Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Dammann Freres
Tea Description:
A blend of black teas with sun ripened mango flavour lends to a warm and fruity infusion. Bits of fruits complete the aesthetic appeal.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This last week seems to have been unintentionally themed around mango teas; it honestly feels like I’ve had more of them now than I have had in the last two or three months. That’s probably because I’m a picky person when it comes to mango, but because it’s such a summer flavor there’s a surplus of mango teas around which equates to more that I’m easily swayed into wanting to try out.
This one was done as a cold brew; it had a very natural and realistic mango flavour. I personally find that the actual fruit mango has a very pine like and sappy flavour. I know I’m not the only person to have observed this; and it seems to be commonly observed with unripe mangoes but even ripe ones have this flavour to me. However most teas with mango as an ingredient don’t seem to convey this flavour and as someone who always tastes it when they eat the fruit it makes me feel like something is missing. Thankfully, I did taste is here! While I loved it the vast majority of people might not given than mango ‘isn’t supposed to taste like pine’.
There were also floral notes here, probably from the black base and I thought that added a nice depth to the flavour as well. While the fruit might not have had a robust, juicy flavour like I expected that didn’t stop this from feeling complete. I am, however, wary of how other people would feel about this; like mentioned it has that “undesirable” pine taste. It worked well for me, though.
Golden Chamomile Tisane from Revolution Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Tea Description:
It’s time to relax with Revolution Tea’s Golden Flowers, a delicious blend of whole Egyptian chamomile flowers, marigold flowers and peppermint leaf. Naturally caffeine-free, Golden Flowers is Revolution Tea’s most popular herbal blend. Caffeine Free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea confused me a bit! I opened the pouch and brewed it without reading the above description, so, I thought that this would be a “pure chamomile” tisane. But it isn’t. This is a blend of chamomile, peppermint and marigold petals. So, imagine my surprise when I took a sniff of the dry leaf and could smell peppermint.
I thought maybe my olfactory nerves were playing tricks on me, so I went ahead and brewed the sachet in my favorite sunflower teacup. I poured freshly filtered water that had been heated to 195°F and allowed the sachet to steep for 6 minutes.
Usually, I’ll let a tisane like this steep for up to 10 minutes, but, since I was a little taken aback by the aroma of the dry leaf, I wasn’t too sure if there might be hibiscus hiding somewhere in this tisane and I didn’t want to take a chance at infusing that too long!
Once I finished brewing the tea, I took a sniff of the brewed, golden amber liquid. Yep, either my olfactory nerves are going bonkers or I’m smelling mint.
I took a quick sip., and I could taste the mint that I was smelling. Peppermint. Yep, that definitely tastes like peppermint. So either this was a blend that also had peppermint in it, or it was the best tasting pure chamomile I had ever tasted. I kind of thought it was the former because if Revolution Tea had in fact discovered this special chamomile that tastes like peppermint, then I kind of think that someone else in the tea business would have caught on and “discovered” it too. You know?
Anyway, once I was able to pull up the description of the tisane, the fact that I could smell and taste peppermint made a whole lot more sense. This is a blend – not a pure chamomile tisane.
And it’s a really tasty blend! The peppermint is strong but it’s flavor has been tempered just enough by the presence of the chamomile so that it doesn’t taste too herbaceous nor does it taste like I’m drinking mouthwash. As someone who isn’t always crazy about the flavor of chamomile, I’m happy that the peppermint is there because I find peppermint to be a whole lot tastier than chamomile.
The marigold petals, well, they really don’t do much. Marigold petals are usually utilized by tea blenders to add some visual appeal to the dry blend. I can appreciate this practice, because I like it when a tea is not just flavorful and fragrant but also beautiful. Although I will say that since this is a sacheted tisane, it’s not really necessary to focus too much on the visual appeal of the dry leaf because it’s not so easy to see.
But since I don’t really taste much from the marigold, I have nothing to really complain about with this addition. It doesn’t really alter the flavor in a noticeable way – this is something I learned in my days as a tea blender, because I tested it back then. When I would flavor and blend teas, I tested every aspect to make sure that I was crafting the tea exactly the way I wanted it.
But maybe … this is the way Revolution wants it and as I said, I don’t really taste the marigold so it’s not a problem one way or another. I do like what I do taste: I like the combination of peppermint and chamomile. I like that I’m getting the relaxing and soothing properties of the chamomile along with the delightfully cool, crisp flavor of the peppermint. It’s a winning combination.
Chamomile from Ocean of Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Ocean of Tea
Tisane Description:
Hailing from the beautiful country of Egypt, chamomile tea is derived from the tiniest and prettiest chamomile flower. Delicate in nature, bright with yellow color and innocent as can be, these chamomile flowers make for a calming cup of tea. These blossoms are harvested and dried to make this delicious tea that comes to you complete with whole dried chamomile flowers. Golden in color and light in taste, this is a gentle tea for those looking for a caffeine free treat. Slightly sweet with apple undertones and floral scents, this could be the tea for someone looking for a light tea with a hint of honey. Forget the store-bought, pre-sealed packets that cannot possibly deliver the depth of flavor that this chamomile tea can. Try it for the first time, and it will be the only chamomile tea you will be hooked on. This is a caffeine free tea.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I’ve said it before. I’ll probably say it again many times in the future, just as I’m saying it now: I’m not a big fan of chamomile. But I don’t hate it. It’s just not my favorite of the different herbs used in herbal teas, even though it’s probably one of the most popular.
That said, I’m finding that I enjoy it the more that I drink it. Especially when I encounter whole blossoms in loose leaf form like this Egyptian Chamomile from Ocean of Tea. The dried chamomile flowers are large and whole, not crumbled into a powdery dust. I find that with the whole flowers like this, the flavor is much better than the dust that you find in the tea bags on the local grocery store shelf.
This is light and sweet, with notes of crisp apple. It’s soothing and very relaxing to sip. And one thing I do like about chamomile is that after I’ve had a cup of chamomile tea, I feel very calm and relaxed. I’m ready to start catching the Zzz after a warm cuppa chamomile and the best way to get that cuppa is in loose leaf like this!
To brew a cup of this Chamomile, I measured out a scoop and a half (using my bamboo scoop) into a basket infuser (like this one, also from Ocean of Tea). I heat the water to 195°F and let the tea steep for 8 minutes.
For chamomile, I like a basket infuser like this because it fits right into my 12 ounce mug, and allows the water to filter through as if it were steeping loose, and then when it’s finished steeping, I just lift the basket out of my mug and the tea is ready to drink. I don’t usually want a pot of tea this late in the evening because a) I probably won’t drink that much tea; and b) I’ve already cleaned the kitchen and I want to keep things as simple and I want minimal clean up for whatever it is that I’m making late at night.
This is a pretty decent cup of chamomile! It’s simple, but when I’m looking for a bedtime drink, simple is often the best choice.
Mint Cacao Tea from Tisano
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Tisano
Tisane Description:
Tisano is redefining mint-chocolate. Our CACAO MINT TEA is pure and simple, we take our signature CACAO TEA and artisanally blend it with organic Egyptian peppermint, creating a rich yet refreshing chocolate experience that lingers on your lips. Great for early morning or as an after dinner delight.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy!
Yeah, I say that a lot. That’s because I’m surrounded by so much delicious tea! And this … is not so much “tea” as it is a chocolate tisane, but, without getting technical, I’ll just say that I’m really enjoying this Mint Cacao Tea from Tisano! It’s so yummy!
Every time I lift my teacup to my lips, I’m greeted with a strong aroma of CHOCOLATE! That smell gets my taste buds all excited for what they’re about to experience – a deliciously decadent, sinful taste of dark chocolate and crisp, cool peppermint. Sweet, just a little bit bitter (as in bittersweet chocolate), and minty. So good!
The combination of chocolate and peppermint is a classic one, and Tisano has taken this classic combination and created a really delectable “tea” that can be steeped in water or if you really want to go for the gusto, you might try steeping it in hot milk. Personally, I don’t like steeping tea in milk because it makes a mess. I like my tea brewing experience to be as carefree as possible, and this means the less mess, the better. But if you do choose to steep it in milk, I think you’ll be rewarded with a very satisfyingly rich, “hot cocoa” kind of cup.
Me, I steep it in hot water – 195°F to be exact. This tends to be my go-to temperature setting for tisanes, as I find the slightly lower than boiling temperature works best to extract the best flavor from herbs. I let it steep for 12 minutes as there are no Camellia Sinensis leaves in this – so I don’t have to worry about oversteeping or tannins. Rather than just 1 tsp. of dry leaf for 12 ounces of hot water, I go with 2 tsp. because the way I see it, more chocolate = better. These parameters produce a very flavorful cuppa that satisfies this chocoholic when the chocolate cravings set in. It’s a little like a thinned hot cocoa that’s full of dark chocolate flavor with a refreshing note of mint.
And even though this is not a true “tea” – this beverage definitely brings a smile to my face. It’s sweet and chocolate-y and just … oh-so-good!!!
Southern Mint Herbal Tea from Revolution Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Tisane Description:
A refreshing pick-me-up, Southern Mint is a delightful version of the traditional English mint tea. This herbal drink, made from whole Egyptian mint leaves, has soothing properties and can help combat headaches and aid in digestion. Caffeine Free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! This Southern Mint Herbal Tea from Revolution Tea is so crisp and refreshing! It’s a great tisane to sip after a spicy meal, it helps calm the tummy!
The mint used in this tisane is an estate grown pure Egyptian peppermint. It has a very fresh and exhilarating taste … and even though it is very invigorating to drink, it is naturally caffeine free so it won’t overstimulate me before bedtime.
The taste is clean and pure. It freshens the mouth and leaves my mouth feeling refreshed and I can already feel it calm my stomach after eating spicy tacos! It’s a nice, natural way to freshen the palate while relaxing the tummy. This is the kind of tisane I like to keep on hand for times like this … and I also like to keep it on hand because my daughter loves peppermint tea and this one from Revolution tea is one of the better ones I’ve tried.