Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Functional Tisane
Where to Buy: Algonquin Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Delicious daily tonic formulated to assist every major organ in the cleansing of toxins. Immune boost and detox. Great iced tea. Tastes similar to black tea
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
The above description suggests that this tisane tastes similar to black tea. And despite this ‘promise’ – I found myself still hesitant to try it because … well, because it’s a tisane. And I know that I’ve mentioned more than once or twice my apprehension when it comes to tisanes.
But I finally decided that it was time to try it. So, to brew this, I measured out three bamboo scoops of the tisane into the basket of my Breville One-Touch tea maker and added 500ml of water to the kettle. Then I set the temperature for 195°F and the timer for 7 minutes and I let the tea maker do it’s thing!
I let it cool for a few minutes before taking the first sip. And yes, it does taste a bit like black tea. More accurately, it tastes like a ‘thinned’ black tea with herbaceous notes. Like maybe someone took half a cup of black tea and topped it off with an herbal tisane.
It’s actually quite pleasant to sip. And this tea has a few “pros” to it: a) there’s no hibiscus! Yay! b) it has echinacea which is a fairly well-recognized herb that boosts the immunity system. c) it’s pretty tasty.
Unlike many tisanes I’ve had in the past, this tisane is more like a unified flavor of all the components. That is to say – this tastes like one flavor and I’d find it difficult to discern the different flavors/ingredients of the blend. I taste a gently warm flavor to it – like a subtle spice. I notice a slight “root-beer-ish” kind of note that I attribute to the burdock.
But other than the “thinned black tea with herbaceous notes” – that’s really all I can taste. I taste a thinned black tea, herbaceous flavors, warm, subtle spice and a hint of root beer. It’s a tasty tisane.
The brochure from Algonquin that was included in this edition of the Postal Teas box suggests that tea is an effective “cleanser” or detox type of tisane and this is a detox tea that I wouldn’t mind drinking now and again because it does have that black tea + herbal tea taste to it and I’m finding it to be pleasant.
One thing I gotta say about Algonquin, their packaging is beautiful! If I saw these packages in the store, I’d definitely be tempted because the artwork is stunning and as I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for artwork! The packages that we got from Postal Teas are not as lovely as what I see on the Algonquin website, but if it wasn’t for receiving this 9th edition of Postal Teas, I probably wouldn’t have discovered the beautiful artwork!
Celebration Medley Rooibos Blend from Sloane Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Tea Information:
Sweet spice and delightful seasonal aromas! Meet the perfect tea to get you through the cold months. Warm baking spices of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg blend seamlessly with citrus and the natural sweetness of apple and rose petals. This is a unique blend destined to become one of your favourites.
This tea is available from Amoda Tea.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I loved how apple-y this smelled when I opened the pouch. And as it steeped, I was treated to more apple notes – it smelled a bit like apple cider! YUM!
The apple notes are well-defined as are the spices. The cinnamon and clove add warmth and I’m getting a hint of “spicy-hot” cinnamon, like someone added a red-hot candy or two to my cup and let it dissolve. It’s not overly ‘hot’ but there’s just a hint of that candy-like cinnamon-clove-y hot-sweet flavor.
The nutmeg adds earthy and nutty flavors that meld nicely with the rooibos. The orange is more of a background note, but it adds a tangy, bright taste that is rather pleasant. The orange note also plays with the red-hot flavor of the cinnamon and clove.
I don’t taste a strong rose note, but every once in a while I get this lovely floral note. It seems to weave its way in and out, not always making itself obvious or apparent, but this blend wouldn’t be the same without that gentle whisper of rose.
To steep, I used my Kati Tumbler and added 1 1/2 bamboo scoops of tisane to the basket and 12 ounces of water heated to 195°F. I steeped it for 10 minutes.
I enjoyed this and would be happy to drink it again! It’s a little spicy-hot, it’s sweet, it’s fruity, and it’s got enough going on with it to keep the palate interested. It’s a fun and tasty blend!
Wild Woman Black Tea Blend from Tay Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Tea Information:
Do you have as much trouble finding well-balanced berry teas as we do? Look no further. This is the one. Wild Woman has an amazing dark berry aroma. Don’t let it scare you off though because it softens in the sip. The hibiscus is light and adds to how deliciously tart this tea is. The blueberry and black currant authentically flavour a bold black tea base.
This tea is available from Amoda Tea.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
After reading the description of this tea on the website, I was a little apprehensive. I’m not into hibiscus, as I’ve said on many occasions and I really think that hibiscus is “overused” in the tea industry. It’s become a substitute for true berry flavor and I think that’s a shame. So, I found myself thinking … “ugh, hibiscus in a berry blend, how original.” (sarcasm, of course!)
But … this is pretty darned good, I must say!
As the description above promises, the hibiscus here is light. It doesn’t add too much tartness nor does it add a thick, syrupy texture to the cup. There’s just a wee bit of hibiscus tart that accents the berry notes in a pleasant way. But what I’m appreciating here is that the hibiscus isn’t taking away from the berry flavors or making it tastes too hibiscus-y. Instead, the hibiscus seems to encourage the berry notes to come forward.
The black tea is a medium-bodied tea, brisk and even toned. It is smooth, not very astringent (a moderate astringency is noticed at the tail) and it doesn’t taste bitter.
The blueberry is the top note. It’s sweet and it’s my favorite aspect of this blend. The currant offers a slight wine-like quality to the cup and it adds just a hint of tartness. There is that berry tingle at the end of the sip.
A very enjoyable berry tea. I didn’t try it latte but I think it would be quite nice with a splash of milk in it – berries and cream! It has a nice sweetness to it and doesn’t require sugar to coax the flavors to come forward, so I would recommend tasting this one before you sweeten because you may find it doesn’t need it.
It tastes good hot but I liked it even better as it cooled. It had a really pleasant flavor, suggesting to me that this one would be great to have on hand in the summer for iced tea!
Ginger Cream Black Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Tea Information:
Rich, malty, full-bodied Assam black tea makes this a bold tea, but the delicious cream flavour really smoothes it out. If you’ve never experienced ginger and cream together, you’re in for a treat. Spicy, yet sweet, this tea is heavenly.
This tea is available from Amoda Tea.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum!
As I’m sitting here, marveling over the amazing flavor of this tea, I’m trying to recall ever trying another “ginger creme” tea like this. No, I can’t say that I have … or if I have, it’s not a tea that I remember. And if it tasted anything like this, I’d like to think I would have remembered it because this is delightful!
Really delightful!
The flavors all come together in a very pleasing way. The richness of the malty Assam tea, the sweet, creamy notes of the vanilla and the hint of peppery warmth from the ginger. It’s a well-crafted combination of flavors that unite in a seamless way – tasting less like “individual” flavors and more like a delicious harmony of tastes.
The black tea base is a second flush Assam. It’s a robust, smooth, and sweet tasting tea with lots of malt. There are Assam teas that are “wine-y” and there are Assam teas that are “malty” and then there are some Assam teas that are somewhere between. This Assam is MALTY! Rich and sweet with caramel-esque notes. It has a strong, hefty quality to it – this has plenty of gusto and would make a good tea for that first cup of the day.
And what a delicious way to start the day this tea would be!
The malty notes of the Assam marry with the vanilla notes in a very luscious way. The vanilla enhances the caramel-y tones of the Assam while those smooth, rich notes of the Assam perfectly complement the vanilla.
Then there is the ginger! How the ginger was added to this blend is key to it’s success as a flavor. Too much ginger would have ruined the delightfully melodious flavor that the Assam and vanilla have created. There is just enough ginger to add a hint of spice to the cup. Just a hint. It’s a little warm but not overly zesty. There’s just enough ginger to keep the cup interesting.
I LOVE this tea. It’s warm and cozy and fluffy – like a favorite blanket on a cold winter’s day. An awesome choice for this month’s Amoda Tea box!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 6 from Teanzo 1856
We are on Day six of this Holiday Countdown! With each day that passes, I get to sample a different tea – I hope you’re also enjoying a cup of awesomeness too!
For today’s holiday “inspiration”, I chose an ornament I made a few years ago for a 12 Days of Christmas Swap. I had a huge stash of these oval “paperboard” coasters (I still have a bunch of them somewhere) that I had bought to practice making Zentangles on and one day, I sat there and feeling uninspired by Zentangles but very inspired by paisleys (I love paisley), I decided to start decoupaging on the coasters instead. I first put down a layer of sheet music, (I may have layered it with newspaper too), and then I put a colorful paisley design napkin over that and after the glue was dry, I started painting in the paisley design with shimmering paint. I added a few rhinestones on it and then I put eyelets on the top and bottom and added the hanging ribbon and the fringe (which I made too). It was a fun project.
I think that going back through these pieces is starting to dust off the creativity again. (I hope!) In the meantime, let me tell you about the tea that Teanzo sent me for the sixth day in this Advent Calendar!
Darjeeling
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
With its muscatel finish, Darjeeling Tea is a pleasure to sip and savor. Grown in the picturesque tea gardens of the Himalayan Mountains, Darjeeling tea, also known as the “champagne” of teas is a highly sought after treasure from India. Darjeeling tea matures slowly at high altitude, producing the fine Darjeeling muscatel flavor exclusively found in this region.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a lovely tea to be sipping on this afternoon! I was very happy to see that Darjeeling was the tea for today!
This Darjeeling has a very pleasant and crisp flavor. It’s sweet and fruity. Muscatel! I taste that grape-y, wine-like note that starts off tasting a bit like black currant and then morphs into a stronger grape note. The finish is sweet and dry, but it’s not overly dry. It’s more like the light, dry sensation you might experience if you were drinking wine.
As I continue to sip, I pick up on notes of flower. Subtle and sweet, it is a different sweetness that I taste from the fruit notes and I like the dimension that these floral notes bring to the cup.
I also find that as I continue to sip, the body of this tea changes somewhat. It started out rather light, but as the tea cools – or as I sip? – not sure which! But as I continue my journey with this tea, I find that the body seems to develop somewhat and there is a more substantial texture to the tea now than when I first started sipping it.
What that suggests to me is that this tea would make a stunning iced tea. I don’t generally recommend a Darjeeling tea as an iced tea because I feel like most Darjeeling teas tend to lose *something* as the tea cools. The flavor is just not as spectacular when the tea is cold versus hot when it comes to Darjeeling teas. Most Darjeeling teas, that is! This one, however, this I would be happy to drink either hot or iced and I’m intrigued that the tea becomes something different as it becomes cool.
A lovely Darjeeling – I would recommend this one highly to those who are new to Darjeeling. It makes a nice starter Darjeeling because it’s nearly as astringent as some Darjeeling teas can be. I’d also recommend this to Darjeeling enthusiasts who are looking for the ideal iced Darjeeling!