Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tisane Description:
Rooibos is also known as Red Bush or Red Tea. The incredible fresh fruit character of this herbal tea conjures memories of tiny flavorful blueberries. The aroma of Blueberry Bang Rooibos portends a wonderful taste experience.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m really impressed with this Blueberry Bang Rooibos from Culinary Teas. The blueberry flavor is INTENSE … and I’m liking that a lot.
From the moment I tore into the package, I could smell the enticing aroma of blueberries! Such a delightful, delicious fragrance, it evoked thoughts of yummy blueberry muffins. Then I read this information on the Culinary Teas website about “blueberry bang” which … I guess is supposed to be a pancake-y sort of thing … and all the sudden, my thoughts of yummy blueberry muffins made sense.
The blueberry flavor here is strong, and the sweet, nutty flavor of the rooibos blends in well with the flavor to create a taste that is very reminiscent of blueberry pancakes or muffins. It’s sweet with just a hint of berry tart. It’s really quite tasty.
This tisane is one that is really good served either hot or iced, and because it’s naturally caffeine free, it’s one that you can serve to your kids without worry that they’re getting too much caffeine. And it’s got a flavor that both kids and adults will enjoy.
Caramel Popcorn Flavored Black Tea from Inspired Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea, Yerba Mate & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Inspired Leaf
Tea Description:
A little bit corny…a lot delicious!
Inspiration No. 7: It’s time to schedule a play date with your inner child.
Ingredients: Organic black tea, black tea, barley, caramel pieces, yerba mate, organic rooibos, corn, sea salt, popcorn, natural flavors Allergen Notice: Contains dairy and barley.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! This tastes much better than I imagined it to … and I was pretty confident that I’d enjoy it before taking my first sip. I mean, while the idea of a Caramel Popcorn Flavored Black Tea sounds pretty wacky and wild, it also sounds like it could be absolutely wonderful! And this tea from Inspired Leaf is indeed wonderful!
The sip starts out sweet with hints of burnt sugar caramel. Shortly thereafter, I start to notice just a hint of salt to the taste – and I love the combination of salty and sweet! Mid-sip, I detect the rich, smooth black tea base that is accentuated with the toasty, earthy qualities of the yerba mate and the warm grain notes of the barley. By the end of the sip, I feel as though I’ve indulged in a decadent treat that’s a little bit salty, a little bit sweet, and so very tasty!
The base of this tea is a blend of black teas (the ingredient list says it’s an organic black tea and a black tea). If I had to guess, I’d say that there is an Assam in the blend, because I taste the characteristic richness of an Assam as well as notes of malt. The malty tones complement the caramel notes. The barley in this mix adds a hint of grain flavor that seems to give the overall cup a “corn” sort of taste.
There is also yerba mate and rooibos in this blend. I don’t taste a lot of contribution from the rooibos, and I’m not really sure why the rooibos has been added to the blend … but by the same token, I can’t say that this blend would taste the same without the rooibos. The yerba mate – now that I can taste. It’s not an overwhelmingly strong contribution to the overall cup, but, it does add a nice toasty flavor and an earthiness that really brings everything together in a nice way.
This tea gets two enthusiastic thumbs up from me – it’s got all the goodness of caramel popcorn – all that’s missing is the crunch and the hulls. (And really, I don’t miss the hulls!)
Lemon Meringue Tisane from Trail Lodge Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Honeybush
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tisane Description:
This is truly a classic tea! It makes a great hot or iced tea. We have finally found the perfect lemon tea. This one has a mild and smooth lemon flavor with a hint of creaminess, reminiscent of lemon meringue pie. It is naturally caffeine free. Ingredients: Rooibos, Green Rooibos, Honeybush, Lemon Bits, Calendula and Cornflower Petals, and Flavoring.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Lemon Meringue Tisane from Trail Lodge Teas is easily one of the better Lemon Meringue Pie teas/tisanes that I’ve tasted. It’s totally YUM!
The base is a combination of red (or oxidized) rooibos, green (or non-oxidized) rooibos, and honeybush. I think that this is a winning combination. I’m not big on rooibos, but, when they’re combined with the honeybush, this seems to soften that sometimes “funky” taste that goes along with rooibos. And since green rooibos is much better tasting than red rooibos … this brings out the fruity character to the rooibos rather than that woodsy/nutty flavor. Nice! The honeybush still offers some of that sweet honey-esque tone and just a hint of nutty taste that accentuates the “pie-like” quality of this tisane.
The lemon is a softer, sweeter lemon, much like the creamy curd filling of a lemon meringue pie. I taste notes of vanilla too, and this brings a meringue-like quality to the cup. And every once in a while, I could swear I taste just a hint of butter that seems to imitate a pie crust like flavor together with the nutty tones of the honeybush.
This blend works together so well. Sweet, lemon-y goodness! A nice dessert-y treat that you can enjoy any time of the day … you can even make it a late night snack since it’s naturally caffeine free!
Sunset Pineapple Tisane from Compass Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Compass Teas
Tea Description:
This naturally Caffeine Free blend is sure to be a favorite! Amazing hot or iced, it is highly recommended.
Taster’s Review:
This Sunset Pineapple Tisane from Compass Teas is not currently available on their website, I hope that it is only a case of being temporarily sold-out. I hope that this is not a tisane that has been discontinued by Compass Teas because this is one of the better pineapple flavored teas/tisanes that I’ve had!
Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits, moreover, it’s one of my favorite juices. I swear by pineapple juice when I’m feeling under the weather, because I’ve found that it is VERY effective at reducing mucus. Pineapple has a enzyme that helps break down proteins which is essentially what mucus is. I really don’t drink a lot of fruit juice except for pineapple … and that’s something that I keep in the pantry at all times for when those “under the weather” times arrive.
The flavor of this green rooibos tisane is sweet and pineapple-y, but what I like is that it isn’t a candy-sweet pineapple taste. It tastes more like a true pineapple flavor. The combination of the fruity-tasting green rooibos and the pineapple gives the pineapple flavor a softer, smoother taste. It isn’t sharp or tarty … it’s sweet without tasting overly sweet.
This is just so easy to drink. It tastes amazing iced!
Rooibos Chocolate Tisane from Forsman Tea Company
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tisane Description:
So smooth, full-bodied and creamy on the tongue. Nothing’s vying for attention here. You reach for this tea when chocolate’s on the mind. Red rooibos, with it’s honeyed, caramel & woodsy notes is a natural mate for the deep notes of chocolate.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
This Rooibos Chocolate Tisane from Forsman Tea Company is the third and final tea from my May Tea Tasting Box from Amoda Tea. (Although I will be reviewing the caramels that we received in that box soon!) I have to say that I’m thrilled with the fact that Amoda Tea seems to have listened to me when I requested fewer tisanes and more tea in their boxes. I am not completely opposed to tasting tisanes … but when two or all three teas in the box are tisanes, I feel a little let down.
Fortunately, for the month of May, we got two amazing teas and just one tisane … and hey, the tisane is a CHOCOLATE tisane … and then we got caramels too! Woo hoo! I have no complaints about the May box! (And now am eagerly anticipating what might be in June’s box!)
And this is one very good chocolate rooibos tisane! The chocolate is a rich, flavorful, STRONGLY flavored chocolate! That’s what this chocoholic likes!
The rooibos are distinguishable in the cup, but, the naturally sweet, nutty flavor of the rooibos melds quite nicely with the chocolate-y tones. I even taste a hint of caramel as the description mentions … which is something I rarely ever take note of when I drink rooibos blends. The caramel-y note is certainly welcome here though!
This is one of the better chocolate rooibos blends I’ve come across … if you’re a chocolate lover like I am, you should try it!
Bravo, Amoda Tea! May has been my favorite month from you thus far!