I’ll admit it, tea-ple– I can be a bit of a tea snob. I’ll pretty much try anything once, but give me a weak English Breakfast or a watery-looking bagged tea, and I’m probably going to politely chuck it in the nearest flower-pot while no one’s looking, all the while dreaming of my cabinet of tea delights at home.
It’s gone so far that when my lovely fiancé offers to take me out for a cup of tea at our local chain coffee joint, I am purely going because he is sweet and wonderful, and usually wondering if there’s a way I could just bring *my* tea and have them hand me a cuppa hot water to brew for myself rather than choose from some ‘meh’ bagged options. I AM HORRIBLE, I KNOW.
But let’s get to the point: when I saw this sample bag of Celestial Seasoning’s black cherry herbal, I was… skeptical. Bagged tea? And not even bagged loose-leaf, bagged… tea shavings? But every-committed to my reviewing duties, I thought, hey! This sounds like it’d make a tasty iced tea, and into my big ol’ cold brew pitcher they went.
They almost immediately turned the water a lovely, saturated pink (hello, hibiscus!), and after a chill 12 hours in the fridge, it was ready to sip! While I’m impressed with the ingredients in this blend (rosehips, roasted chicory, blackberry leaves, and of course: hibiscus, first and foremost), there’s that “natural cherry flavor” that I wish would’ve come from cherries itself. And while it’s a tasty, fruity, obviously-berry brew, I can’t say that I’d have immediately recognized the flavor as “cherry” so much as “general berry-ish” without the cue from the name. Does it make a delicious iced tea? Yup. Is it even yummier with a splash of lemonade or plain seltzer? Heck yes. Am I going to become a bagged tea convert and spurn my beloved loose leaf anytime soon? Probably not. But let me be the first to admit my snobbish ways would’ve made me miss out on a yummy summer treat if I hadn’t given this one a try– I’m glad I did!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Celestial Seasonings
Description
Reminiscent of nostalgic fruit punch, this tea combines a burst of cherry and berry flavors with tart, ruby-red hibiscus and other herbs. Delicious hot or iced.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Rainy Day and a Cuppa – Storm’s a Brewin’ – Bumble Teas
Here on the coast of Mississippi, Hurricane Cindy is rolling through, bringing a lot of rain and thunderstorms my way. And I love it! I have always thought that I should be in a rainy state like Washington or even in the country across the pond called England. And what is better to do in this weather than to grab a book and a cup of tea? So I thought that this would be a great opportunity to try out a tea that is all about those perfect rainy days.
Now on the first sip, this tea settles on my palate like a normal green tea would but paired with creamy matcha-like taste, and this is without any kind of cream mind you. So as I was enjoying this beverage I decided to look up why this tea would produce such an interesting/delicious flavor. On Bumble Teas’ Etsy shop the ingredients are as follows: ginkgo leaf, gynostemma, bilberry with one of my favorite ingredients as the last touch; cornflowers.
Now the first two ingredients are foreign to me, ginkgo leaf and gynostemma. According to Mountain Rose Herbs’ website, ginkgo leaf is one of the oldest species of plant on planet Earth, 225 million years old. And Bumble Teas description does say that it is ancient but I wasn’t thinking that it would be in the million range. And this venerable plant is said to help promote healthy blood circulation. That claim along with leaf having a naturally sweet taste to it could help you warm your bones during frightful weather.
And when you pair that with gynostemma (or Jiaogulan), which is supposed to offer immune system benefits, you got a good cup of tea that warms you and may be able to keep away a cold. Now this tea sounds like it should be a pretty penny since of the ancient herb that it contains but this tea is actually pretty cost effective. It is $7 for 1 oz, $13 for 2 oz, and $24 for 4 oz.
All in all, this tea is light but flavorful and perfect for those rainy days. To me, this tea is just as soothing as the sound of the rain streaming down my window pane and the thunder that booms along with it in perfect symphony. And yes, before you ask, I will be purchasing this blend for my ever growing collection.
See you for the next cuppa!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Bumble Tea
Description
Storm’s a brewin’, can you feel it in your bones?
Ancient, healing ginkgo leaf steeps alongside naturally-sweet gynostemma and bilberry, and cornflowers let you ditch the caffeine without losing those wonderful, antioxidant flavonoids that tea leaves normally supply.
Naturally caffeine-free.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
CTRL+ALT+DEL from Pluck Teas. . . .
I had this once before, hot and hated it. Let’s see how it is iced…
Well, first thing I noticed is this iced cup has less sediment than the original hot cup had. It brewed up a cloudy but light golden yellow but less cloudy than the hot brew. Hopefully both these things will result in a cleaner taste than what I recall.
The smell is strongly of ginger but with lemon in the background as well as a touch of musk that I am thinking is probably from a mix of this tea and some scent remaining from the mint tea that was in the press previously. Luckily, it is not transferring over to the flavor.
Instead, this has a strong ginger flavor with a bright lemon aftertaste. I wish I got more from the cranberries since they were the reason I was drawn to this blend in the first place alas they are hiding underneath all the other components. Nonetheless, the iced tea flavor is really quite natural and rich. To me, it is as if someone took fresh ginger and lemon and steeped that…and then maybe muddled it with some other ingredients. The lemongrass is maybe a bit more herbal tasting than I would like but this could be a nice caffeine free option for those who like this sort of tea.
Personally I am more of a dessert tea kind of girl so I don’t see myself reaching for this in the future but I am happy to report the the iced cup is much improved from the hot tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal Tea
Where to Buy: Pluck Teas
Description
Hit the reset button – with this refreshing lemon and ginger infusion featuring Muskoka cranberries. Caffeine-free and delicious hot or iced, this tisane packs a lot of flavour.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemon Blush from Zhi. . . . .
This was a pleasantly zen tea! I tried it hot, at directed concentrations, steeped for six minutes, with no additives. I could envision this tea being enjoyable cold for those that love fruit infused water.
Unlike most lemon teas I encounter, the lemon was present, but not overpowering. It required no sweetening, and my sweet teeth are rather demanding, so that’s saying a lot! It is supplemented with stevia leaf, and unlike the dietary sweetener, was not at all off-putting. The hibiscus brings a beautiful deep blush of color to the cup, and a mild flavor addition. I honestly did not detect the clove, but perhaps my teaspoon missed it!
It is a moderately aromatic tea that could serve double duty as a calming aromatherapy. Calming, but not sedating, the aroma and taste would serve well as a morning or bedtime tea. At longer steep times (twelve minutes), the tartness and tanginess of the lemon and hibiscus are stronger, but still remains one of the most gentle and subtle lemon teas I’ve experienced, and now one of my favorites!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Zhi Tea
Description
Straight from customer feedback , suggestions of lemon myrtle and more sweet healthy tea, comes this crafty and refreshing herbal tisane. Great for an afternoon with a book or a friend, this inventive blend certainly has a cool personality.
A lightly sweet, quite lemony, mildly tart cup with a soothing aroma. This blend is designed to balance; it is at once calming and gently energizing.
Organic lemon grass, hibiscus, rosehips, lemon myrtle, stevia leaf, and organic lemon extract.
100% organic caffeine-free drink. Great hot or cold!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bright Eyes from Art of Tea. . . .
Although I’ve seen Ayurveda teas around, this was my first experience with the therapeutic style from India, meant to balance my doshas and perk me up without caffeine.
It was fairly late but I needed a little energy boost to get me through the rest of my homework. I thought it would be a perfect time to try an herbal. Hello, Bright Eyed. The dry blend gave off a cheerful, earthen scent like a dusty sunrise. I measured half the recommended amount because this had much shorter brew time than I expected. I had a feeling it’d be powerful.
The infusion came out unabashedly marigold, despite the turmeric having tinted my gravity strainer. It’s really made of strong stuff! And it certainly smells healthy. There’s a hint of licorice, perhaps that’s the sarsaparilla? Initially the turmeric tasted tart, though not very astringent, with a subtle tingling aftertaste from the ginger. I added a spoonful of honey, which is how I normally drink my teas, and it definitely let the mellower cinnamon shine through. Overall, this was a light bodied tea with a well rounded spicy taste.
I ended up staying Alert much later than I meant to, but I learned from this…I will definitely never underestimate herbal teas again!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Art of Tea
Description
An invigorating blend of turmeric, ginger and other fragrant spices, this tea draws from Ayurvedic principles to energize and awaken your mind and body–all without caffeine! This autumnal tisane brews to a beautiful copper hue and can be enjoyed year round, and at any time of day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
