First off, I have to say that this tea is nothing short of amazing—it ties in everything I love about greens and oolongs in a perfectly smooth, sweet cup of tea. I expected something a little more vegetal/grassy with how green the leaves were but I was pleasantly surprised with a nice floral taste.
While this might go good with honey, I wound up not adding anything to it. Any sweetener would cover up something that tastes perfect on its own, detracting from sweeter floral notes.
Part of the sweetness of this tea reminds me of fresh spring water. There’s a hint of minerality, but it doesn’t leave an aftertaste. I got two steepings out of this one and may even try a third, as the flavor didn’t change much aside from losing a little of its floral flavor. It was still about as bold as the first brew.
This one’s a keeper! I’ll definitely be adding this to my “must have” list.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea
Description
This wonderful Mao Xie oolong has dramatic floral notes of lilac and jasmine, with the complexity of butter, stone, and steamed greens.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Root Down Tisane/SwallowTail Tea
Herbal blends and I love and hate each other. Sometimes I just want to devour everyone in sight and other days I just can’t even make myself. I’ve been in the first group lately and have been waiting for the right day to try this blend on for size. With today being a bit of a cloudy wonder, I thought this blend might brighten up my afternoon a touch.
To get things started, let’s chat about what all is in Root Down Tisane. This particular tisane is a blend of dandelion root, nettle leaf, cinnamon bark, orange peel, spearmint, and licorice root. I am not a huge fan of licorice root so I am hoping that particular blend stays more in the background.
I went ahead and brewed this up with the traditional parameters for an herbal but decided to go with a lighter steeping time because of the ingredients in this blend- Brewed up with water at 212F and allowed to steep for about 4 minutes, This blend was exactly what I needed to get over these cloudy blues.
The dandelion root, nettle leaf and spearmint are the leaders of the flavor pack with this herbal blend greeting you with an herbaceous, smooth, and refreshing first taste. Towards the middle of the sip you start to see the orange peel and cinnamon bark make its presence known while at the very end and after taste you get the force of the licorice root. Even not being a fan of the licorice root I don’t so much mind because it literally is the last bit you are tasting. All of the other flavors truly are dynamite together.
Best part about this blend is that each time you sip, there is this transition of flavors from each of the ingredients. Not overly herbal but enough so I know what I’m drinking. I can see this blend being the perfect companion to possibly a touch of honeybush or even chamomile to give the flavors a bit more to go off of.
Regardless, I’m really enjoying this experience and am looking forward to trying this blend iced in a few days!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea
Description
Perfect for the Cold Season or an after dinner treat, this signature tisane was artfully crafted as a warming and supportive infusion.
Hand-blended organic nettle, dandelion root, orange peel, licorice, cinnamon, and spearmint.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Moroccan Mint from Swallowtail Teas. . . .
Today I was in the mood for more of a classic tea. And then I remembered. Moroccan Mint from Swallowtail Teas was one of the teas I was hoping to review this week.
Being a huge fan of green teas and mint blends, Moroccan Mint was one of the teas that I became obsessed with when I first started drinking teas. To the point that I completely burnt myself out of drinking the classic blend. But time has passed and I will admit- it is past time for me to go back to the classics.
I brewed up this delight with the recommended parameters and sat myself down to do some work. After I while, I realized that I was no longer working but both hands were hugging my mug and I had totally started to reflect on the weekend coming up. I started thinking about what fun activities I could do with my kiddos and hubby. I wasn’t thinking about the stressful requests coming into my inbox but wondering where we could go out to eat and when we could visit my parents.
That is the sign you have a fabulous tea on your hands. A tea that transports you, your mind, your soul, just your everything into a state of calm and happy without you even realizing it. The tea itself is everything you could ask for. Crisp, fresh, minty, slightly smoky, with a subtle vegetal hint here and there. The mint and the crisp factor of the tea are really the stars and keep me coming back for more. A classic done in a classic way. No frills, just delicious spot on flavor. Oh how I love my gunpowder green teas!
Beside the teas amazing flavor, the tea is presented in a really unique way. I’m used to teas being sent in pouches and tins, but never in an old fashion type tin. The lid reminds me of an lid from days past where you have to pry it off with a butter knife. The label is old school and just adds to the classic overall feel of the tea.
For being my first venture with Swallowtail Teas, I’m already hooked. The prices are right and so far this first tea is exactly what a tea should be. Can’t wait to explore more of their offerings.
And just for our readers, enter Soroiteasisters at check out for 20% off your order. Trust me. You are going to want to pick up some of these teas!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Teas
Description:
Swallowtail’s take on a classic tea blend, Certified organic spearmint and Pinhead Gunpowder. Vegetal, smokey, and balanced.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Peony from Swallowtail Tea. . . .
Whenever a tea company offers a sample pack, it’s a great chance to try out teas that you aren’t sure you’ll like. Recently I tried a sample pack of several different teas from Swallowtail Tea company and White Peony tea was a lovely new find.
I’m not always in the mood for white teas. They have a unique smooth, earthiness that is different than pu erh, black, or green teas. In the right blend, this is a winning flavor, in the wrong blend it ends up tasting strange. White Peony from Swallowtail tea was absolutely a winning white tea.
This tea is lightly flavored, mainly allowing the white tea itself to fill out the flavor profile. The tea brews up deep and golden with the buttery and earthy tones I expect from white tea. The floral peony is gentle but present, not at all like perfume, but instead much more natural like crushed dried flowers, or getting a whiff of blooming flowers from a garden as you walk past.
White Peony is a great spring and summertime tea. It is refreshing without being too vegetal or too sweet, and bright and floral without giving you hayfever. A perfect balance of butter and blossoms, suitable for a hot or iced mug on a sunny day.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea
Description:
This least processed of all our teas has a shimmering golden liquor with a delicate floral fragrance.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Arabian Kismet from Swallowtail Tea. . . .
I love black tea with unusual combinations of spices, so I was very excited to try Arabian Kismet from Swallowtail Tea. This is a blend based around orange pekoe special Assam black tea with added sage and cardamom.
The full flavors of the black tea itself pair perfectly with the fresh and earthy sage, and the sweet and mellow cardamom. This is one of those teas that will work for any occasion. It has classic black tea for those staunch pekoe drinkers and a little bit of spice for chai lovers. But without the classic chai spices like cinnamon and ginger, this tea is much more versatile and unexpected.
Sage always makes me think of Thanksgiving, so this feels very much like a fall tea to me. The cardamom helps that image, bringing up spicy visions of the upcoming winter spice cookies. This tea smells like a classic kitchen or herb garden, but its flavor combination in a tea blend is a new and exciting change of pace for me. Great for breakfast or afternoon, or anytime you want to feel a little cozy and a little dreamy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea
Description:
This delightful blend of Assam, sage, and cardamom might make you believe in Kismet after all.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!