Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Mighty Leaf
Tisane Description:
Chamomile Citrus herbal tea is a refreshing infusion perfected to curl up with and savor by the sip. Made with Soothing Egyptian chamomile flowers and subtle slices of citrus fruit, this vibrant blend will rejuvenate the spirit. From intoxicating aroma to sweet flavor, this signature herbal tea infusion in our silken tea pouch, our gourmet teabag twist, with chamomile, fruits and herbs reflects our vision of the artisan tea experience.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I have made mention in the past of my dislike of chamomile. OK, so I don’t hate chamomile. But I just don’t love it. I don’t think that I’ve ever thought: “You know, I’d really like a cup of chamomile tea.” That just has never really happened, because there are so many other things I’d rather be drinking. That said, sometimes, I need to chill out and relax, and chamomile does a good job of instilling that sense of calm that I want.
Much of my dislike of chamomile stems from past experiences of drinking teas made of crushed chamomile blossoms in a tea bag. Yuck. Fortunately, a lot of tea companies realize that when the chamomile blossom is whole and not crushed into dust, the brewed liquid tastes better. Mighty Leaf figured this out, and I can see through their silky pouches that the chamomile used in this Chamomile Citrus Herbal Tisane is beautiful, big blossoms combined with citrus peel, lemongrass, lemon myrtle and other herbs.
The citrus flavors combined with the naturally sweet, apple-like flavor of the chamomile offers a pleasant taste that’s easy to sip. The primary flavor here is the citrus flavors, followed by chamomile. I am happy to say that I don’t taste a lot of hibiscus here, although I do find myself wishing that I tasted more of the spearmint. I only taste very faint hints of mint in this cup.
Overall, this is a pleasant cup of tea. Not something I’d drink everyday, but I can see myself turning to it when I needed something to help relax. It’s very soothing and it’s tastier than plain chamomile.
Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi, Herbal & Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tisane Description:
The light apple aroma of the chamomile is tempered by herbs and florals and grounded with cacao. This blend does what tea is known to do – bring you to a place of relaxation and reflection. Love & Joy blend tastes sweet and has a soft and round mouthfeel. Sip, relax and enjoy.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
What an interesting tisane! This Love & Joy Tisane from Verdant Tea is the second tea that I’m tasting from February’s Amoda Tea Tasting Box. Yeah, I’m a little behind. My March box should be arriving within days, and I’m still getting around to tasting February’s teas! Better get a move on!
This tisane has an abundance of ingredients:
Marigold (calendula), Goji, Linden Leaf + Flower, Honeysuckle, Chamomile, Tulsi, Elderberry, Cacao, Coriander, Frankincense.
And even though there seems to be a lot going on here, the flavors all meld together in an agreeable way. The first flavor that I can identify is the chamomile, and it offers a light, crisp, apple-y flavor to the cup. Then I notice the tulsi, and it tastes of basil and mint. There is a background of berry notes, and these berry notes come forward in the aftertaste. I get that tart note, that tingly berry sensation that you might experience after eating a tart berry.
After my first few sips, I start to realize that there is a distinct lime-ish note to this and then I re-read the ingredient list: linden! Yep, that would do it. The linden really brightens the cup.
There are light floral notes, not so much from the calendula (I very rarely taste a strong flavor from the marigold petals), but from the honeysuckle. It tastes sweet and floral and I like this little bit of sweetness from the honeysuckle.
In this cup, I smell the frankincense more than I taste it, but there is a warm spiciness to this cup which is not just from the coriander (and the tulsi!), but also the frankincense.
I found myself wanting more cacao. No big surprise there, I guess, since I am a chocoholic. My first 1/3 of the cup, I didn’t really notice much cacao at all, but by the time I finished that first 1/3 of the cup, I started to pick up on the notes of chocolate, and … YUM! I like the way the notes of chocolate meld with the other flavors of this cup. Sure, I’d like more cacao, but, I always do, don’t I?
As it is, this is a really interesting, intriguing cup. It seems to draw me deeper into the depths of its flavor with every sip. I discover more flavors each time I take a drink.
I have to admit that I like this a whole lot more than I thought I would. I’m not usually all that excited to try tisanes, but, this is really tasty!
Lemomila Tisane from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
A simple blend, adding some noted of lemon to a sweet and calming infusion of chamomile. A nice variation for those chamomile lovers out there.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The first thing I notice when I open my packet of Lemomila Tisane from Shanti Tea is the scent of Chamomile. Peeking inside the package, I can see big chamomile blossoms. While I’ve never made any big secret that I’m not particularly fond of chamomile, I don’t hate it and I find that the larger the chamomile blossoms, the more I like the tisane. In other words: crushed blossoms = not so great, while big, whole blossoms = much better.
And in this tisane, I didn’t see any crushed blossoms at all. These were big, whole chamomile blossoms mixed with the sweet, citrus-y flavor of lemongrass.
The lemongrass adds a nice brightness to this cup. The citrus tones are sweet with a tart note that hits the palate towards the end of the sip and lingers on through the aftertaste. It’s not a strong sour note, though, just a hint of citrus-y tart. Mostly what the lemongrass provides is a nice contrast to the sweet, apple-like notes of the chamomile. Notes of honey can also be tasted.
Overall, a very enjoyable way to relax, this Lemomila Tisane from Shanti Tea!
Detox Tea from Naked Teas Galore
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Functional Tisane
Where to Buy: Naked Teas Galore
Tisane Description:
This is crafted ever so carefully to ensure that no one ingredient overpowers another. Wow! What a blend. Balanced spice, herbaceous nettle and a subtle apple-like flavour brought by the chamomile. Soothing mint and sweet liquorice to finish.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
I wasn’t all that excited to try this Detox Tea from Naked Teas Galore. For one thing, it’s an herbal tisane, and for another it’s a functional herbal tisane. Two strikes against it right from the start, and then it’s a chamomile blend too. Yikes!
But I tried to remain positive and give it a try. After all, Amoda Tea has been pretty good at selecting teas and even tisanes that make me happy that I’m a subscriber. I mean, hey, if I wasn’t happy as a subscriber, I would have cancelled the subscription a long time ago. (Speaking of subscribing, I highly recommend signing up for December’s box … it sounds like it’s going to be a winner!)
But, let’s get back to this Detox Tea, shall we?
This is actually a lot tastier than I thought it would be. Normally, when I think “Detox Tea” or even “Functional Tisane,” I think that I’m in for a medicinal, herbaceous tasting drink. Fortunately, this tastes neither medicinal or herbaceous to me. The spices here are in the foreground, tasting more like cinnamon, cardamom, cinnamon and licorice than it does nettle or chamomile.
Oh sure, I can taste notes of the chamomile, and even hints of the herbaceous character of nettle and peppermint and dandelion root. I taste notes of citrus from the lemongrass. And all the flavors meld together in a way that is very tasty and not at all medicinal.
I like that the apple-y notes of the chamomile marry with the citrus tones of the lemongrass and the bright goji berry to create more of a “fruity” quality than distinct individual notes of each of these. The same is true of the spices. It doesn’t taste too much like any one of the spices, instead, I taste a medley of warm, zesty spice.
One of the nicer Detox tisanes that I’ve tasted … this is a detox I can stand behind, because this tastes really nice!
BetTEA’s Blend Tisane from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush & Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
My friend Betty here was kind enough to help me out with creating this week’s tea of the week, because I think my brain went on strike.
Well, she said she wanted something fruity, something light and refreshing and something calming. Bit of a tall order, but I think y’all will agree that we hammered out the perfect answer.
BetTEA’s Blend is a honeybush base with mostly organic pear flavors, with just a hint of vanilla, an even smaller hint of chamomile and some blue cornflowers to make it pretty. I have a feeling this one is going to go fast.
Learn more about BetTEA’s Blend here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
This BetTEA’s Blend Tisane from 52Teas is a blend of honeybush and chamomile that has been flavored with pear and vanilla … and I wasn’t all that excited about it, to be honest with you.
While I have enjoyed many of Frank’s honeybush blends, I just tend to be sort of indifferent about blends with chamomile in them. I’m still not exactly sure why, because when the whole bud of the chamomile flower is used – rather than the crushed up flowers like you’ll find in those grocery store tea bags – I actually like chamomile alright.
And I do like how well the chamomile and honeybush work together … the fruit-like notes of chamomile meld nicely with the sweet, nutty notes of the honeybush. So, I’m not sure exactly why I was reluctant to try it … but, despite that reluctance … I have to admit that this is actually kind of tasty. The pear notes are accentuated by the natural apple-y tones of the chamomile to provide a pleasing fruit note. Then there is a light creaminess from the vanilla – sweet and smooth. And honeybush adds a sweet, honey-like flavor and a nutty background that marries well with the other flavors.
It is a calming cuppa … nice to drink later at night when I’m not wanting to be overstimulated but I still want something warm and comforting to drink. It’s alright … not my favorite tisane … but I still enjoyed it, and would be happy to drink it again.
PS: Don’t forget to check out the campaign to reopen Zoomdweebies! And what is Zoomdweebies, you ask? Find out here!