Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Functional Tisane
Where to Buy: Algonquin Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Peace Tea instills the tranquility, patience and beauty of the earth. This rich, bittersweet blend grounds us in a flowing meadow of healing herbs. Peace tea is ideal for calming down before, during or after any busy period.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
So, my Postal Teas box arrived the other day! Yay! A beam of happiness shines like a ray of sunshine when tea is in the mailbox! And I do really enjoy the Postal Teas subscription. So far, with every box that I’ve received from them, I’ve tried teas from companies that are new to me. I like that. I like that a lot!
I’ve never really made a big secret of the fact that I prefer camellia sinensis blends over herbal teas/tisanes. Not a big surprise, right? So, I was a little less than enthused when I opened the box this month and found not one … not two … but ALL THREE teas in the box were herbals.
What?
So, it probably goes without saying that this month’s box was a little bittersweet. I was not thrilled about receiving three herbal teas in the box BUT I was happy to be trying teas from a new-to-me company: Algonquin Tea Co.
And while I do prefer camellia sinensis, I am willing to try herbal blends, and I actually do like to have an herbal tisane later in the evening to encourage some peace and quiet so that I can get a good night’s rest.
Which is why I chose to try this Peace Tea first. The ingredient list suggests that there are quite a few calming herbs in the blend.
Ingredients: Blue Vervain, Lemon Balm, Catnip, Oat Straw, Red Bergamot, Chamomile, Hops, Motherwort, Valerian, Skullcap and St John’s Wort.
To brew this tisane, I used my Kati tumbler and measured 1 1/2 bamboo scoops into the basket. I heated 12 ounces of water to 195°F and then let it steep for 8 minutes.
As the description suggests, there is some bittersweet going on here. This is a tisane that I recommend adding a dollop of honey (raw, locally harvested honey if you’ve got it!) to help tame the bitterness a bit. After I added a little bit of honey, I found this to be an enjoyable cup.
The vervain and the hops is where a lot of the bitterness is coming from. I taste hints of mint-like flavor from the catnip and there is a touch of citrus flavors from the lemon balm and bergamot. I was really hoping to taste more of the bergamot in this.
Mostly, what I’m tasting is a very herbaceous flavor. It is bittersweet. Almost medicinal. There’s a light floral note that is nice and it develops as I continue to sip. I pick up on more of the chamomile flavor as the tea cools and guess what? I was actually happy to discover the chamomile! I think that the reason for that is because it’s more of a familiar flavor amid the medicinal notes.
All that said: this isn’t a bad tisane. I’m not hating this. It’s not horrible. It’s alright. But this is not something I’d want to reach for on a regular basis. The citrus notes and the hint of mint are this tea’s saving grace, because without those notes, I don’t know that I’d enjoy this.
The pros: there is no hibiscus in here. I enjoy the citrus-y notes and the touch of mint. The floral notes are pleasant. With a bit of honey this tastes much nicer and I am noticing myself relaxing and calming down a bit – I feel the peace that the name of the tea promises. These are good things!
The cons: It does have a strong bitter tone to it and while I can appreciate a contrasting, savory bitter note in a tea or tisane now and again, this is a stronger bitter taste than I’d like it to be. It has a medicinal quality that makes me feel like I’m drinking something functional or “good for me” – which I am, but I don’t like to feel like I am. I like to get my functional, good for me teas in sweeter, better tasting blends.
I think I’d like this a lot more if it had more citrus-y flavors, or more flavors that I don’t normally associate as “herbaceous.” As a drink, it’s alright. As a source of peace and calm, I appreciate how this tea is inspiring those things in me at the moment. I feel noticeably more relaxed now than I did before I started sipping.
Reading Nook Tea Blend from Plum Deluxe
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Tea Description:
The reading nook blend is our signature organic tea created for enjoying while perfecting some of our dearest passions: reading, writing, and enjoying conversation with friends.
One needs a touch of caffeine to keep the conversation flowing, the pages turning, or the pen on the move, so we start this blend with a wonderful cream black tea. We then added rosebuds for creativity and sustenance, passionflower and lavender for flavor and aroma, and top it off with a bit of chamomile which adds a calming balance to it all. Customers often tell us this is our prettiest tea!
All Plum Deluxe teas are hand-blended and infused with love in Portland, Oregon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow! This tea has a delightful aroma! I can smell the floral notes – the passionflower, the lavender and the rose … along with hints of chamomile – and these beautifully fragrant flowers mingle with the notes of vanilla cream and it’s intoxicating! I imagine that this amazing scent would be the perfect accompaniment while reading a favorite book, a fantastical fragrance along with the fantasy of literature.
On the Plum Deluxe webpage for this tea, there are little snippets of customer responses about the tea. One that stood out to me was this:
A black tea with an herbal taste. Very cleansing aftertaste.
I think that this really describes the flavor of this tea quite well. I probably would only edit this comment to add the word “floral” behind the word “herbal” because I think that these two descriptive words better clarify what I’m tasting. It’s a black tea and the black tea base is mellow – I suspect it’s a Ceylon – and the herbaceous tones and floral notes come through as the strongest, most forward flavors, but without completely overwhelming the flavor of the black tea.
Now, usually, I’m in full support of a tea tasting more like tea and less like it’s additives. However, in the case of this blend, I think that I rather like the way the floral notes dance upon the palate. I like that the black tea is more of a supportive background ‘voice’ that allows these flowery tastes to take on the lead of this tasty symphony of flavors.
It’s really quite dreamy – the flavor of this cuppa!
And what makes it so dreamy is not the floral notes or the black tea – but the cream notes. The cream is not a dominant or aggressive flavor in this cup of tea, but it seems to be the stage that brings everything together so harmoniously.
When it comes to brewing this tea, I recommend using a slightly lower temperature. I think that the floral notes are better expressed when the water is just below boiling (I used water heated to 200°F). After giving the pouch a shake to redistribute the ingredients, I measured a heaping bamboo scoop into the basket of my Kati Tumbler and added the water and let it steep for 3 minutes. Perfection!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 11 from Teanzo 1856
It’s Day 11 in this Holiday Countdown! After this, my 11th tea in the Advent Calendar from Teanzo, I only have 13 teas left. Which means that there will only be 13 days left to shop, and 14 days until that magical day!
For today’s artistic inspiration, I chose this adorable little tree ornament created by Carol Westphal. Isn’t it cute?
The ornament is crafted on heavy card stock to give it some weight, and the papers have been layered to give it some dimension. There are cute little sparkly accents that were added to draw the eye to the ornament, including a ‘frame’ of silvery Krylon paint pen. It may seem like a rather “simple” piece but it’s one that always seems to catch my eye when it’s hanging on the tree. The bright white color is a pleasing contrast to the other colorful ornaments. Sometimes the simple things carry the most impact.
Organic Chamomile
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
The Ancient Egyptians dedicated Chamomile to their Sun God and valued it above all other herbs. Chamomile tea has a fragrance reminiscent of an apple blossom, and is calming after a long day. Sip Chamomile tea it by itself or for added pleasure mix with a squeeze of honey or lemon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Just as today’s ornament might be called “simple” – today’s tea is one of the simple “staples” that just about any tea drinker usually has on hand. But just because Chamomile is one of those “staples” doesn’t mean that just any Chamomile tea will do! It’s smart to find a good quality Chamomile, like this one from Teanzo!
I liked that when I opened the sample pouch and emptied it into the basket of my Kati Tumbler, I could see big, whole chamomile blossoms, not a bunch of crushed flower dust. Sure, there were some smaller bits in there too – that’s normal because some damage does incur in packaging and such. But, about 95% of the contents of the pouch was whole ORGANIC flowers. When it comes to chamomile – this is the good stuff!
The dry aroma was a combination of flower and honey, with light, fruit-like notes. It’s quite a pleasant aroma. Having never really been a big fan of chamomile in the past, I haven’t spent a lot of time smelling chamomile. But I actually quite enjoy the fragrance.
To brew this, I steeped these blossoms in 195°F water for 8 minutes. I usually let chamomile steep for a full 10 minutes, but I decided I’d try it at 8 and see how it tastes. And it’s quite pleasant!
The flavor is sweet, with notes of honey and pollen. I also taste notes of sweet apple. As I taste this, I find myself thinking it might be quite tasty with a bit of cinnamon (apple and cinnamon work quite nicely together). Hints of flower. It always kind of surprises me that chamomile has less floral taste than other flowers. It’s still a flower … I guess I always expect more of a floral note from it.
Over the past few days, I’ve been battling a cold. I was fortunate to have quite a few reviews “on queue” waiting for their scheduled publication because I’ve not been writing many reviews over the last few days because of this cold. My taste buds were not quite up to snuff and I didn’t want to attempt to write a review with an impaired palate. This is actually the first review that I’ve written since that time – and I feel like my taste buds are back in working order.
I shared that bit of information with you because while many of my symptoms have diminished, I still have a bit of a scratchy throat from coughing. This chamomile is quite soothing on the itchy throat! I have never really tried chamomile as a soother of a throat, I’ve usually turned to teas with ginger or lemon (or a combination of both) and sweetened them with honey to calm the throat, but chamomile is quite a lovely, comforting tea too!
Above I mused about combining chamomile with some cinnamon, I suspect a bit of ginger would be quite nice too – perhaps some candied ginger!
Really, it’s a nice cup of chamomile. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s certainly nice to sip on as my taste buds have just recovered from my cold and my throat still needs comforting. I like the quality of this chamomile: I like that these are whole blossoms and they’re organic – this is top notch.
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 5 from Teanzo 1856
It’s Day 5 of this countdown! That means that there are 20 days until that big day … and only 19 shopping days left! I really can’t believe that it’s already that time of year again. The time flies by quickly.
Today, I’m going to feature some artwork by one of the artists in one of the mail art groups I was active in a few years ago. This is another gift from a 12 Days of Christmas swap and it was crafted by Elaine Akers. It’s a fabric ornament that I display proudly on my tree every year.
Really cute, right?
Going through these old memories of the artwork that I’ve given and received for the 12 Days of Christmas mail art swap makes me want to get back into doing that again. Yes, I’m starting to feel a little inspired!
Maybe after the new year, I’ll be able to get myself back into the swing of creating. I hope so!
Today’s blend is one that will inspire some relaxation!
Herbal Spa Blend
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Chamomile, Hibiscus and Lemongrass.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Sigh! Things were going so well with this calendar, and then … hibiscus. Ugh.
But, I’ll try to keep an open mind and try it. Hey, I might even like it, as I have found many blends with hibiscus in them that I’ve at least appreciated.
To brew this, I poured the contents of the sampler pouch in the basket of my Kati Tumbler. I noticed that there was quite a bit of hibiscus in the blend when I poured it into the basket, so I kept that in mind when I set the timer, and after pouring 12 ounces of hot water (195°F) into the tumbler, I set my trusty timer for 5 minutes and let it steep.
After tasting, I think that this blend could have done well with even a little less time. Maybe 4 minutes. That seems almost not enough time for a tisane to develop flavor, but the hibiscus is really prominent in this. Fortunately, at five minutes, I don’t get a heavy, syrupy texture which is the thing I like least about hibiscus. It is tart, though!
The tart hibiscus almost overwhelms everything else in this blend. The lemongrass is a little more discernible than the chamomile. The chamomile almost is lost in this. I can taste barely there, subtle hints of apple and honey-like notes from the chamomile, but these notes almost seem to be hiding behind the strong, berry-like tartness of the hibiscus.
The lemongrass is probably my favorite thing about this blend. It adds a soft citrus-y note that is a little sweet and buttery, so it helps to soften the hibiscus a little.
On the plus side: this tea tastes better iced. After finishing half the cup, I decided to try it iced, so I refrigerated it for a short while and I like this much better cold. It still has that strong, berry like taste from the hibiscus, but this profile seems to benefit from the chill.
I also think that this would be really good if you were to add some mulling spices to it while steeping. (Or perhaps, bring the water and mulling spices to a boil, let them steep for a few minutes while the liquid is cooling to the right temperature – 195°F – and then add the tisane to the steeping liquid and steep for another 4 – 5 minutes and strain off the spices and tisane. That would have a mulled wine sort of flavor but without the alcohol. A nice alternative from the usual holiday drink.
Witch’s Brew Black Tea from M&K’s Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
Broo! Spooked ya, scared ya. This tea doesn’t have real witches inside (apparently that’s illegal), but it does have witch hazel bark! Witch’s Brew combines sweet Ceylon tea and hearty Assam tea with sleepy-inducing chamomile and a host of other herbs in order to blend into this secret holiday brew. Try it with some cream and sugar for a real treat!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
By now, you may have already read some of my praise of this Etsy company. One of the things that I’m so pleased with is their customer service. But I didn’t go into detail with why I’m so impressed with them. Here’s my tale:
I placed my order with them and the next business day, I received an email telling me that the order has shipped. Along with that email, I was provided a tracking number (I like that. It’s not something that all companies do, but I think they should. It would provide great peace of mind to their customers.)
Later, I received a message from M&K’s that there was a problem with my shipment. Apparently, the package that I was sent wasn’t my order, it was someone else’s, but they were sending out the correct package. They told me to keep the wrong package as well. I told them that to “compensate” for the loss, that I would be writing about the “extra” teas that I’d be receiving.
When the wrong order arrived, I was aghast at how many samplers were inside the box! Wowza! It was an exceptional opportunity to try so many of this company’s teas – teas that I hadn’t ordered in my original sampler.
A couple of days later, the teas that I had ordered arrived. Inside the box was not only the five samplers that I ordered but a free sample as well (I like that too. Again, not something that all tea companies do, but I think they should. It not only feels like a “free gift” for the customer, but it may well turn into additional business for the company. If the customer likes the sample that they try, they might order it again.)
In addition, there was a handwritten note thanking me for my order. I really appreciate those little touches. It makes me feel like I’m buying from a real person and not a company. It makes me feel like that person sees me as a real person and not just a number.
So, even though this company made a mistake with my order, they more than made up for the error. I appreciate that a lot. And while the mistake was an “error in my favor,” I have no doubt that M&K’s made it up to the person who was “shortchanged” with this mistake. That just seems to be the kind of company that they are. And that’s the kind of company that I appreciate and want to do business with. And because it seems like companies like this can be a rarity (I’ve found quite a few WONDERFUL tea companies that are a pleasure doing business with), you want to continue to do business with them so that they stay around!
Let’s get on with this review, shall we?
This Witch’s Brew is actually the first tea from my actual, original order with M&K’s. The ingredient list intrigued me:
CEYLON AND ASSAM BLACK TEAS, TOASTED BLACK RICE, CHAMOMILE, HONEY-ROASTED LICORICE ROOT (LICORICE ROOT, HONEY), CAT’S CLAW, HELICHRYSUM FLOWERS, WITCH HAZEL BARK, SKULLCAP HERB, ENGLISH TOFFEE NATURAL FLAVOR BLEND.
It looks like a recipe straight out of a witch’s recipe book, doesn’t it? Well, except for the Ceylon and Assam tea.
I wasn’t sure how I’d like it, as it does look like a lot is going on with this blend. But, I was intrigued by it so I decided I’d give it a try. That’s one of the cool things about these samplers. You get just enough to “try” out the tea and the cost is minimal.
The black tea offers a solid background of flavor without being too powerful. It doesn’t overpower the herbs and spices in this blend – and this tea does seem to be a little more about the whole of the ingredient list (at least for me!) so I’m glad that I can taste these other flavors.
I am getting a fair amount of flavor from the licorice root and I taste the honey roasted-ness of it. I don’t know that I’ve tried honey-roasted licorice root before, but I do like the way the honey roasting softens the bite that I’d normally experience from licorice root.
Don’t get me wrong, I love that sharp snap of the licorice root, but it’s nice to get a sweeter, more subdued licorice note too. I also am getting a sweet flavor from the toffee notes and the honey notes meld nicely with the toffee. I think that these two components work together to complement each other and bring out the best in one another.
The chamomile is a fairly strong flavor which actually kind of surprised me. I hadn’t expected to taste much of the chamomile in the presence of other strong flavors in the cup, but I am getting that apple-y note that I often get from chamomile. And I think that the floral notes of the chamomile accentuate the helichrysum flowers as well, because there is a flowery note to this as well.
The tea, toffee, honey roasted licorice, chamomile and helichrysum are the strongest notes, but I’m also tasting a light nutty flavor from the rice, and other herbaceous flavors. Notes of bitter that I attribute to the skullcap. I think that the bitterness might be accented by the witch hazel bark and the cat’s claw.
Like I said, this tea has a lot going on. Maybe a bit too much going on, and I could have done without the bitterness that I experienced from a few of the herbs in this. That said, even with the notes of bitter, I’m enjoying this beverage and am nearly finished with the cup. I find that the flavors become smoother and more unified as the cup cools, so if you do get try this one, I recommend letting it cool for a few minutes first.
Steeping parameters I used: 1 heaping bamboo scoop of tea in the basket of my Kati Tumbler, 12 ounces of water heated to 205°, steeped for 3 minutes.