Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fusion Teas
Tisane Description:
A wonderful soothing cup to end a stressful day. The tulsi base calms the stress and has many health benefits that the traditional black tea version does not have. Naturally caffeine free this is especially beneficial as an evening drink.
Taster’s Review:
Normally, I wouldn’t consider a spiced tea to be a “soothing” cup with which to de-stress. But, this truly is a wonderful and soothing cup, just as the description suggests.
The flavors are very calm and gentle. Even the spice notes have their own sense of calmness to them. This is the kind of tisane you want to curl up to on a chilly autumn or winter evening … and it would be especially nice to have on hand when one is feeling under the weather as I am finding it to be quite soothing to my throat. I’m not sick, but I am experiencing my allergies which begin in the late winter/early spring, and they begin with an itchy throat – and I’m finding this to have comforting effect.
Typically, with these orange spice teas/tisanes, they are very heavy on the cinnamon. So, I was surprised (pleasantly so) when the cinnamon was more subtle here, allowing the flavors of the other spices to come through. That is not to say that the cinnamon is not well-pronounced because it is; it just is not the main event. It doesn’t overpower the rest of the spices. Instead, it offers a pleasing warmth that is neither too spicy nor too bland. I like that I can taste each of these spices, as well as a hint of mint from the Tulsi.
The rooibos has a warm, nutty flavor to it. Lightly fruity, it accents the flavor of the orange very nicely. The orange is sweet yet tangy, and I can taste an ever-so-slight apple-y note here as well which serves as more of a sweetness in the distance than anything else.
Overall, this tisane has a mild, delicious flavor that kids as well as adults can enjoy. This is one that I do recommend keeping on hand for when the family has the sniffles – it will bring soothing relief to the aching throats … and it’s much tastier than a cough drop!
Cran-Blackberry Rooibos from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Real freeze-dried cranberries and blackberries in a blend with caffeine-free African rooibos. I may be partial to honeybush, but I’m pretty confident that rooibos was MADE for a blend like this. I’m sitting here with a big icy tumbler full of this and it is delicious. It’s renewing my faith in rooibos.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
My first reaction to this after my initial sip: Tart! I needed to add just a little turbinado sugar to this to help curb the tartness. However, with just half a teaspoonful of sugar, I find that it softens that tart edge just enough for my taste buds.
Actually, I find that with that little bit of added sugar, this becomes quite a tasty tisane. Not too sweet, pleasantly tart, and full of delicious fruit flavor. The flavor of the rooibos is barely noticeable here, just a mere hint of nutty tones in the background, and a slight woody undertone.
I really like the fruit combination of cranberry and blackberry. They go together very well, and this combination just seems to work with the rooibos. Rooibos isn’t my favorite thing as many of you probably know … but I find this combination not just drinkable, but rather enjoyable.
I tried this tisane both hot and iced, and found it to be tasty served either way, although my preference is chilled. The tartness wanes even more as it cools. This afternoon, we experienced some unseasonably warm weather (or perhaps, it was just evidence that the warmer weather is on it’s way) … I enjoyed this over ice during the warmest part of the day – it was up to a whopping 55° which may not seem very warm, but when you take into consideration that earlier this week we had SNOW … I’d call 55° warm! – and it was very refreshing.
Selby Select Rooibos from Local Coffee & Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Local Coffee & Tea
Tisane Description:
Selby Select Rooibos Loose Leaf Tea is our custom blended Rooibos with orange peel and dried yogurt pieces. Created to celebrate the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, this is our perennial best seller. Each sip releases the aroma of sweet ripe oranges, followed by creamy notes on your tongue. You will think you are drinking Florida sunshine in a magnificently serene garden. Savor and enjoy!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had an interesting relationship with this tisane. The very first time I tried it, I didn’t really care for it. But the second time I tasted it, I questioned whether or not it was, in fact, the same tea that I had tried the first time around (I received the first sampling of this tea from a friend, the second I received as a sample direct from Local Coffee & Tea) because I was enjoying it. It wasn’t knocking my socks off or anything, but, it was pleasant, and nothing at all like that first cup I had.
Since then, I’ve come to really like this tisane. It reminds me very much of a creamsicle!
The orange flavor is bright and sweet, with just a hint of citrus tartness. It is a very vibrant flavor and it is contrasted with the creamy taste of vanilla yogurt. I think that yogurt was a perfect choice here (rather than using vanilla flavoring), because the yogurt is creamy without being too sweet. The rooibos is sweet, as is the flavor of the orange, and I think that adding a vanilla flavoring would have resulted in a very cloying beverage. As it is, though, everything tastes well balanced: just enough tart, sweet, and tang to please the taste buds.
The rooibos doesn’t lend too much of its woody flavor to this cup, and that suits me just fine. The rooibos does offer a warm nutty note to the cup that is especially apparent in the finish and aftertaste, and it melds nicely with the orange flavor.
This would make a remarkable iced tea in the summer – very refreshing and naturally sweet. I guess I like this one after all!
Mexican Mango Chili Maté from Capital Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté, Rooibos & Green Tea
Where to Buy: Capital Teas
Tea Description:
A superior blend of green mate, rooibos, and green tea forms a perfect canvas for infusing the brilliant colors and flavors of chili peppers and mango. Inspired by Aztec recipes blending chili with fruits, we’ve also added a dash of coconut and an energizing pop of ginseng for the perfect combination. Try over ice for a spicy cold treat on hot days or enjoy its lingering warmth when brewed hot on a cold day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea has a lot going on, but, I’m enjoying the way the flavors come together.
The title suggests that this may be a spicy blend, but, it doesn’t start out that way. A gentle warmth, perhaps, but, I really thought that this would be spicier right from the very first sip. The spiciness gradually builds, starting with a gentle, cozy warmth and building to that spicy tickle that hits the back of the palate and throat. By mid-cup, it is much spicier than at the start, and my palate is quite warm long after I’ve taken a sip.
I think that the sweetness of the mango counters the spicier notes of the chili … softening the blow, so to speak. The mango adds a distinct sweetness, but this doesn’t taste overwhelmingly MANGO. By mid-cup, though, the mango is much more distinguishable. The coconut adds a creaminess to the taste as well, which seems to smooth out all the flavors and bring them all together into one unified flavor. This is not a mango tea, or a chili tea, or a coconut concoction … it is a seamless beverage that offers pleasing notes of many different ingredients, like a treasure chest of flavor, offering many surprises along the way.
The background flavors are earthy, with barely-there notes of vegetation. I don’t taste a lot of flavor from the Yerba Maté, green rooibos, green tea or even the ginseng as individual components, but, I do taste their collective input. It becomes more of a medley of collected flavors rather than specific flavor notes that I can pick out and say “this is the Maté” or “this is the green tea.”
From the very first sips as a mild, intriguing set of tastes to the last drop where the flavors are zesty can even be categorized as hot … this is a very enjoyable cuppa. I really like the way the flavors present themselves, a mass medley of tastes that allow the drinker to discover the various flavors.
Definitely a fun and creative cup!
Red Bush Tea (Rooibos) – Fair Trade & Organic – from Supple Skin Boutique
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Supple Skin Boutique
Tisane Description:
Rooibos is caffeine free, rich in naturally occurring trace elements, and contains healthy amounts of Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Fluoride, Manganese, Zinc, Calcium, and Vitamin C. It also contains fair amounts of alpha-hydroxy acid, which is known to promote healthy skin.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I have mentioned several times the fact that I’m not a particular fan of plain, unflavored rooibos. That being said, I have found a significant difference in flavor between organic and conventionally grown rooibos, and I prefer organic. In fact, while I do not usually enjoy unflavored, conventionally grown rooibos, I actually do enjoy unflavored, organic rooibos.
And, apparently, the consumption of rooibos is good for one’s skin, due to the fact that the South African herb contains alpha-hydroxy acids. And that is a good reason to start drinking more rooibos… so if I am going to drink it, I want to enjoy it! And I am enjoying this. It’s not my favorite, but, it is tasty and a nice tisane to enjoy later in the evening, when I’m trying to limit my caffeine intake, as it’s a naturally caffeine-free tisane.
This unflavored rooibos from Supple Skin Boutique is nice, with a woody undertone and a pleasantly sweet, nutty overtone. The “funky sweet aftertaste” that I sometimes mention when I write about rooibos is not as prevalent with this organic rooibos as it is with the conventionally grown rooibos, which is why I tend to prefer the herb to be organically grown.
A tasty way to achieve a healthy glow!