Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Just.Organic.Tea
Tisane Description:
Tulsi, Lemon Myrtle, Ginger, Peppermint, Cinnamon & Pepper
Learn more about Just.Organic.Tea’s stance on Social Responsibility here.
Taster’s Review:
Just Tulsi with a Twist is a blend that isn’t currently available on the Just.Organic.Tea.’s website, but I really like this company, and since they did send me this sample, I figured I’d try it and tell you what I think about it.
Here’s why I like this company: I like that they are a company that isn’t just “talking” about making this planet a better place for us and for future generations, they’re doing something about it and their products prove that. They strive toward selecting organic and sustainable products, and they choose those products that are Fair Trade certified. Sure, it’s easy to find products that are less expensive, but, I like that this is a company that won’t compromise like that. I appreciate that.
And I’m really enjoying this Tulsi blend! It’s sweet, lemon-y, and with just enough of a warm spice kick to keep the taste buds happy. I’m a little surprised that I’m not tasting more from the peppermint than I am, usually, peppermint is a very assertive flavor. But the blenders at Just.Organic.Tea. have blended this in such a way that it has a gentle minty note that plays well with the other flavors in this blend.
I like that I’m tasting each component in this blend. I taste the basil-like notes of the tulsi. The slight “minty” note of the tulsi is accentuated my the soft peppermint-y flavors. It tastes herbaceous but not overly so. I can taste the cinnamon and the ginger and the pepper, and these give the cup a pleasing, soothing warmth.
What I taste most is the Lemon Myrtle, and it gives a really lovely lemon-y note without the pucker. It’s like that sweet-tart lemon flavor you’d find in a lemon curd.
A really nice blend from Just.Organic.Tea. I hope that this will eventually return to their collection of teas that they offer, because it’s one that I think that many tea drinkers would enjoy. It’s a tasty caffeine-free alternative, especially nice after dinner. I found it to have a calming effect on the tummy after a meal … bonus!
Organic Original Tulsi from Tea of Life
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tisane Description:
Tulsi or Holy basil is considered a medicinal plant with different parts of the plant possessing various different medicinal properties. Tulsi is said to be a remedy for digestive problems, acidity and other digestive disorders and help reduce weight as well.
Ingredients: Organic Tulsi Leaf
Taster’s Review:
I think that I prefer Tulsi when it’s part of a blend (with other ingredients) than when it’s going solo like it is with this Organic Original Tulsi from Tea of Life. This tulsi has a bit too much of a medicinal/herbaceous flavor for my liking and I find myself wishing that there was something else to perk up the beverage a bit.
That’s not to say that it tastes bad. It doesn’t. It has a basil like flavor, with peppery notes and a whisper of minty like background notes. It’s a pleasant enough, savory tasting cuppa. But, really, it’s just kind of … boring. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled and been treated to quite a few flavored blends with Tulsi leaf, andso I feel like this tisane is falling a little flat in comparison.
Some good points: It is a nice, gentle drink with a pleasing touch of spice, a really nice beverage to enjoy after meals. I find that it has a soothing, settling quality to it especially after a very filling meal (like spaghetti!) My tummy feels calmer now after drinking it than it did before I started sipping. Another positive: I like that this is organic.
Not a bad drink, but, not my favorite from those that I’ve tried from Tea of Life, either. I do like that it’s an organic tisane, and I appreciate the health benefits that Tulsi offers, although as I’ve said on other occasions, I drink teas and tisanes not because they’re good for me, but because I enjoy the taste. This is alright, but probably not something I’d want to drink often.
Organic Unwind Tulsi Tisane from Spicely Organics
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Where to Buy: Spicely Organics
Tisane Description:
Relax and restore with this tulsi based blend. Cinnamon and rose blend perfectly with tulsi to ease away any tension and relax after a long day. INGREDIENTS: Organic Tulsi, Organic Cinnamon Sticks, Organic Rose Petals.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about the Spicely Organics Monthly Tea Membership here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Unwind Tulsi Tisane from Spicely Organics has a fairly simple ingredient list – tulsi, cinnamon and rose – but sometimes simplicity works. It certainly did in the case of this blend; it’s really quite tasty.
Since there is no camellia sinensis or other ingredients that were likely to become bitter if oversteeped, I went ahead and steeped this for 10 minutes in 195°F water. The result is a flavorful cup that has strong cinnamon overtones but it’s a natural cinnamon flavor: not that overly sweet-hot red-hot-candies sort of cinnamon-y flavor. This tastes like the cinnamon you’d sprinkle on your toast or over your bowl of oatmeal in the morning. It’s warm and zingy yet sweet.
The tulsi gives the cup a somewhat herbaceous note – I taste notes of basil. Basil and cinnamon are not two flavors that I would normally think to combine but they work nicely together to create a sweet yet savory note with hints of warm, zesty spice.
The rose offers a nice floral undertone. I like the way the rose and cinnamon work together – this is a flavor combination that I’ve been fond of for a long time and I’m happy to see another company embrace the combination.
A very calming, relaxing blend – just exactly the type of tisane I’d turn to if I wanted to “Unwind”!
Organic Tulsi with Lemongrass & Ginger from Tea of Life
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tisane Description:
Tulsi or Holy basil is considered a medicinal plant with different parts of the plant possessing various different medicinal properties. Tulsi is said to be a remedy for digestive problems, acidity and other digestive disorders and help reduce weight as well.
Ingredients: Organic Tulsi, Organic Lemongrass & Organic Ginger.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Tulsi with Lemongrass & Ginger from Tea of Life is a really tasty tisane. I appreciate the simplicity of this blend and I like that it’s all organic.
The Tulsi adds a slightly herbaceous flavor to the cup but it isn’t too much. It has a light “basil-y” sort of flavor with hints of mint and pepper. The lemongrass adds a pleasing citrus note that is a little lemon-y and a little lime-ish. Not too tart, though and I like the brightness that the citrus note adds to the cup.
The ginger is a soft ginger note. This isn’t a peppery-kick kind of ginger taste, there is a subtle pepper taste that is accented by the tulsi, but I like that the other elements of this herbal tea balance the pepper notes out so that it doesn’t taste too peppery. There is a slight peppery aftertaste – a pleasant peppery aftertaste! – that I find invigorating.
I find this to be a nicely balanced cup. The components meld together in a seamless way. A really tasty tisane.
Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi, Herbal & Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tisane Description:
The light apple aroma of the chamomile is tempered by herbs and florals and grounded with cacao. This blend does what tea is known to do – bring you to a place of relaxation and reflection. Love & Joy blend tastes sweet and has a soft and round mouthfeel. Sip, relax and enjoy.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
What an interesting tisane! This Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea is the second tea that I’m tasting from February’s Amoda Tea Tasting Box. Yeah, I’m a little behind. My March box should be arriving within days, and I’m still getting around to tasting February’s teas! Better get a move on!
This tisane has an abundance of ingredients:
Marigold (calendula), Goji, Linden Leaf + Flower, Honeysuckle, Chamomile, Tulsi, Elderberry, Cacao, Coriander, Frankincense.
And even though there seems to be a lot going on here, the flavors all meld together in an agreeable way. The first flavor that I can identify is the chamomile, and it offers a light, crisp, apple-y flavor to the cup. Then I notice the tulsi, and it tastes of basil and mint. There is a background of berry notes, and these berry notes come forward in the aftertaste. I get that tart note, that tingly berry sensation that you might experience after eating a tart berry.
After my first few sips, I start to realize that there is a distinct lime-ish note to this and then I re-read the ingredient list: linden! Yep, that would do it. The linden really brightens the cup.
There are light floral notes, not so much from the calendula (I very rarely taste a strong flavor from the marigold petals), but from the honeysuckle. It tastes sweet and floral and I like this little bit of sweetness from the honeysuckle.
In this cup, I smell the frankincense more than I taste it, but there is a warm spiciness to this cup which is not just from the coriander (and the tulsi!), but also the frankincense.
I found myself wanting more cacao. No big surprise there, I guess, since I am a chocoholic. My first 1/3 of the cup, I didn’t really notice much cacao at all, but by the time I finished that first 1/3 of the cup, I started to pick up on the notes of chocolate, and … YUM! I like the way the notes of chocolate meld with the other flavors of this cup. Sure, I’d like more cacao, but, I always do, don’t I?
As it is, this is a really interesting, intriguing cup. It seems to draw me deeper into the depths of its flavor with every sip. I discover more flavors each time I take a drink.
I have to admit that I like this a whole lot more than I thought I would. I’m not usually all that excited to try tisanes, but, this is really tasty!