#MusicandTeaMonday: Sweet Dreams Herbal from AstroloTea

by scheherazade

Sweet Dreams is part of AstroloTea’s Transformative Loose Tea range, which combines ingredients with specific properties to create teas designed to have an effect on either mind or body. Sweet Dreams, true to its name, is supposed to be a relaxing blend, with the intention of promoting sleep or rest. Like many blends of this kind, it contains a selection of herbal ingredients known for their calming properties, including rose petals, hops, jasmine, lemon balm, and lavender. It also contains more unusual ingredients, such as poppy, catuba, gotu kola, dogwood, yarrow, brahmi, kava kava, and mullein. Many of these I’ve never come across before. All of the ingredients are organic, except the kava kava which has been cultivated without the use of chemicals.

I followed the recommended parameters and used 2 tsp of leaf for my cup, added to boiling water for 5 minutes. The resulting liquor is a bright orange-brown, with a mildly herbaceous scent. The flavour is more delicate than I expected, initially quite generically “herbal”, but with clear flashes of rose and lavender. There’s a distinctive thick sweetness from the hops in the mid-sip, and a touch of aniseed-like fennel. A light lemony-citrus note rounds off the sip.

The proliferation of ingredients made me wonder whether it would be possible to distinguish any one of them at all, but in actual fact it is possible to pick out the stronger, more dominant, flavours. Many of the ingredients are unfamiliar to me, though (and probably to most people), and it’s fair to say that the overall effect is herbal with an edge of floral. I’m pleased the the floral doesn’t edge over into perfumey, and it’s not too strong, so you might get along with this even if floral teas are not typically your thing. In flavour terms, its reminiscent of a lot of similar blends, only with more unusual, carefully selected, ingredients.

I didn’t notice much of an effect straight after drinking, but I can certainly appreciate having another caffeine-free pre-bedtime blend in my cupboard. With its light, delicate flavour, it’s a pleasing choice for late night drinking whether you buy into the “sleep-aid” aspect or not. I’d happily seek out more AstroloTea blends in the future.

And since today is #MusicandTeaMonday, we couldn’t help but pair this tea with this song! Don’t forget to join us on your favorite social media of choice with #MusicandTeaMonday!

 

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: AstroloTea

at_logo_headerDescription:

Sweet Dreams Organic Loose Leaf Tea is only available as an herbal tea blend. It is a powerful sedative tea for nighttime relaxation and sleep. It has been used to help relieve insomnia and sleep disturbances.

This soft and dreamy tea is the perfect way to close every day. Slip into comfort and notice how gently everything floats away as you easily drift off to dreamland. Sweet Dreams tea is a luxurious gift to give yourself for a day well lived.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

scheherazade

Hi! I'm Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I've been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway. I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter. I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they're the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer -- their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day. I'm still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don't think they'll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don't hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I'm also beginning to explore pu'erh, both ripened and raw. That's my latest challenge! I'm still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

This post was posted in AstroloTea, Fruit/Herbal Tisane

Daily Man Tea from BijaBody Health + Beauty

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Oolong, Pu-erh and Herbal

Where to Buy:  BijaBody Health + Beauty

Tea Description:

We’ve gotten enough feedback from guys to know you want your own tea, and you don’t want a frilly peacock feather on it. Point taken. Here you go.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Of the three different teas from BijaBody Health + Beauty I was sent to try, this was the one with which I hesitated longest.  I could think of all kinds of silly excuses, but, if I were to be completely honest, it was because it was a “man” tea, and well, the last time I checked, I’m a woman.

But, really, that’s pretty silly too.  It’s a tea!  There are some herbals in there that are definitely intended for men, but, I have never claimed to drink tea for its health benefits, so why should I not drink a tea because of its purported health benefits for men?

This tea has a strong earthy quality to it, much stronger than I recall tasting with either the Daily Beauty Tea or the Nightly Beauty Tea from BijaBody.  I definitely taste the Pu-erh here, but, it isn’t an overwhelming or off-putting flavor.  I also taste the Oolong, and I can feel the texture from the Oolong too – its smooth and almost creamy.

This also has a slight medicinal quality to it, but not so much that it makes me want to stop drinking it.  The medicinal flavor is balanced out with the warm spice notes in the background as well as the tea flavors to give this a very enjoyable taste.  After a glance at the ingredients, I worried that the cayenne might be a bit too much for the cup, but, it is actually quite subtle, providing a little bit of heat, but, certainly not to the point where I’d categorize this as spicy or even medium-hot.  It has a mild spice – it’s warm and energizing.

Overall, this is an enjoyable beverage, even for those of us who are not men.  If I were to change anything about it, though, I should like for there to be more of a chocolate taste from the cacao nibs… I taste only hints of cocoa here.  But for what it is, I found it quite agreeable.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Oolong, Pu-erh

Skin from Byron Bay Tea Company

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal

Where to Buy:  Byron Bay Tea Company

Company Description:

Beauty begins on the inside, which makes our SKIN tea the perfect primer. The zesty blend of Lemongrass and Ginger is complemented by a purifying punch of Peppermint. So for a naturally healthy glow, and to sustain your internal vigor, sip BBTC SKIN.

Taster’s Review:

OK, I admit it.  Herbal blends scare me.  Just a little bit.  They do!

That’s because even with the finest ingredients, herbal tisanes can go wrong.  They can taste medicine-y.  Or they can just have some funky off-putting taste.  So, needless to say, I was scared to try this blend from Byron Bay Tea Company.

But, this tastes really terrific!  If this is a skin regime, count me in!  I would be happy to drink this on a daily basis.

This doesn’t taste medicine-y or otherwise off-putting.  The peppermint is strong, but not overpowering… and interestingly enough, this tisane doesn’t come off as “minty” exactly, although it does have a crisp and clean mint aftertaste.

I am also enjoying the way the ginger and lemongrass work together in this blend.  The ginger offers just a hint of peppery flavor, while the sweet citrus-y tones of the lemongrass cancel out some of the spicier notes of the ginger. There is also a nice peppery accent in the finish that I find rather enjoyable.

But, I think my favorite part of this blend is the very subtle taste of rose.  It is a nice touch.  It is so soft and sweet.  Very nice, indeed.

None of the flavors here are overwhelming… instead, they are very harmonious with one another.  It has a pleasant, well-rounded taste.  It is a very soothing, relaxing cup – especially nice at the end of the day!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane