Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Steenbergs Organics
Tisane Description:
Steenbergs Organic Redbush Chai Tea combines with a delicious blend of Steenbergs organic spices with organic redbush tea to create our own wonderful organic redbush chai tea. You brew Steenbergs Organic Redbush Chai Tea in the same way as normal chai tea and can add sugar, honey or milk to taste.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I have tried a couple of different teas from Steenbergs Organic now, and I must say that I’m continually impressed with their quality products! This Organic Redbush Chai is no exception. This is a wonderful spiced tisane!
I know I’ve mentioned this on more than one occasion, but there is a big difference in flavor between conventionally grown rooibos and organically grown rooibos. The organic rooibos is SO much better. The conventionally grown rooibos tends to have a very woody taste, veering on the side of “sour wood” that is somewhat off-putting. However, I don’t really notice the sour wood taste in the organic rooibos … yes, it still tastes “woody” but, not like sour wood. Not an off-putting woody tone.
And in this particular blend, the difference is important because unlike some other rooibos blends where the rooibos is indistinguishable, here, the rooibos is tasted. The natural woody and nutty flavors of the rooibos, as well as the sweetness of the rooibos, meld beautifully with the spices.
I taste the peppery notes of the ginger and the pepper accentuates the ginger nicely, offering a pleasantly warm taste without coming across as overtly spicy. The cardamom and cloves give the cup a solid background of spice – exotic, warm and inviting. The lemongrass perks up the cup just a little bit without being too obvious a flavor.
But what I’m liking best about this particular blend is that the cinnamon is nicely done. It isn’t overdone – and this is so often the case with chai blends. Here the cinnamon is sweet, yet spicy, but not overly sweet or spicy. It doesn’t taste like cinnamon candy. It tastes the way cinnamon should taste!
Bravo to Steenbergs Organic for yet another well-crafted chai! Very nice, indeed.
Pineapple Bacon Flavored Rooibos Blend from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Did you think we were done playing with bacon teas?
So did I. But check this out: I was thinking about how much I enjoy a Hawaiian pizza or just a nice ham with a pineapple glaze and nice juicy pineapple rings baked on it… My wife is of the opinion that meat and fruit should not be mixed, but… well, nobody’s perfect, right? Anyway, I was thinking that if ham and pineapple is good, pineapple and BACON would be even better. And when I was thinking about what base tea to use, it occured to me that the woodiness that I personally somewhat dislike about rooibos might go well with pineapple and bacon, and oh boy does it! Juicy pineapple, salty bacon and refreshing rooibos are an amazing combination. Not to mention that it’s a guilt-free indulgence.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I was kind of excited about this Pineapple Bacon Flavored Rooibos Blend from 52Teas because I did enjoy 52Teas’ Bacon tea as well as their Chocolate Bacon Tea, so I had high hopes for this tisane. And … I LOVE pineapple on my pizza. I’m not big on ham and pineapple on pizza, but, I love bacon on just about … well, anything, I mean, if it’s something that I enjoy eating, bacon can only make it better. It’s kind of like chocolate in that respect. Everything tastes better with chocolate … and everything tastes better with bacon.
And while … I’m not hating this Pineapple Bacon Rooibos … there’s just something that’s not quite singing a song that is making me want to get up and do the happy dance. The bacon … is missing something. I think it’s the smoky element that I miss. If there was some way to add a smoky taste to this … perhaps with just a teensy bit of Lapsang Souchong … this might be better. Or it might be better with a little more maple flavoring to enhance the bacon. Or perhaps both additions might improve this one a bit.
The flavor of the pineapple is definitely noteworthy here – it tastes sweet and juicy and I like it. The bacon is also there … it’s just not there … enough. I even added a pinch of salt to the cup to bring out that saltiness of the bacon and that just didn’t do quite enough to bring out the smoky flavor of the bacon that I mentioned in the previous paragraph, and that’s what is missing.
The rooibos is tasted here too, and even though I don’t usually love rooibos, it works together with the pineapple and the bacon pretty well. And overall, this is pretty tasty. But, it just tastes a little … odd. It almost tastes like bubblegum. Pineapple bubblegum. Pineapple bubblegum with artificial bacon flavoring. Yeah. That’s what I taste.
Not horrible, but, not exactly what I was hoping for either. Maybe I’ll have to try some of it with a little bit of Lapsang Souchong to see if I like it better like that.
And while we’re on the subject of bacon flavored teas … hey, Frank, how about a bacon and candied pecan pancake with caramel drizzle flavored tea. Now that … would make me do the happy dance!
Berry Chocolate Tisane from Kally Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Honeybush
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
Satisfaction! That’s the feeling that comes to mind while sipping on this berry delight. We start off with a mix of phenomenal honeybush and Rooibos, and then delicately mix in safflowers and marigolds, and just as you would think that’s enough, we take the taste buds to a whole new level by adding strawberry and raspberries with a kick of chocolate to finish! Satisfaction!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I have to be honest, I wasn’t too sure about this Berry Chocolate Tisane from Kally Tea after the first couple of sips. Mostly, I was tasting the rooibos and honeybush, and I found myself wondering, where is the berry? Where is the chocolate?
But after the third sip, the berry flavor really emerged! Now, I taste more berry than honeybush or rooibos. It is a lovely berry note too, authentic, it doesn’t taste like artificial berries. It tastes sweet, it tastes tart … it tastes like raspberries and strawberries!
I’ve often said that I like it when tea companies combine rooibos and honeybush together, because I find that these two herbs really complement each other nicely. The honey-esque tones of the honeybush help round out that sometimes funky sweetness from the rooibos, creating a very enjoyable sweet note that requires no additional sweetener. Delightfully nutty, the combination of honeybush and rooibos melds nicely with the berry flavors.
This is definitely more berry than chocolate, and while the chocoholic in me would rather it be the other way around, I am still finding the berry notes in this tisane to be very rewarding. The chocolate takes a little while to sort of develop, it doesn’t really hit the palate until about the third sip, and then it is rather delicate. By mid-cup, there is more chocolate-y flavor, but, it is still not as strong as the berry flavor.
The berry notes are sweet and tart. The tartness lingers in the aftertaste, but it isn’t a pucker-y kind of tart … more like that tingly sensation on the tip of the tongue – as if I had just eaten a fresh berry. The chocolate notes lend a sort of creaminess to the cup, and together with the bright berry flavor… it’s really quite yummy!
This tisane tastes good hot or iced, I am actually liking this better as an iced drink, but that could also be because we’re experiencing some rather warm weather lately and the cold beverage is just so refreshing to sip. It’s nice and comforting when served hot late at night … like a decadent late-night treat, but one that won’t keep you up because it’s naturally caffeine free.
Peach Picnic Green Rooibos Blend from The Persimmon Tree
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tisane Description:
Peach Picnic is a colorful, summer fruit-inspired blend of green rooibos tea, strawberries, peaches, and citrus flavors. This incredibly refreshing, nectar-like peach rooibos blend tastes great with a touch of honey, hot or iced.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Tasty! I generally prefer green rooibos over the oxidized, red variety of rooibos, so when I saw that this Peach Picnic Green Rooibos Blend from The Persimmon Tree was a blend of green rooibos, as well as peach, strawberry and citrus flavors, I was happy to try it.
The cup has a light, refreshing taste. The strawberry and peach notes are sweet and juicy, with just a hint of tartness from the berry. The citrus notes give the cup a tangy, vibrant flavor that brightens the cup. The green rooibos adds a light, sweet taste that is a little nutty and a little woody.
All these flavors come together in a very interesting way. It’s sweet, fruity, and enjoyable. It makes a tasty enough hot drink, but I found that I preferred it iced. It’s very juicy and thirst-quenching!
This is one of those tisanes that you’ll want for the upcoming iced tea season … especially if you’ve got kids! This is a great alternative to over-sweetened sodas! It’s a definite crowd pleaser from The Persimmon Tree. Be sure to “like” them out on Facebook!
Ancient Forest Rooibos Blend from Whispering Pines Tea Co.
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Whispering Pines Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Sweet notes of mint and tart hibiscus with just the perfect elderberry twist flow smooth as water through the rooibos base – It’s like a cup of serenity pulled straight out of the deep northern forests!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Ancient Forest Rooibos Blend from Whispering Pines is really quite nice! I was surprised to find that this has hibiscus in it, because, while I do taste the hibiscus, it isn’t a strong, prominent flavor … and hibiscus is one of those herbs that tends to get strong and prominent in no time at all. And I steeped this tisane for 10 minutes! But … it did not get thick, syrupy or overwhelmingly tart! Hooray for Whispering Pines Tea Company … they know how to blend with hibiscus!
The hibiscus here seems to accentuate the elderberry flavor … and I like that just fine. I’m not a fan of hibiscus (as I’ve said many times before) but, I don’t mind it if it’s done right, and Whispering Pines did hibiscus right with this blend.
The spearmint is done right too – it’s not a powerful minty taste … it is crisp, cool and refreshing … but it doesn’t taste like toothpaste! There is a really enjoyable balance of flavors here. Even the rooibos – which is another herb that I’m not particularly fond of – works well with this blend. The natural nutty tones of the rooibos melds nicely with the berry notes and the minty notes, while the sweetness of the rooibos offsets some of the tartness of the cup.
A really enjoyable blend, this Ancient Forest Rooibos Blend!