my taste buds. I find it to be quite soothing to the throat. My throat has been put through the ringer lately because of my allergies (I have them all year round!), and I find this to be quite nice to sip and help relax the itchiness in my throat. I imagine this would be best served with a dollop of honey, but, I am drinking it straight and it’s not bad that way either.
Overall, it’s pretty tasty. It isn’t my favorite offering from Shanti Tea, but I can see how this might appeal to someone who likes hibiscus but wants a slightly lighter hibiscus drink. Not something I’d want to drink every evening, but it isn’t something I’d turn away if it were offered, either. Pleasant … not bad … but I’ve had better, certainly.