Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Les 2 Marmottes
Tisane Description:
Guarana, ginseng, ginger: a trio 100% plant explosive vitality! In addition, these pêchus ingredients are not the only stars. We have put together a stunning blend of subtlety by slipping rosehips for its fruity taste, lemon balm for its sweet and aromatic flavor and tangy hibiscus note and its beautiful ruby color. A lively and rich in aromas tea for a day full of pep.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have enjoyed the adventure of these teas and tisanes from Les 2 Marmottes. Since I can’t read most of the packaging, I have to turn to the website and Chrome’s ability to translate the French language to know what the tea is all about. It makes for an interesting tea moment.
When I grabbed this Boost Et Moi … I visited the website to see what ingredients I would be encountering with this blend. Here’s what the translated website lists:
- Hibiscus Flower
- Rosehip
- Melissa
- Guarana
- Ginseng
- Ginger
I wish that there wasn’t hibiscus in this. Fortunately the hibiscus imparts very little of its tart flavor, mostly it seems it is there for a berry like flavor and the vivid ruby color and a bit of texture. I’m glad that it’s not a syrupy texture.
There is an interesting contrast of flavors in this blend: a distinct herbaceous note with a slight earthy character from the ginseng. There is a touch of lemon-y taste from the Melissa, and the Guarana adds a slight bitter note. I like the peppery zing of ginger.
This is the third tea/tisane that I’ve tasted from Les 2 Marmottes, and it’s probably my least favorite of the three. I would rather the hibiscus not be in there, and I’m not wild about ginseng. That said, this is not an unpleasant functional tea, but I don’t know that it’s one that I’d reach for to drink every day. I do like the burst of energy that this tea provides, though.
Overall, this is alright, but not my favorite of these little adventures that Les 2 Marmottes has taken me on.
Raspberry Sunburst Green Tea from Fusion Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Fusion Teas
Tea Description:
A simple everyday tea that simply satisfies. We start with a lovely floral china green tea base and sprinkle in hibiscus petals, just enough to perk it up. The tangy raspberry and brisk lemon give it character and is perfectly balanced.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I was really surprised by this Raspberry Sunburst Green Tea from Fusion Teas. I took a sip of it before I read the ingredient list. And then I read that there is hibiscus in this blend! I didn’t really notice much from the hibiscus. No strong tart-y flavor. No heavy, syrupy texture. The only thing that is indicative of hibiscus’s presence is a slight pink-ish tint to the color of the brewed tea.
I suppose that the hibiscus does help to accentuate the tart berry notes of the raspberry, but, the flavor doesn’t hit me over the head with hibiscus. I taste more raspberry than I taste hibiscus. I also taste more lemon than hibiscus. This is a blend with hibiscus that I can handle! This is hibiscus done right!
The green tea is a sweet, creamy and slightly earthy tasting tea. The tea is not the main event of this blend … but I do like that I can taste the tea here and that it’s not overly camouflaged by the flavoring. The tea also lends a certain sweetness to the cup which is nice because the raspberry and lemon tend to be tart, so the sweetness of the tea is a nice contrast.
The raspberry is nice, it tastes sweet-tart and juicy, but what I really like about this blend is the LEMON! It really brightens the cup. This blend is really true to its name, it really tastes like a Raspberry Sunburst! (No not the chewy, waxy candy, but, more like sunburst as in lemony-bright taste combined with delightful raspberry flavor.)
A really nice blend from Fusion Teas!
Blueberry Wild Child Fruit Tisane from Tiesta Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit Tisane
Where to buy: Tiesta Tea
Tisane Description:
The popular pomegranate superfruit demonstrates its best attributes in a tag-team duo with the fruity blueberry. This delicate twosome will invigorate your taste buds with a very fruity taste experience with extraordinary eye appeal with its robe of royal blue cornflowers, blue mallow blossoms, hibiscus, and elderberries.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I am usually fearful of tisanes with hibiscus in them, mostly because too often, the hibiscus is overdone and the result (especially if oversteeped!) is a thick, syrup-y, overly tart tasting tisane that is really off-putting to me. Fortunately, that didn’t happen with this Blueberry Wild Child Fruit Tisane from Tiesta Tea.
I brewed this in just under boiling water (195°F) for six minutes. I found that this produced a really delightful cup of naturally caffeine free tisane that is sweet, fruity and not too hibiscus-y!
Sure, I taste the hibiscus, but, it melds nicely with the blueberry and does not overpower the cup. This tisane is not syrupy, unpleasantly thick or tart. It is just right! It is a little bit tart, a little bit sweet, and a whole lot of flavorful! The body is what I’d categorize as medium to full … it is substantial without being thick and syrupy.
What I taste, primarily, is blueberry! I also taste hints of pomegranate, hibiscus and even a wine-like note that I attribute to the elderberry. The apple is barely noticeable, but, I think it adds a pleasant sweetness to the cup that it really needs given the tart berries (not to mention the hibiscus) in this blend.
Overall, a very enjoyable cup. Something I didn’t expect to like, but I really do! For something a little different, try adding some bits of cinnamon stick to the tisane before brewing – it gives it a really nice touch of spice!
Spirit of the Sun from The Healing Cup
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: The Healing Cup
Tisane Description:
Enjoy the taste of the sun in a cup! Orange peels take an unexpected twist with a spicy burst from cinnamon chips and a soft touch of vanilla. Drink a cup in the morning to start your day with a salute to the sun. Naturally caffeine-free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This blend takes the classic flavors of a spiced orange tea and gives it a unique twist by giving it a rooibos base rather than the typical black tea base. I’m not ordinarily a big fan of rooibos, but I kind of like how the rooibos tastes with the cinnamon, orange and vanilla flavors. It still tastes citrus-y and cinnamon-y, but, it has a lighter texture and a flavor that is similar yet different enough to keep these traditional flavors interesting.
Ordinarily, I don’t really care much for the nutty/woody flavor of the rooibos, sometimes it comes off tasting of sour wood or just kind of funky. But, I suspect it is because this is organic rooibos that the flavor is better with this rooibos blend … and I think that makes a big difference in my enjoyment. I’m liking the way the nutty tones meld with the bright orange notes and the sweet, creamy vanilla.
The cinnamon is warm enough to help clear the sinuses (yeah, I’m still dealing with some of the symptoms of that cold!) but, not so hot that I’d categorize it as spicy. Instead, I’d say it’s got a mild spice that keeps the flavors lively while not so warm that I need something to soften the heat. It’s quite pleasant.
Overall, I’m really enjoying this – much more than I expected to! This would make a great “holiday blend” for those who prefer to limit their caffeine intake but still want something vibrant and festive to drink.
Berry Berry Herbal Tea from Culinary Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tisane Description:
A full flavored berry tea. We have added black and red currants, as well as raisins to our blend. A naturally sweet herbal tea.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
The above description forgot to mention that it is also a naturally tart herbal tea. Hibiscus! But, I’m kind of liking the way the hibiscus marries with the currants. It adds an interesting dimension to the flavor of the currants (and there are TONS of little tiny currants in this blend).
I don’t taste a lot of raisin-y flavor to this, especially not when it is served hot. As the tea cools, a sweet raisin note starts to emerge, but it isn’t a well defined flavor. Mostly what I taste is the flavor of currant, which adds a deep, almost-wine-like flavor to the cup, and the hibiscus, which adds tartness to the already slightly tart currant notes. But the hibiscus also does something else here, it gives more of a berry-like taste to the cup.
Yes, currants are a berry, but, they taste more wine-y to me than a typical berry flavor (that is, a berry like blueberry or raspberry or strawberry), and the hibiscus seems to enhance the berry profile of the currants a little bit, which I really like.
I don’t recommend oversteeping this tea – because although it contains no tea leaves (and therefore it’s not going to become bitter or tannic), it does contain hibiscus and when it’s left to brew too long, it becomes syrupy and tart. I brewed this for about 6 minutes, and I’d say that was just about perfect. It added some texture without going overboard, and it added a pleasant tartness without it becoming pucker-y.
As I sip this, I find it enjoyable, but I think it could be more enjoyable if a few spices were added to it as it infuses – maybe some cinnamon or some cloves might add a warm dimension to the flavor and make it a bit like mulled wine. Or, you could add some hot apple cider (perhaps at a 1:1 ratio?) to give the apple cider a delicious berry taste while lightening the flavor of the berry tea.
This is a tasty tisane. It’s not what I’d call a favorite, but, it’s not bad. I like it served warm by allowing it to cool somewhat after it’s been brewed. When it’s too hot, the hibiscus is very prominent. But as it cools, the flavors mellow somewhat and it’s much nicer.