Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi & Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tisane Description:
Tastes like jujubes
Sweet aroma of berries, apple and chamomile. Slightly sweet on the tongue, lightly minty with a tart finish. This tea is full-bodied and rich. Sip this tea and it will calm your body and relax your mind. ahhhhh.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
So, I’m a bit behind on my Amoda Tea reviews! This Poppy Fields Tisane from Indie Tea came in my July Tea Tasting Box, but, I’m just now getting around to reviewing it. What can I say, when it comes to tisanes … I always seem to be reluctant to try it!
But this is one of the prettiest teas I’ve seen in a long time! Big flower buds of chamomile, poppy and rose. And BONUS: No Hibiscus! Yay!
I was excited to see Tulsi as one of the ingredients in this tea (here, it was called “holy basil”) because I have enjoyed the tisanes with Tulsi that I’ve tried. I like the herbaceous, slightly minty, slightly spicy taste that Tulsi brings to a tisane.
In this tisane, the Tulsi offers subtle hints of the minty basil tones which are especially noticeable in the finish. I’m noticing more of a peppery warmth during the sip from the Tulsi than the cooling mint taste. But I like the way the Tulsi comes through in this blend, because there is a strong fruity character to this cup, and the spice gives it some added interest and depth.
The description from Amoda Tea suggests that this tastes like Jujubes … and I don’t know that what I’m tasting is Jujubes. I’ll be honest and mention though, that I’ve not had Jujubes since I was young. They were never really a favorite candy of mine (I didn’t like the way they stuck to my teeth). But I did like their bright, fruity taste, and while this tisane does have a fruity taste to it, I can’t say that this reminds me of that candy.
But it is sweet with lots of fruit notes: apple, orange, and hints of lemon. I don’t really taste a lot of ‘berry’ as mentioned in the description by Amoda, but, I do notice the tartness that lingers in the aftertaste. Given the sheer number of flowers in this blend, I did expect it to taste more floral than it does. It does certainly present a floral note to the palate, but, it’s a smooth, subdued floral taste rather than the sharpness that I often associate with floral tones.
Then again, everything about this particular blend is very calm and relaxed. The flavor is gentle and mild. It is a really tasty tisane … certainly better than I expected it to be given my hesitancy to actually try it. I like the fruity overtones, I like that it doesn’t taste overly herbaceous or medicinal, and I like that there is a pleasant warm yet sweet taste to it … without adding sugar.
As I mentioned in my review of The Road To Hana (also from Indie Tea) – a tea that also came from my Amoda Tea Box for July – I have already tasted and reviewed the third tea that came in my box: Lover’s Lane. I was really happy to see that Amoda Tea focused in on Indie Tea, because they are a company that I really like. They are a fun company with a youthful vibe … I like the jovial attitude they give their teas!
So this tea review gets me all caught up with my July reviews for Amoda Tea … and a good thing too, because I have August’s box waiting for me! I can’t wait to try the teas in that box from their featured blender: Tea Xotics … a company I’ve not yet tried! Yay!
Slumbering Slope Tisane from Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Description:
Ingredients: Chamomile, Skullcap, Catnip, Spearmint, Rose, licorice
This is a simple blend to help calm the body at the end of the day. My sister grew the catnip for this blend. The skullcap and chamomile come from farms in Oregon. I like to use a variety of mild relaxants when I make any evening teas because everyone has a really specific combination of tensions in their body. Some folks hold tension in thoughts, others in their muscles.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about subscribing to Bird’s Eye Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I put off trying this Slumbering Slope Tisane from Bird’s Eye Tea for a while … and the reason is chamomile. I don’t dislike chamomile (although at one time I did dislike it) but, it’s also not my favorite herb. And … I usually only prepare a chamomile tisane later in the evening, when I want to start getting ready for rest because chamomile does have that relaxing effect. Actually, it makes me sleepy. But, usually, when I’m getting ready for bed, I’m not really thinking about preparing a tisane … although I think I should get myself into that habit.
And this would be a great tisane with which to get into that kind of habit! This is a tasty tisane. The chamomile is the strongest flavor, followed by the spearmint. I like that the spearmint is there to add a nice minty tone to the taste, but, it isn’t an overpowering taste, as I think a stronger minty flavor would be a bit more invigorating than it should be for a blend like this.
I can taste the rose, and again, I like that this is a soft, sweet rose note. The licorice is faint, but, it adds a hint of sweetness and an interesting contrast without coming off too zesty.
Everything about this blend is calm and soothing. It is a very relaxing blend that is not too medicinal or herbaceous tasting, and not overly sweet. It has a pleasant, easy to drink flavor. I like it.
Organic Orange Chamomile Herbal Tisane from Fashionista Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tisane Description:
Experience a sweet and velvety taste with an aroma of relaxation in this Orange Chamomile blend. This tisane is Zen but still has a complex finish with hints of lime, cinnamon and apple.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Orange Chamomile Herbal Tisane from Fashionista Tea is an impressive tisane!
The first thing that impressed me is the appearance of the dry leaf – lots of large chamomile blossoms and not a lot of chamomile dust. I think that this is the one major factor that often turns me off when it comes to chamomile tisanes … that they are composed of crushed chamomile instead of the blossoms. The crushed chamomile produces a very off tasting tisane, in my opinion. I like that I can see the large, whole blossoms here.
And the flavor is very surprising! The combination of the green and red rooibos as well as the chamomile produces a pleasantly sweet taste that is slightly nutty with lovely apple-like notes. There is a touch of cinnamon to this as well … not a strong, dominate flavor, but enough to accentuate the apple-like taste in a really pleasant way.
The orange note is also surprising in that I had expected it to be a stronger flavor here, but, it is a soft orange taste … in keeping with the overall “softness” of the cup. This tisane doesn’t have a powerful flavor – it’s gentle. Flavorful – yes indeed. But it doesn’t bash me over the head with strong flavors. Another surprising thing about the orange in this cup is that it is more like a “citrus” taste … vaguely reminiscent of a citrus punch rather than a distinct orange-y taste. Like a combination of orange and lime. It’s quite enjoyable!
Yet another lovely surprise from the folks at Fashionista Tea! I have really enjoyed everything that I’ve tried from them!
MintGrass Tisane from The Teaologist
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tisane Description:
This tea is about the balance of its parts. Straightforward in its ingredients, uncommon in its composition. Bits of mint tingle the tongue, sticks of lemongrass refresh the palate and hints of chamomile calm the body. Slice up some ginger to add some spice. Stir in honey to sweeten the pot. Simplicity can be versatile.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the second tea from this month’s Amoda Tea Tasting Box that I’ve tried, and even though it’s a tisane (and I really would prefer that Amoda start including more TEAS in these boxes instead of tisanes), I am still finding this MintGrass Tisane from The Teaologist an enjoyable cuppa.
There is a really lovely balance of peppermint, lemongrass and chamomile in this blend. The peppermint is crisp and cooling – very refreshing! But I like that the other two ingredients here soften the vigor of the peppermint just enough so that it doesn’t taste too minty. Sure, the peppermint is a strong component to this blend, but, I don’t feel like I’m drinking liquefied toothpaste.
The lemongrass offers a really lovely, bright citrus-y note. It tastes faintly of lemon – but it’s a mild lemon taste – not really so tart as it is sweet, but there is a hint of tartness toward the finish that leads into the aftertaste.
The chamomile adds a touch of floral sweetness. Of the three components of this blend, the chamomile is the most discreet, but it does manage to make its presence known in the sip. There is a distinct “chamomile-ness” to the cup, but what I’m liking is that this doesn’t taste like a chamomile blend … if you get my meaning. So often when you brew a chamomile blend – there is a very heavy presence of chamomile … while here the chamomile is more subdued and allows the peppermint and lemongrass to do their thing in their own way.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable tisane, and I can definitely see the relation that this tisane has with this month’s Amoda Box theme – which is St. Patrick’s Day/Spring (this tisane being related to the spring part of the theme) It definitely has a fresh, spring-time kind of flavor!
Bilberry Chamomile Bliss from The Whistling Kettle
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: The Whistling Kettle
Tisane Description:
Our Dr. Oz inspired bilberry blend helps stem dinner cravings and relax the body. Wild bilberry balances blood sugar, resulting in reduced sweet craving. Organic chamomile and lavender soothes and relaxes. Rose hip gives this tea a vitamin C boost.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Huzzah! I am so thrilled that there is NO hibiscus in this Bilberry Chamomile Bliss herbal tisane from The Whistling Kettle! All too often with a tisane such as this one, tea companies feel the need to add hibiscus to it. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not fond of hibiscus and it’s tartness or its tendency to create a thick, syrupy liquid when infused.
But that isn’t a worry with this blend, because there is NO hibiscus!
And this is actually quite enjoyable. It has a sweet, floral taste, and because there is no hibiscus, I can really taste that lovely apple-like note of the chamomile. I taste a gentle lavender note – and I do wish there was just a tad more lavender to this. Then again, I love lavender. But for those of you who are less fond of lavender than I, I think you’ll find that the amount of lavender here is on the light side.
The bilberry adds a delightful berry note that imparts that berry tart tingle in the aftertaste. The rose adds a really pleasant touch too – not too strong – just enough to add contrast to the floral notes of this cup. The tisane does not taste overly berry, nor does it taste overly chamomile, lavender or rose. It has a really nice balance of all the different flavors here.
I don’t taste much from the peppercorns. When I slurp the cup, allowing the liquid to be experienced throughout the palate, I notice hints of a peppery flavor … especially toward the finish. In the aftertaste, I notice a whisper of a peppery tingle on the tip of my tongue, but the peppery taste overall is really very subtle, so, if you’re one who tends to shy away from peppercorns in your teas and/or tisanes, you needn’t really worry much about their inclusion in this blend.
This is a really pleasant cup of tea. One that’s nice close to bedtime … it does help me relax as I sip it … be sure to deeply inhale the fragrance before you sip and enjoy the relaxing qualities of the aromatic lavender and chamomile, this enhances that sense of calm.