Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tisane Description:
FLORIDA SUNRISE Herbal Tea Blend reminds me of all the things I love about summer. The aroma of orange and the tang of hibiscus draw me in, and I can almost feel the warmth of the sun. Add in the antioxidant rich, good for you combination of green rooibos*, rose hips, and red raspberry leaf and you have awesomeness in a mug.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I gotta tell you, I wasn’t really looking forward to trying this tisane. Hibiscus! UGH!
However, the hibiscus isn’t a strong flavor in this. There is a certain tangy ‘hibiscus-ness’ to this but it’s not overpowering the cup. Instead, it seems to accent the orange notes in a really pleasant way.
The raspberry leaf together with the hibiscus gives the cup a berry-ish sort of taste that nicely complements the orange notes. The green rooibos has a light, fruity note that melds well with these flavors.
It’s a refreshing beverage. Sweet, fruity and pleasant to sip. I appreciate that the hibiscus hasn’t been overdone. I don’t get that heavy hibiscus texture nor do I get a strong flavor from it, and what flavor I do taste from the hibiscus marries well with the other flavors of the cup.
I enjoyed this.
Vibrant Morning Green Tea Blend from Because UR Priceless
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tea Description:
Are you having one of those days where you just want to snuggle under the covers and go back to sleep…but you can’t? Are you in the middle of one of those afternoon lulls when you just want to rest your eyes for a wee little bit?
GOOD NEWS! Let the naturally caffeinated green tea found in Vibrant Morning Herbal Tea help put a little pep into your step! You don’t like green tea, you say? Well, to be honest, I’m not a fan of its rather sharp taste either. However, Vibrant Morning’s added combination of lemon verbena, spearmint, lemongrass, and lemon peel will whisk that astringency right away. Whew! Green tea for all!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yes, I’ll get into my review of this Vibrant Morning Green Tea blend from Because UR Priceless in just a moment. But first, a rant:
I find myself in disagreement with the above description – I am a fan of green tea. I LOVE green tea! I don’t find the flavor of it to be sharp at all. In fact, when brewed properly, green tea is buttery, soft, and silky. Vegetal, yes. Most green teas are. But they’re also beautifully sweet, smooth and complex.
Some green teas are astringent, but I find green teas to be on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to astringency. Sharp or bitter? No, not if you use a good quality product and brew it properly.
I think that the reason so many people dislike green teas is because either: a) they’re brewing a sub-par product, and/or b) they’re steeping the tea incorrectly.
To address matter a): as with just about anything, you get what you pay for. If you’re going to the grocery store and buying the cheapest green tea off the shelf, green tea dust and fannings that have been stuffed into teabags and then packaged in boxes that have probably been sitting on that aforementioned grocery store shelf for the last year (or longer!), you know what? I wouldn’t want to drink that stuff either. I’m not a fan of that stuff. Do yourself a favor and find a reputable purveyor of loose leaf green teas.
Which leads me to matter b): Learn how to brew those loose leaf teas! Because green tea leaves have not endured an oxidation process the way black tea leaves have, they are more delicate. They can’t withstand boiling water temperatures because boiling water can and most likely will scorch the leaves. They don’t need to be steeped as long as black tea either – usually 1 – 2 minutes will do. Some green teas should only be steeped for 30 seconds! A purveyor that knows their stuff will be able to tell you the best way to brew the tea to get the most out of it.
Now … on to the review!
What a lovely green tea blend! I love the combination of spearmint and bright, lemony notes! The green tea offers a soft, sweet background note.
The lemon-y notes are prominent and when I sip this, I find myself thinking: vibrant. Sunny. So … yeah, the name of this tea works. The burst of lemony flavor is very Vibrant and makes me think of the sunshine in the morning. I like that the lemon notes are tangy and tart, but not so tart that I’m puckering. The presence of the crisp spearmint and the smooth green tea help to soften the tartier notes of the lemon.
The spearmint adds a fresh taste to the cup. I like the choice of the spearmint here, which I find to be a little less aggressive than peppermint. The spearmint doesn’t overwhelm the flavors. Rather, it complements the juicy flavor of the lemon.
And the green tea isn’t lost in this blend (and I admit that I was a wee bit concerned that it might be after reading the above description). I taste the light vegetal notes. It has a light buttery taste and a silky texture. And this blend of spearmint and lemon-y herbals would not have the same flavor or mouthfeel without the presence of the green tea.
A very enjoyable, satisfying blend that’s delicious served hot or iced!
Sweet Cinnamon Maté Tisane from Because UR Priceless
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tisane Description:
Yerba Matế (pronounced mah-tay) has long been recommended for promoting vitality, clarity and well-being. Not only does it contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and a host of antioxidants, but it is traditionally used as a catalyst to help your body take in the benefits of other herbs.
Our SWEET CINNAMON MATẾ combines this wonderful leaf with spicy cinnamon and sweet cacao nibs to make for an unforgettable tea drinking experience.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tisane is delightful!
The Yerba Mate appears to be a “green” (rather than a roasted) Yerba Mate and it lends a fresh crisp taste to the cup. Yerba Mate is a very invigorating drink and I love the refreshing flavor of the green Mate in this. It is a nice contrast to the warm, spicy-sweet cinnamon and the rich notes of cacao.
The cinnamon here adds a gentle heat. It’s not overly spicy, but it’s warming and it’s especially nice to be drinking on a cool autumn morning like this. Cozy, like a warm fluffy blanket but less likely to lull you into a sleepy state because we’re drinking Mate here! The Mate gives you a swift kick in the butt to get you going and keep you alert!
The cacao nibs are a nice touch. It gives a slight chocolate-y sweetness to the cup to soften the edge of the cinnamon and enhance the earthy quality of the Mate in a favorable way. (Mate can sometimes be a little more on the vegetal earthy side, the cacao ensures a more chocolate-y earthiness which I like much better.)
To brew this tea, I grabbed my Kati Tumbler and added the contents of the sampler packet to the basket. That’s probably a tad more than was needed for a 12 ounce cuppa, but, I tend to prefer my tisanes to be brewed strong because they tend to be somewhat “thinner” in body.
I added hot water (195°F) and steeped the tisane for 10 minutes. I have found that Yerba Mate can become a little bitter if you either: a) bring the water to boiling, or; b) steep too long. If you eliminate one of these factors, in this case, I brought the water to just boil, then you don’t get that unpleasant bitterness from the Mate and you can steep the blend a little longer to ensure a strong flavor from the infusion.
It’s a very satisfying beverage that’s a little sweet, a little spicy and a whole lot energizing!
Creamy Autumn Chai Tisane from Because UR Priceless
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tisane Description:
Autumn is hands down my favorite season! The spectacular show of fall leaves, the crisp fall air, and the smell of bonfires is amazing. I cannot think of a better tea to accompany this vibrant season than our Creamy Autumn Chai. Reminiscent of pumpkin pie, this delightfully delicious blend of red rooibos, cinnamon, orange peel, ginger root, and cloves makes for a great dessert tea (without the calories of an actual slice of pumpkin pie). Adding a touch of milk and honey (or sugar) will complement the luscious flavor and add to decadence of the moment. Go ahead, celebrate fall.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I was quite excited when my package from Because UR Priceless arrived. The samples were neatly packaged in glassine envelopes that have been colorfully labeled and sealed with a strip of decorative tape. These envelopes were tucked inside a small box that also labeled with an inspirational quote:
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” -J.M. Barrie
The box was finished off with a bright yellow ribbon. I love it when I get packages like this – it’s the special little touches that keep customers coming back for more!
Out of the samples that I was sent, I grabbed this one first. I’m not sure why, exactly, but something about the name of the tea jumped out and grabbed me: Creamy Autumn Chai. It seemed like just the right tea to be drinking today.
As I steeped this tea – 195°F for 10 minutes – I found myself wondering what element of this tea would make it seem creamy? The rooibos? The cinnamon or the ginger or the cloves? The orange peel? None of these ingredients strike me as a particularly “creamy” flavor when infused.
While I’m still unsure which ingredient was considered creamy, I’m guessing that the rooibos is the creamy factor in this arrangement. I never really considered rooibos to be a creamy tasting herb, except when cream and/or vanilla flavors are added to it. Maybe it’s the natural nutty tones of the rooibos that give off a creamy taste?
Anyway, I started to find myself confused and dedicating far more thought to it than maybe I should. I decided to just sit back and enjoy the tisane instead of focusing on the word creamy.
It’s a nice blend of spices. I feel like just the right balance was achieved with these spices. The cinnamon is sweet yet zesty, the cloves are warm and the ginger adds a nice bit of heat to the cup without going too spicy. I like that I can taste each of these ingredients and they seem to be working together in a unified way to create a cozy medley of flavor. No one spice is trying to overpower the others.
It tastes like pumpkin pie spices! Definitely autumnal. Warm and comforting. Soothing to drink. I especially like the orange and the bright touch of flavor that it adds to the cup.
The rooibos is a nice base for these flavors. It’s nutty and woodsy – certainly two flavors that I would associate with autumn. A sweet, honey-like flavor. Quite a pleasant mix of flavors: the rooibos, the spices and the orange.
And you know what, the more I drink this … the more I understand the creaminess. It’s not an obvious creamy note, but there is a certain creaminess to this that becomes more noticeable as I continue to sip.
The flavors evoke thoughts of autumn – specifically of autumn leaves. It probably goes without saying that the spices are very autumnal. But it’s the addition of orange that makes me think of the leaves and the natural woodsy and nutty tones of the rooibos that make me think of the leaves as they change their color and fall to the ground.
This is the first of the teas that I’ve tried from this company, and I’m pleased with what I’ve experienced thus far from them. I look forward to more!