Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Hardy British super fruit, much loved vintage cartoon characters, top boiled sweet and crumble of the gods… Rhubarb + Custard really is a pairing made in heaven. This naturally caffeine free, antioxidant rich rooibos tea blend will satisfy your sweet tooth with less than 1 calorie p/cup! Sounds like a super sweet deal to us!
Ingredients: Rooibos, Rhubarb pieces, Calendula, Stevia.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I am sure I’ve probably mentioned this before with previous “rhubarb” teas, but I have never actually eaten rhubarb. At least, not that I can remember. But I’ve had rhubarb flavor in a couple of different teas and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve tasted.
To brew this tisane, I put 1 bamboo scoop of tisane into the basket of my Kati Tumbler and then filled it (12 ounces) with water heated to 195°. Then, because it’s a rooibos tisane (with no hibiscus in it, yay!) I steeped it for 10 minutes.
The aroma: I definitely smell the custard! As I’m not very familiar with rhubarb, I don’t know if I smell it or not. I do smell vague notes of rooibos, but mostly what I smell is custard!
The taste: I definitely taste rooibos. I am tasting that honeyed, nutty flavor from the rooibos. The stevia adds a little bit of sweetness and I’m finding that I am not minding the presence of the stevia as much as I normally do in teas/tisanes where stevia is an ingredient. For those of you who read my reviews regularly, you’re probably aware that I don’t like it when tea companies add stevia or other sweetener to the tea because I like to decide how much – if any! – sweetener I’m going to add to my tea. But here, I don’t taste a distinct stevia taste and the sweetness is gentle and seems to be curbing some of the rhubarb’s tartness so I’m not minding that the stevia is there.
I can taste the rhubarb here. My first few sips, I didn’t really recognize the tartness of the rhubarb, but as I continued to sip, the flavor of the rhubarb developed. It is especially noteworthy in the aftertaste where I’m experiencing that tingly, tarty sensation on my tongue.
And I can taste the custard! It is sweet and creamy and it (together with the stevia) softens the rhubarb’s tart.
This is actually quite a tasty treat. At first, (about my first 1/3 of the cup, really), I wasn’t really sure what I was tasting but I was enjoying it. Now that the tartness of the rhubarb has become identifiable and the custard notes have become more noticeable, I’m really enjoying this custard-y, rhubarb-y tisane.
Another winner from Bluebird!
Aniseed Balls Tisane from Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Spice Melange
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Award-winning nostalgic aniseed, star anise + liquorice herbal tea blend
This blend won the highest food award in the country. The judges said: ‘Truly original and delicious infusion that packs a true punch.. finally a blend that’s blokey’! It’s also the nation’s favourite childhood sweet. Not just our opinion, it’s fact. There was a survey, questionnaire and everything.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
When Bluebird Tea Co. asked me what teas I’d like to try, this one was near the top of my list. After reading the ingredient list, you might wonder why it was that this was one of the teas I requested…
Ingredients: Liquorice, Aniseed, Star Anise, Hibiscus, Stevia, Chilli.
I mean, this tisane has two of my “I’d rather this tisane not have this ingredient” ingredients: hibiscus and stevia. So you might be wondering why I’d choose this tea. But this tisane also has three of the ingredients that I love to see in teas/tisanes: Licorice, Aniseed and Star Anise! And I guess my requesting this tisane proves that my love for these three ingredients overpowers my disdain for the hibiscus and stevia.
Oh, I’m still wishing that the hibiscus and stevia weren’t in there. Before even taking a sip, I’m thinking that it would be a better tisane without them, although it isn’t really a fair assessment because I haven’t yet taken a sip.
The dry leaf is gorgeous. Lots of whole pieces of star anise! They’re so pretty. It smells delightful too: sweet, warm and zesty.
To steep this tisane, I used my Kati Tumbler. (I prefer to use this device when I’m brewing a spiced tea/tisane like this because when I brew a spiced tea in my Breville, the spices become “embedded” in the tea maker and it requires a soak in baking soda to get the odors to release. Then again, I need to soak my Breville anyway, so maybe I should have used it to steep this!) I measured out 1 1/2 bamboo scoops of the tisane into the basket of the Kati and then poured hot water (195°F) over the tisane and let it steep for 8 minutes.
Ordinarily, when brewing a tisane with hibiscus, I steep it for 6 minutes or less. However, I could see very little hibiscus in the loose leaf blend so I figured that this tisane could benefit from a little more time. Spices need time to get their flavors to release fully.
OK! So now it’ sip time. I can definitely taste the hibiscus. Next time I try this tisane, I might go with 6 1/2 or 7 minutes rather than a full 8 minutes. That said, it doesn’t taste too hibiscus-y. But I’m still wishing it wasn’t there.
That said, this is really quite nice despite the presence of hibiscus and stevia. And for those who don’t really mind hibiscus quite so much, it does add an interesting tart, berry like flavor to the cup. It’s a little bit tart and I can feel the insides of my cheeks pucker slightly as I take a sip, but because there is enough going on with this blend from the warmth of the chili to the zesty sweetness from the licorice-y notes, I find that the tartness doesn’t upset me.
The stevia adds sweetness (obviously) and this is a nice contrast to the spicy chili tone. And take note: even though chili is listed as the last ingredient, this tisane has a real spicy kick to it from the chili! I can feel the heat at the back of my throat. It’s not too spicy or hot. I’m not running to the kitchen to find something to temper the heat. But it is warm enough to alert the sensors in the mouth that something spicy is dancing around the palate.
But the three real stars of this cup are the licorice, star anise and aniseed! This has a really lovely licorice-y flavor! If you are a fan of black licorice, this tisane should be at the top of your must try list! This has a lot of snappy licorice flavor! Sweet and zesty. It reminds me so much of the black licorice candy that I love. In fact, it tastes as though someone liquefied some black licorice candy and then served that in a cup with a splash of hibiscus, a pinch or two of chili pepper and a little bit of sweetener.
I like this served straight up without additions but it would also be quite nice with a cinnamon stick garnish. (I like the combination of cinnamon and licorice.) Really, it doesn’t need anything other than that. It could do without the hibiscus, although I’m not hating that the hibiscus is there. The same goes for the stevia. I like the little bit of sweetness that the stevia adds to this. It’s enough sweetness without getting that funky flavor that I sometimes taste from stevia in teas. Bonus!
Yet another huge win for Bluebird Tea Company!
Elderflower Champagne Oolong Blend from Bluebird Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Oolong is considered to be the very best, the champers, of the tea world. Oolong is the prettiest tea to watch unfurl in your cup too! Our combination of fresh zingy citrus + delicate floral elderflower won’t get you tipsy but it is tip top indeed. You can also rebrew this one up to 7 times!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a really tasty and refreshing blend! I usually prefer pure Oolong teas as opposed to flavored Oolong blends but this one really is quite delightful!
The scent of the dry leaf is beautifully floral with bright citrus notes. It’s beautifully aromatic, smelling a bit like something I’d want to fragrance my home with! This would make a great potpourri!
I brewed this tea in my Breville One-Touch tea maker. I don’t usually brew Oolong teas in my Breville but I do sometimes make an exception when it comes to blended and/or flavored Oolongs like this Elderflower Champagne blend. I measured out 2 bamboo scoops of tea into the basket of the tea maker and then poured 500ml of freshly filtered water into the jug and set the settings for 180°F with 3 minutes steep time. For subsequent infusions, I simply added an extra 30 seconds onto the steep time, keeping the amount of water and temperature the same.
The result is a very tasty tea indeed! The aroma of the brewed tea is a little different from the dry leaf – this smells much more citrus-y and less floral than the dry leaf did.
The flavor is a stunning balance of citrus fruits and floral notes. I taste orange and lemon and I like the way the sweeter orange softens the tartness of the lemon so I’m not puckering as I sip. I taste soft, sweet flowery flavors too.
The ingredient list shows that there is hibiscus in this blend too, but I am happy to say that I don’t taste it … nor do I really see any evidence of hibiscus in this blend. The tea does not brew up “pink” in color (it’s more of a light, clear champagne color) nor does it have a thick or syrupy texture, and I’m not tasting hibiscus tart. So hooray for that!
In the first infusion, I didn’t taste a lot of obvious Oolong contribution to this. I did get a nice, buttery texture which is very Oolong-ish to me. I think that this buttery quality is perhaps the only attribute of the first infusion that speaks to me and says, “This is an Oolong tea.” I get hints of vegetation and notes of floral – and it could be that these are from the Oolong or at least these characteristics are highlighted because of the Oolong’s presence in this blend. But neither the vegetal notes nor the floral qualities are saying to me that they are here because of the Oolong.
That said, this is a very enjoyable drink, and I was very happy with the first infusion. I found that the subsequent infusions started tasting more like a Chinese Oolong tea and I noticed that some of the stronger citrus-y notes began to wane. I’m still getting plenty of citrus-y flavors – especially in the aftertaste! – but the citrus notes are softened now and allowing more of the Oolong notes to shine through. The elderflower notes are also softer in later infusions, and again, no real distinct hibiscus-y attributes. Yay!
I really like this tea a lot and I’d recommend it to those that appreciate a fun and interesting tea blend.
Watermelon Splash Tea Blend from Bluebird Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & White Teas
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
A refreshing blend of green and white tea bursting with juicy melon and fruit flavours. A truly spring time tea, fresh and fruity and totally mouth-watering over ice. Watermelon Splash is the perfect tea blend for sipping in the sunshine.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
This Watermelon Splash Tea from Bluebird Tea Co. isn’t just a “spring time” tea but it’s a wonderful summer time tea too!
I admit that I was a little dismayed to see that hibiscus is one of the ingredients, and even more dismayed to see the hibiscus in the blend as I measured it into my tea maker, but, really, the hibiscus adds very little to this blend except for a slight pinkish hue that embraces the whole ‘watermelon-y’ sort of theme of the tea. The texture is light – not at all syrupy the way hibiscus can be in a blend – and the flavor is not overly tart.
There is some tartness to this though, and not just from the hibiscus, but also from the lemon peel. But I think I like these tart notes, because they contrast in a pleasant way with the sweetness and add an uplifting brightness to the cup.
To brew this blend, I used a lower temperature (it’s a blend of both white and green teas, and in blends like this, I generally yield to the lowest temperature, in this case, I’m yielding to the white tea brewing requirements) of 170°F. I know that a lot of people will tell you that 160°F is the way to go with white teas, but, I have found that adjusting that temperature by 10 degrees will provide a much more flavorful cup of white tea without any bitterness or sign of scorched tea leaves.
I steeped this for 3 minutes and the result is a flavorful cup that is lightly pink in color, looking a bit like the liquid at the bottom of a bowl of cut-up watermelon. In other words, it looks like watermelon juice.
The tea smells like a medley of fruits. I can smell watermelon, coconut, pineapple and citrus. The first few sips were more lemon-y than they were watermelon-ish. After about two sips, I could start to pick up on the coconut and pineapple flavors. It wasn’t until I reached mid-cup that I started to note the watermelon flavor.
The base of white and green teas is light and crisp and buttery smooth. I don’t get a strong “grassy” note, but I do taste the fresh “leafy” taste that is distinctly green tea.
The tea notes are best described as background notes. They aren’t very prominent flavors amid the fruit flavors. I can barely taste the white tea, but it lightens the cup in a way that benefits the overall beverage. It adds this refreshing, cool taste that is just as distinctly white as the aforementioned fresh leafy taste is distinctly green, even though the cup does not scream out “white tea” or even “green tea.” While these flavors are not abundantly ~clear~ in the cup, this blend would not be the same without either of these two teas in it. They add something flavorful to the cup, it is just not as distinguished as the fruit notes.
I found myself enjoying this cup. I do wish there was a stronger, more obvious watermelon note to it, but I really do like the combination of flavors. It’s a great way to quench the thirst. Good hot but much better iced!
Lime Cola Guayusa from Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Energy boosting Guayusa tea is blended with cola nut and linden leaves in this lime and cola flavoured tea blend. Guayusa is another one of those Amazonian energy charged super plants and Linden leaves (Lime) has been used for centuries to treat colds, fevers and inflamation.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a guayusa tisane, so when I saw that Bluebird Tea Co. had this Lime Cola Guayusa, I knew it was something that I just had to try!
Guayusa is an herb that has a high caffeine content, so it’s one of those tisanes that you should consume earlier in the day so that you’re not overstimulated as the day comes to an end. I find that after I’ve consumed a cup of Guayusa, I’m much more alert and energized!
This is a tasty blend. I don’t know if I’m getting a true “Lime Cola” taste out of this, but it does taste good. Guayusa tends to have a slightly coffee-esque taste to it, but its smoother and not bitter the way a cup of joe tends to be. And I do get that thinned coffee taste from the Guayusa here.
Then I taste lime! It’s a bright, uplifting flavor that elevates the cup. I taste the citrus notes throughout the sip and well into the aftertaste where I’m getting a little tarty tingle on the tongue.
I do get a slight cola-like flavor and this is especially noticeable as the drink cools. While the drink is hot, though, I could barely taste any cola notes at all. This definitely tastes better chilled!
Even though I didn’t get as much “Lime Cola” taste as I thought I would based on the name of this tisane, I did really enjoy this. I found it tasty and of course, invigorating! A really tasty blend!