Between my stressful job and predisposition to be a night owl, I’m always looking for a good calming or bedtime tea. This one seems like a good candidate because I like all of the ingredients individually. It comes in convenient pyramid sachets, which I actually like for herbals because herbals generally don’t need much room to expand and I often prefer easy prep at bedtime.
The dry blend smells like equal parts chamomile and rose. I would totally wear a floral perfume that smelled like this! The hot brew smells of apple, rose, and a hint of lavender. It is, indeed, a soothing scent. Unfortunately, the flavor is less complex than I had expected. The dominant note is the apple-like chamomile, to the point that I can’t make out any floral or other flavors at all.
The chamomile is sweet and calming but the absence of floral flavor is disappointing. I made this three times on two different days just in case the problem was user error but I got the same results each time.
Still, I have to give this blend credit for living up to its name. I happily drank all three cups before drifting off to sleep.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description
Feel transported to a beautiful evening in the Mediterranean. All is calm and you can smell wild flowers. Perfect for a moment to yourself or to wind down after a busy day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mediterranean Grey from Balcony Teas. . . . .
Mediterranean Grey by Balcony Teas, is a variation on the Earl Grey theme that includes orange blossom and calendula petals. This gives it a sweetness that feels pastel to me. It’s springy! It’s joyous!
If you do a Google Image Search for “Pride and Prejudice picnic,” that’s the exact aesthetic I’d give this tea.
If I were naming this, I’d name it Cute Grey.
(This is why I don’t get to name anything.)
(I am permitted no responsibility in almost any aspect of my life.)
(Why is there a term for “man-child” but no corresponding “woman-child”?Women can be JUST as ill-suited to adulthood as men. #feminism)
If you love that bergamot, but there are days when it feels a little too SERIOUS, come romp with me in the land of Cute Grey. You will not regret it!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description
We love this version of traditional Earl Grey with a Mediterranean twist. We have blended light and refreshing Ceylon black tea with zesty bergamot oil, fragrant orange blossom and sunny calendula petals.
Ingredients:
Black Tea – Finest Ceylon black tea to set off this blend perfectly. Orange Blossom – Deliciously fragrant with delicate floral honeyed aroma. Calendula Petals – A beautiful splash of sunshine yellow. Bergamot Flavour – The best quality Bergamot, a distinctively zesty citrus fruit of which the oil is used to flavour this tea, is grown in the Mediterranean.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Warming from Balcony Tea. . . .
This herbal blend is a comforting taste of familiarity. The predominant flavor is the lemon verbena with the orange blossom chasing it.
One has to concentration to taste the cinnamon and ginger flavors, although there is a gentle cinnamon aroma to the cup. In fact, the “hint of spice” is hidden well enough that a cup of Warming is better suited for quiet contemplation or a bedtime habit, than an energizing pick me-up.
This would be an excellent tea to have on hand for those days when you aren’t feeling well, emotionally or physically. Not having been in the Mediterranean, I cannot vouch for the claim of a Mediterranean feel, but I can say it would fit in well in a solitary cabin setting! I feel like this would not be the tea I’d reach for to offer a friend in need of comfort, because it is mild enough that it requires your focus to truly appreciate.
I’m going to project here, and say this is an introverted tea, best enjoyed in the quiet aloneness that allows thought and concentrated appreciation.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Balcony Tea
Description
Escape long rainy days on our “Warming Balcony” with sun-kissed citrus flavour and a hint of spice.
Ingredients:
Ginger – Spicy and warming; traditionally used to help circulation and ease stomach issues. Lemon Balm – To help you feel relaxed and refreshed. Lemon Verbena – Bursting with lemon flavour. Cinnamon – Naturally sweet and comforting. Orange peel – Beautifully aromatic with a true Mediterranean feel. Orange blossom – Deliciously fragrant with delicate floral honeyed notes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mountain Bliss from Balcony Teas. . . .
Sometimes flavored green teas and I don’t get along. I don’t know if a sharper base is usually used or if my stomach – and tastebuds – sometimes object to the flavorings themselves. I looked up the ingredients on this one to see if I needed to brace myself before sipping, but I am hopeful since this isn’t technically a flavored tea but rather a blend of lots of ingredients.
And this tea is a blend of wonderful things that I need! The base is Chinese green, and the herb sideritis from which Greek Mountain tea or shepherd’s tea is made is in there as well. This herb has long been used as a folk remedy for soothing stomach ailments as well as for treating colds. Thyme and juniper berry are savory smooth ingredients, and olive leaves are also in the mix, giving a richer body to the tea, all also touted for health benefits. There are also apple pieces and calendula petals.
The tea itself is warm and embracing as I sip. I can taste the thyme, not strong but easy to pick up since I usually put French thyme in my omelette. (Today I used oregano instead.) Perhaps it is the juniper berry adding the warm hug. It could be the sideritis, but I have never tasted it on its own so I don’t know exactly what it contributes to the flavor profile. I have no worries about post-breakfast heartburn today.
Bottom line – this is a warm and savory cuppa that did very well as a breakfast tea, holding its own when served with an oniony omelette, and did NOT eat up my poor gastritis prone tummy! Hooray!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Balcony Tea
Description
This blend is inspired by flavours and aromas that bring back childhood memories of walks through Mediterranean valleys. An invigorating blend of green tea, sweet apple and mountain herbs.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sensibly Script reports back on Thyme Chai by Balcony Tea. . . .
I brewed it in freshly boiled water (~8-10 oz) for 3 minutes as suggested. I love loose leaf tea, but the pyramid sachets this tea comes in are super cute and convenient. It’s just one less step (putting the tea into the brew basket) but can make a big difference, especially if you’re in a hurry.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a Thyme tea before, so this was new and exciting to me. This tea doesn’t seem to have any other herbs/spices besides thyme (the ingredients are black tea, thyme, and vanilla) but the flavor is pretty strong and the vanilla gives it more depth and richness. It’s a nice medium-dark, transparent honey-brown when steeped and smells both Thymey and sweet.
First sip: There’s a bit of cognitive dissonance here because I’ve only ever had Thyme in savory dishes so my brain is expecting this tea to be savory rather than sweet. It is sweet, though. I can identify the tannic astringency of the tea base, along the sides of my tongue, while the Thymey bouquet invades my nose. The astringency transitions into a sweetness on the top and back of the tongue that somehow connects it to the flowery herbal fragrance, keeping the whole thing somewhat coherent. So although the black tea flavor is mostly subsumed and the astringent component is the only part of it that really sticks out to me, it still contributes to the overall taste profile.
I next added a bit of sugar (only a little, since it’s so sweet already), which helped the various flavors flow together even better. I then added milk, which worked out great. It made the tea taste warm and strengthening (I mean, it technically already tasted warm, but still) and helped my taste buds get over the funky “no really, this should be savory because it has thyme in it” idea. I think I like it best with milk, but then I usually do with chais and other strong black teas.
This is a very different sort of chai, with a Mediterranean rather than a South Asian inspiration, but I really enjoyed it and I think I could add it to my rotation with great success.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description
This is what my papa called “a signature tea”: refreshing in summer and protective in winter. We love the distinctly herbaceous, yet sweet and comforting taste of this black tea.
Ingredients:
Black Tea – The finest Ceylon tea. Fortifying, yet refreshing.Wild Thyme – Our thyme is wild-harvested in the Mediterranean to ensure its intense aroma and taste. The Romans believed Thyme to be a mood enhancer. My family used to drink it whenever we were feeling under the weather.Vanilla Pieces & Flavour – Smooth, sweet and luxurious.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
