The colorful label for Root Down Tisane from Swallowtail Tea features a yellow and orange sun on the horizon. It must be a sunset, as this tea is perfect for after dinner or before bed.
This tisane is driven by licorice root. I’m a fan of licorice in all its forms, including as a root in herbal teas. Licorice root is a natural sweetener, adding a bit of spicy anise flavor along with its sugary perk. Licorice is also a throat soothing herb, so it brings a very smooth mouthfeel and soothing sensation.
Beyond the bold licorice, this blend features some cinnamon warmth and just a ghost of mint and orange peel. There are also dandelion root and nettle leaf in the blend, but they are more for color and health benefits than taste. I wish the mint and citrus were just a little bit bolder to add more flavor texture to the brew.
Root Down Tisane would be a great blend for those who are tired of herbal teas having ginger, chamomile, or even rooibos, as none of these ingredients are included. This blend is all licorice and herbs, and is a nice change of pace for a naturally caffeine free blend at bedtime. I’ll have to save the rest of my tea sample for when I need to set down some roots and snuggle in for the night.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Swallowtail Tea (Red Rooster Coffee)
Description:
This signature tisane was artfully crafted as a warming and supportive infusion. Perfect as an after dinner treat.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spicy Turmeric Tonic from MEM Tea. . . .
A new specialty shop opened up nearby, and when I poked my head inside I discovered they also served coffee and tea. On a blustery, cold day I ordered a cup of Spicy Turmeric Tonic from MEM Tea to warm my body and spirit.
This tea was listed as having flavors of cacao, ginger, and cinnamon, all long-time favorites of mine. Oddly, the turmeric in the name wasn’t listed as a main flavor. I had this blend brewed hot without milk or sweetener.
As a lover of chai teas, this was a delicious new blend filled with familiar spices. The cinnamon and ginger were very forward, warming and gently spicy. The cacao shells gave the blend more body, almost fooling me into thinking it was a black tea instead of an herbal. The cacao brought its usual sweet-and-savory cocoa notes to balance out the sweet-and-hot ginger.
The turmeric was subtle, appearing as just a touch of earthy spice behind the brighter flavors. The turmeric does show up in the color of the brew, with its trademark bright yellow ochre color.
Full disclosure, cacao shells don’t have caffeine, but they are stimulants, so this might not be a true decaf blend. Either way, it was a wonderful new take on an herbal chai and I will definitely plan to brew another a cup of Spicy Turmeric Tonic sometime soon.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: MEM Tea
Description:
This unique and healthful blend of Turmeric, Ginger, Cinnamon and Cacao is rich and smooth, with warm spicy flavors and a zesty finish.
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!
Wild Jujube from Teasenz
I have a special treat for you today – well I think it’s a special treat, anyways – it’s Wild Jujube from Teasenz! Wild Jujube from Teasenz is a fruit tea – an herbal fruit tisane – if you will. China’s most popular herbal tea is made from wild Jujube. Jujubes are sometimes referred to as Chinese Dates and are small, reddish-brown fruits that has the appearance of berries. My first encounter with dried Jujube’s was ordering them from The Raw Food World. So I was very excited to try Wild Jujube from Teasenz.
I have a herbal tea/tisane steeping confession to make. While infusing Wild Jujube from Teasenz I grabbed one of the re-hydrated jujube’s and gnawed on it. It was excellent!
Dry – Wild Jujube from Teasenz – smells like – well – dates! A natural brown sugary type treat with a baked-good feel, too! Once I infused for several minutes the wet liquor left in my cup smelled like fresh-out-of-the-dryer cotton and dates
The taste of Wild Jujube from Teasenz was a gentle cup but still tasty and warming. A more comforting fruity-feel and flavor with a slight nod to something comparable to a date muffin. The end sip is more of a muted berry taste on the tongue. I’m really enjoying Wild Jujube from Teasenz! If you are looking for a fruit based tisane with only one ingredient – try this!!!!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Teasenz
Description
China’s most popular herbal tea made from wild jujube fruits from Ning Xia. The jujubes are dried while fresh and afterwards cut in slices with an optimal thickness for a perfect & healthy infusion.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas
Mediterranean Mint. How could you go wrong with a name like that? Next up at Sororitea Sisters is Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas.
Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas contains Wild Thyme, Wild Mint, and Armenian Wild Oregano. The loose contents are extremely fluffy and plump and smell AMAZING right out of the bag! It’s a carefully crafted herbal blend that Armeniac says is the perfect finish to a Mediterranean meal and is an uplifting taste experience!
While I didn’t drink this after a meal I did drink Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas after sipping on various other flavored teas and this was a wonderful palate cleanser.
Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas is a calming mint most likely brought more to center by the thyme and oregano. The trio of ingredients complement each other perfectly and make a more-than-pleasant cuppa!
This was tasty hot, cool, and iced. According to the package this loose blend of herbs can be brewed and/or infused two times. YUM! I LOVE this minty-fresh experience!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Armeniac
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!