Mint Medley/Brooke Birch Tea Shoppe -skysamurai

Photo Credit: BrookeBirchTeaShoppe

You’ve eaten a ton of pizza and now you’re dragging. Grab some peppermint tea to put some pep back into your step. Granted this varies depending on the pizza you consume.

While I generally do not pick a peppermint tea I thought tonight was a good night to give it a go. This is a lovely one as far as peppermint goes. Though I still find the spearmint to be just a bit too much.

I love mint but I prefer regular mint to spearmint. The dry and wet aromas are pleasant. My lungs feel a bit cleansed. My tongue definitely does as well.


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Herbal

Where to Buy:  Brooke Birch Tea Shoppe

Description

A after dinner mint tea at its finest. Great for the digestion system but lovely anytime. Makes a great dessert tea.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Peppermint Marshmallow Melting in Hot Chocolate from 52Teas. . ..

Let me just start by saying that this is one of my favorite teas. I love it soooo much!! Unfortunately it is not currently available on the 52 Teas website but if it is offered as a reblend make sure you stock up because this is ah. may. zing!

Alright, now that we got that out of the way we can discuss the awesome new method of enjoying this tea and so many others that I have learned of recently. What’s that method you ask? A latte! Not just any latte though…a CHOCOLATE MILK latte. Honestly, it is life-changing. So simple and yet I never thought of it until a tea friend mentioned it. It takes the latte to a whole new level. Try it. You won’t regret it!!

For instance, this particular tea, 52 Tea’s Peppermint Marshmallow Melting in Hot Chocolate is all the more true to its name when made this way, and I didn’t even think that was possible because even plain this completely tastes like its namesake. However, the heating of the chocolate milk and the mixing of that and the base tea gives a more dark chocolate vibe that elevates this to a richer and more sophisticated treat. That dark chocolate note intermingles wonderfully with the peppermint which comes off more crisp in comparison. It’s almost like a liquid After Eight but with the perfect amount of marshmallow fluffiness to add a pleasant lightness to the overall drink.

It truly is a revelation. That applies both to the tea itself and to chocolate milk lattes.

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

White Chocolate Tiramisu from Fava Tea. . .

I accidentally left this in the steeper far too long — which you aren’t supposed to do with green — but it’s still really tasty, so that’s a sublimely positive thing for us scatterbrained tea enthusiasts.

This tea tastes like white chocolate, nuts, and caramel. It’s supposed to taste like Tiramisu, but I’m not sure I’m getting that. Tiramisu, to me, mostly has coffee notes. That said, who cares, a tasty tea is a tasty tea. This is SO creamy and delicious and sweet. It’s a slick mouth-feel (ew, the phrase “mouth-feel” is horrible) that really coats the inside of the mouth.

I feel like I’m in a French patisserie with this tea. Everything is Marie Antoinette pastel. I have a tiny purebred dog upon my lap. My pinky is up. I’m with all of my friends. We’re wearing blush and having a scintillating conversation that focuses on fine arts and gossip.

We might enjoy ourselves so much that we oversteep the tea. But that’s okay. This tea doesn’t mind.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black/Green
Where to Buy:  Fava Tea
Description

This is a green and black tea blend with almonds, coconut, and cocoa pieces. If you like the darker, creamy, savory teas, this is one for you! A popular dessert tea. Blends well with rock sugar. Try Vanilla RocksChocolate Cream Rocks, or Strawberry Rocks, for starters!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Root Down Tisane from Swallowtail Teas

The colorful label for Root Down Tisane from Swallowtail Tea features a yellow and orange sun on the horizon.  It must be a sunset, as this tea is perfect for after dinner or before bed.

This tisane is driven by licorice root.  I’m a fan of licorice in all its forms, including as a root in herbal teas.  Licorice root is a natural sweetener, adding a bit of spicy anise flavor along with its sugary perk.  Licorice is also a throat soothing herb, so it brings a very smooth mouthfeel and soothing sensation.

Beyond the bold licorice, this blend features some cinnamon warmth and just a ghost of mint and orange peel.  There are also dandelion root and nettle leaf in the blend, but they are more for color and health benefits than taste.  I wish the mint and citrus were just a little bit bolder to add more flavor texture to the brew.

Root Down Tisane would be a great blend for those who are tired of herbal teas having ginger, chamomile, or even rooibos, as none of these ingredients are included.  This blend is all licorice and herbs, and is a nice change of pace for a naturally caffeine free blend at bedtime. I’ll have to save the rest of my tea sample for when I need to set down some roots and snuggle in for the night.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea (Red Rooster Coffee)
Description:

This signature tisane was artfully crafted as a warming and supportive infusion. Perfect as an after dinner treat.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Creme De Menthe from Clearview Tea Co. . . .

Clearview Tea Co’s Creme de Menthe. Black Tea. Vanilla. Mint. Sounds like the perfect makings for an after-dinner latte to me.

Preparing this latte, I noticed that the dry leaf even had a creamy smell to it, probably thanks to the vanilla. The mint, though abundant, did not take over scentwise but rather balanced the sweet creaminess. As I steeped the tea for 3 minutes in 200F water, I hoped that quality would transfer over to the taste as well.

Sipping on it now, I can say that this is quite lovely. It is a touch more muted than I expected given the large quantity of mint in the mix. However what you do get in the forefront, besides a touch of malt from the black base, is that smooth and creamy vanilla. It is a soft vanilla so if you aren’t paying attention it would be easy to miss but it is definitely there. The mint actually lingers underneath everything else and presents itself more in the end of the sip/aftertaste. The whole thing, despite being made as a latte, is very light and fresh, which makes for a great evening treat as it doesn’t leave you feeling heavy after you’re done.

This is not in-your-face by any means and the flavors are gentle but still very much present. I would say high quality ingredients were used here because the vanilla has more of a fluffy vanilla bean quality to it and the mint is by no means harsh or medicinal, which can sometimes be the case with teas such as this.

With that said, it is worth noting that there are a lot of vanilla mint teas on the market, some amazing and some less so. This leans more towards the former though I will say that although this is very good, it doesn’t stand out among the rest of the pack so much that I would go out of my way to have this particular vanilla mint tea. If this is easily accessible, I would say this is a great option but I would not go as far to say that this is the “gotta have” vanilla mint tea. Basically I would add it to a cart but I would not specifically place an order to have this stocked.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Clearview Tea Company
Description

This tea isn’t on the website but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!