Happy New Year one and all! I hope the New Year has treated all of our dear readers well. What better way to start the New Year than with a tea that is completely out of my comfort zone. I thought this could be the year that I really try and expand my tea horizons with ginger.
Ginger and I have a love hate relationship. Until recently, I absolutely couldn’t handle anything with ginger in it. But I’ve found that I’ve started to really enjoy ginger and even ate candied ginger. . .and loved it. I’m wondering if my taste buds are starting to change. . .
Let’s Toast is a brilliant blend of yerba mate, ginger, orange extract, orange peel, holy tulsi trinity, and rose hips. This drink has it all and I couldn’t wait to try it.
Brewed up with freshly boiled water and allowed to steep for the recommend time on the package, this tea smelled like an herbal treat in a cup. There were definite citrus notes coming through.
And those some citrus notes came through in the very first sip. This tea is rich and deeply flavored with notes of citrus with a toasted texture and a hint of a spicy twist (from the ginger). A wonderful morning brew that gives you that kick you need to get going without the traditional tea flavors. What really makes this tea special is that herbal flavor you get towards the end of each sip providing you with warmth that stretches to your toes. This tea begs you to brew it up, wrap your hands around the mug, and just drink until those warm and cozy feelings kick in.
I’m sure you’ve already figured this out but I adored this tea. Just adored it and have found myself reaching for it so much that I’m almost out of it. I really love the change of pace this tea offers, plus with the ginger in it, this tea fuels my newly acquired love for all things ginger. Highly recommend this one if you are looking for something new to try for this new year. This one may even become a stable in my tea stash.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate Blend
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
This is a delicately toasted Yerba Mate is perfectly balanced with the Holy Tulsi Trinity (Holy Basil: Krishna, Rama & Vana), a powerfully beneficial and exotic mix. This blend has the depth of a black tea, yet it is very light and easy to drink. An intoxicating scent of orange with the subtle spice of freshly dried ginger root. It is a favorite at the Tea Hive!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tulsi Green Indian Chai Tea from Teabox
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea & Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teabox
Tea Description:
This Organic Herbal Tulsi Green blend is one of the first products aimed at combining the health benefits of green tea with Tulsi (Holy basil) leaves.
A work of art and science as it is a classic India-style masala (spice) tea with the best of all worlds: Darjeeling tea, fresh Indian herbs and spices.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Hmm … different. This Tulsi Green Indian Chai Tea from Teabox isn’t exactly what I think of when I think “chai” but it’s still pretty tasty.
The base is composed of a Darjeeling green tea and tulsi. I definitely taste the tulsi in this – it’s warm and has distinct peppery notes with notes of basil and whispers of crisp mint. The tulsi gives this cup a distinct herbal flavor.
I find that the green tea flavor is a little less discernible. It’s definitely there and I can taste it, but it’s not a strong presence and has a difficult time asserting itself in the presence of the tulsi which seems to really dominate the cup.
The same is true of the spices. I can taste warm spices but they’re difficult to really pick out and say, yep, I taste this or that spice. I can taste notes of clove. Every once in a while I taste a note that reminds me of cardamom and every once in a while my palate detects nutmeg. Because of the strong tulsi notes dominating the rest of the flavors, it’s difficult to determine with certainty what spices are in this blend and Teabox doesn’t mention on their website or on their ingredient list, which mentions only “green tea” and “tulsi.”
This is a warm and comforting blend though. It’s not particularly spicy – again, the tulsi is probably the ‘spiciest’ of the flavors that I taste. But it’s a cozy sort of blend with which to unwind. I do wish that the green tea was a little more assertive and the spices more expressive in this cup, but, as it is, I enjoyed what I drank.
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 23 from Teanzo 1856
It’s day 23 … are you finished with your shopping yet? (Please don’t ask.)
For today’s artistic inspiration, I am featuring this rustic heart ornament from Gwynn Thoma. I’m not entirely sure, but it looks as though the panels were felted and then stuffed and hand sewn together. It’s really lovely and I love the way it looks on my tree. Since about 95% of the ornaments on my tree are all handmade, I love the way this ornament really seems to define that idea. It looks simple and rustic, but I love the charm that it brings to my tree.
Mint Detox Tulsi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
With rosehips and mint, this loose leaf detox tea supports hydration and detoxification. You can sip this detox tea hot or gulp it down as an iced tea guilt-free since it has virtually no calories! Makes a fantastic and unique gift. This is a herbal tea that you can take with you in your water bottle and sip all day long to stay refreshed.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There have been quite a few caffeine free tisanes in this Advent Calendar box from Teanzo. Some have been hits and others misses. Fortunately, this one is a hit!
I really like the combination of spearmint and tulsi. The warmth of the tulsi and the cool, crisp notes of the spearmint offers a nice contrast. The spearmint is refreshing without tasting toothpaste-y as the spicier notes of the tulsi help to reduce the impact of the mint.
Also nice is the light, lemony note from the lemon myrtle. It’s a really uplifting flavor that brightens the whole cup.
It’s a pleasant combination of flavors that I found very enjoyable. I don’t know if it works as a “detox” or not, but, I will say that this is one of the tastier “detox” teas I’ve tried. It’s thirst-quenching and tastes good served hot or cold and it has a nice, natural sweetness to it that requires no additional sweetener. Another bonus for the detox!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 16 from Teanzo 1856
It’s Day 16 of this Advent Calendar/Holiday Countdown with Teanzo 1856. There are eight days left to shop! Every year, I tell myself that I’ll start my shopping early, but every year, I end up waiting until the last minute. (Sigh!)
For today’s artistic inspiration, I am turning to another piece that I received in a 12 Days of Christmas mail art swap. The artist I’m featuring today is Gwynn Thoma, and she made this beautiful rustic heart ornament for my tree.
This is another one of those ornaments that’s just FUN to discover every year when I start “unwrapping” all my ornaments for the tree. It’s so cute and there are so many neat little details about it that I seem to keep finding something new about it every year. I also like the bit of rustic whimsy it adds to my tree.
Another thing that really stood out to me about this particular ornament was the packaging. Gwynn stitched together little “envelopes out of Kraft paper and adorned them with bits of aged sheet music and a swatch of the burlap that she used to create the heart ornament. It’s a very clever and lovely package and I love how it “matches” the gift that was tucked inside.
I hope that you guys are enjoying my art “roundup” as well as the countdown to Christmas with teas from Teanzo this year!
Seasonal Relief Herbal Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
In India, licorice root is used to soothe sore throats, and the tulsi plant is revered for its many health benefits. In this delicious herbal wellness tea, we’ve combined licorice root and tulsi with a powerhouse of helpers: peppermint, hibiscus, honey bee pollen, and eucalyptus. Not only is the tea delicious, but it is soothing too. Enjoy this tea hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I suffer from seasonal allergies that seem to last all year long now. I never used to! Before moving to the Pacific Northwest, I didn’t have allergies. But I guess with all the pollen in this area, I soon started feeling unwell in the spring with allergy symptoms, but because I never had allergies before, I thought maybe it was something else.
Then I started taking allergy medication and my symptoms disappeared. At first, I only needed these toward the end of winter, through spring and at the very start of summer. Then I started needing it through summer. Now, I need the medication year round or I start sneezing, eyes start watering and I’m just really uncomfortable with my symptoms.
So, I am always looking for a tisane that I enjoy that might help me alleviate my symptoms so that I don’t have to take so much allergy medication. So when I saw that this was a Seasonal Relief blend, I was excited to try it.
Unfortunately, I’m just not enjoying this one very much. Perhaps it’s the eucalyptus, but I feel like I’m sipping on liquefied VapoRub.
At first, I enjoyed the peppermint and licorice-y notes, and I could taste notes of tulsi that I enjoyed. But after drinking about 1/4th of the cup, the flavor of the eucalyptus seemed to build and it got to the point where all I could taste was the eucalyptus and this does not create a very pleasant cup for me.
On the plus side, the hibiscus is not a heavy flavor or texture. I think that this could be much nicer if maybe there was less eucalyptus, and maybe a little more peppermint and tulsi.
Overall, this just wasn’t my cup of tea. They can’t all be, though. Teanzo has had some real winners with this Advent Calender, this just didn’t do it for me, so hopefully tomorrow, we’ll have something yummy!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 13 from Teanzo 1856
It’s day 13 with this wonderful Holiday Countdown with tea from Teanzo – I have enjoyed trying the different teas that they offer through their Advent Calendar! (All of which is also available – separately – on their website!)
For today’s bit of holiday art, I chose a really nifty ornament made by Regina Zyry! One of the things that I love MOST about this ornament is that its crafted using an upcycled ribbon spool! You know, when you go to the craft store and you buy the spools of decorative ribbon for your projects? She kept her empty spools and turned them into creative ornaments!
I love the color scheme of these too! It really stands out on my tree. And while this first side offers a ‘modern’ appearance, the reverse side has more of an ‘old fashioned’ look to it.
See what I mean? Clever, right?
This ornament was a gift in one of the 12 Days of Christmas mail art swaps that I was involved in a few years ago. It was a very inspiring thing to be working with such artistic ladies.
And speaking of creative, I find today’s tea from Teanzo to be rather creative! It’s one of the teas that is offered in their Spa Trio collection along with two other Spa tea blends, including one that I’ve already reviewed as part of this countdown: The Dream Spa Blend.
Bliss Spa Blend
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Ginger Root, rose hips, tulsi, orange peel, lemon peel, lemon myrtle, lemon grass, with ginger and citrus flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yay! Another tisane without hibiscus! And this one is a Tulsi tisane – extra bonus points! It’s been a while since I’ve had a Tulsi blend!
This blend is actually quite lovely! I love the citrus-y flavors! The notes of lemon and orange are strong in this blend and it adds a bright, vibrant flavor that is energizing and yes … blissful!
To brew this tisane, I poured the contents of the sampler pouch into the basket of my Kati Tumbler and added 12 ounces of water heated to 195°F and I let it steep for 10 minutes. Remember, with no camellia sinensis leaves in the tisane, I don’t have to worry about the brew becoming bitter (no tannins!) and with no hibiscus in the blend, I don’t have to worry about the brew becoming too syrupy, thick or tart.
The ginger and the tulsi add a sort of warm, spicy note to the cup that contrasts nicely with the bright, juicy flavors of citrus. This isn’t overly spicy, though, it’s a gentle, cozy warmth. I like the undertone of spice that comes from these two ingredients.
But the real ‘star’ of this cup is the invigorating flavor of the citrus notes! The orange is juicy and sweet, and the lemon isn’t too sour. I’m not puckering when I drink this.
I really enjoyed this. The last two tisanes that I’ve consumed from Teanzo (this and the aforementioned Dream Spa Blend) have been so delightful that they are renewing my faith in tisanes! I have become so … blasé when it comes to nearly all tisanes that I’ve encountered as of late. Sure, I might find the flavor agreeable, but truly exciting? Not a lot of them have interested me to the point where I felt I was excited about what I was drinking. These two blends are excitingly different!