I brewed it in freshly boiled water (~8-10 oz) for 3 minutes as suggested. I love loose leaf tea, but the pyramid sachets this tea comes in are super cute and convenient. It’s just one less step (putting the tea into the brew basket) but can make a big difference, especially if you’re in a hurry.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a Thyme tea before, so this was new and exciting to me. This tea doesn’t seem to have any other herbs/spices besides thyme (the ingredients are black tea, thyme, and vanilla) but the flavor is pretty strong and the vanilla gives it more depth and richness. It’s a nice medium-dark, transparent honey-brown when steeped and smells both Thymey and sweet.
First sip: There’s a bit of cognitive dissonance here because I’ve only ever had Thyme in savory dishes so my brain is expecting this tea to be savory rather than sweet. It is sweet, though. I can identify the tannic astringency of the tea base, along the sides of my tongue, while the Thymey bouquet invades my nose. The astringency transitions into a sweetness on the top and back of the tongue that somehow connects it to the flowery herbal fragrance, keeping the whole thing somewhat coherent. So although the black tea flavor is mostly subsumed and the astringent component is the only part of it that really sticks out to me, it still contributes to the overall taste profile.
I next added a bit of sugar (only a little, since it’s so sweet already), which helped the various flavors flow together even better. I then added milk, which worked out great. It made the tea taste warm and strengthening (I mean, it technically already tasted warm, but still) and helped my taste buds get over the funky “no really, this should be savory because it has thyme in it” idea. I think I like it best with milk, but then I usually do with chais and other strong black teas.
This is a very different sort of chai, with a Mediterranean rather than a South Asian inspiration, but I really enjoyed it and I think I could add it to my rotation with great success.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description
This is what my papa called “a signature tea”: refreshing in summer and protective in winter. We love the distinctly herbaceous, yet sweet and comforting taste of this black tea.
Ingredients:
Black Tea – The finest Ceylon tea. Fortifying, yet refreshing.Wild Thyme – Our thyme is wild-harvested in the Mediterranean to ensure its intense aroma and taste. The Romans believed Thyme to be a mood enhancer. My family used to drink it whenever we were feeling under the weather.Vanilla Pieces & Flavour – Smooth, sweet and luxurious.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Holy Basil: The Secret Ingredient to My Fave Detox Tea
Fresh basil is the stuff of summer, plucked from the garden for added depth to sandwiches, or pressed between mozzarella and tomatoes for a caprese plate. Daily Detox tea from the Tea Can Company doesn’t have that kind of basil, but the smell of the dry tea leaves did bring me back to fresh summer days in our family herb garden. Instead, the ingredient this tea is Tulsi, holy basil.
There are other ingredients like rose hips or spearmint, but they take a back seat to the strong, forward flavors of lemon myrtle and holy basil. I was surprised– usually rose hips like to make the tea pink and sour, but I had no problem sour fruit flavors, even after steeping this tea long and hot.
I love herbal teas with savory spices like sage, or chili, or fennel, and a basil tea is a great addition to this category. Lemon and basil are often used together on food, and it is no surprise that the flavors work well together in a tea. This blend sweet enough to still be a traditional tea, with plenty of creamy lemon flavors and soothing mint, but the pop of basil really sets it apart. The basil adds a “green” flavor that is very different from the usual grassy senchas or hay-like green rooibos, adding a distinctly full, leafy note.
Both holy basil and Linden blossom have long histories of sacred respect and healing properties, so the detox they provide might be both physical and spiritual, if you buy into that sort of thing. If nothing else, you will experience the peaceful moment of enjoying a tasty cup of tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Tea Can Company
Description:
This unique blend of Medicinal Herbs and Berries provides a host of antioxidants and health benefits. A feel good drink that lasts all day. Serve hot or cold.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tree House of Tea from Adagio Teas. . . . #TeaRex #MonsterBrew #RocketFuel
Beyond the wonderful madness of custom fandom blends on Adagio Teas’ website, they do have a few blends and custom sets of their own. I tried one of their more whimsical sets, the Tree House series. The vibrant, attractive designs of dinosaurs and monsters on the tins was enough to sway me into giving these teas a try. The Tree House series are all herbal decaf teas, and meant to be kid-friendly in style, contents, and taste. Fair warning: these teas brew up strong, fast, so feel free to keep the steep times shorter than you expect. It’s easy to stop the steep time as these teas are all already in silk, pyramid teabags.
This tea smells like Adagio’s Valentine’s blend, though this is a decaf version. The smell and taste are full of rich cocoa and dark berries. Even though cherries are a strong element of this blend, it does not taste like medicine. This tea is dark and full-bodied, almost makes you think it’s a black tea or a mate, but it’s all herbal. If you’re not into chocolate dessert teas, this might not be your favorite. But if you’re looking for a decaf version of the Valentine’s blend, this will be a winner.
Monster Brew
In the tin, this tea smells the most distinct from the three teas in Adagio’s Tree House series. This green rooibos blend focuses on orange and berry. It’s sweet with raspberry and blueberry flavors, but it never gets too syrupy, thanks to the bright citrus notes. Smooth, playful, and easy to drink. This blend has the perfect balance between sweet and sour fruits, and the right balance of a nutty rooibos base with more saturated berry flavors.
The strongest flavors in Rocket Fuel are apple and hibiscus. The hibiscus is subtle, but present, so don’t worry about it overwhelming the blend, but be cautious if you hate the flavor. The hibiscus adds pink to the brewed color, and gives a little pucker to this decaf berry blend. Luckily, there’s enough apple to keep the tea sweet and fresh without getting too tart. Apple is so often paired with cinnamon and spice, it was nice to just taste the crisp fruit and its natural sweetness.
This set is a great gift for a young tea-drinker, or a lover of fruity-decaf teas. Or just a nice gift to yourself– the colorful, illustrated tins will brighten anyone’s tea shelf!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal and Rooibos/Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description:
Every cup of tea represents an imaginative journey. Our Tree House gift set helps build creative minds one cup at a time. Become an astronaut, scare away monsters hiding in your closet, and roam dinosaur inhabited lands without leaving your home.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lavenderose Chamomint from Old Barrel Tea Co. . . . .
You know that saying– too much of a good thing is a good thing? It applies here.
I was a little worried when I cracked this tea bag open that it would be TOO MUCH. Allll the herbs, am I right? But upon first sniff, I was intrigued. As with others I’ve tried form Old Barrel, this tea was a perfect, equal blend– all flavors present and accounted for, with nothing overpowering or shying away in the flavor. My first sip confirmed what I sniffed to be true– this tea is GOOD, you guys. Really, really good.
It’s light and a little sweet, herbal and flowery but also grounded and earthy. It’s got a little tingle from the mint, and a little almost-vanilla from who-knows-where. Each flavor is represented (just like that egalitarian name might imply), but they all play together quite nicely in the pot. I have to say– something about
Old Barrel’s teas get me every time– the flavors are simple enough that I always underestimate how they might brew up, but once in my cup, I’m always so pleasantly shocked by how fresh, strong, and unusual-but-lovely they are. Another winner from OBTC– and never enough of a good thing!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Old Barrel Tea Co
Description
A blend of lavender, rose petals, chamomile, peppermint, vanilla rooibos.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
TeaEqualsBliss’s TOP HERBAL TISANES of the Moment
- Slimming Tea from Cha Tale
- Muse from Tay Tea
- Homestead Peach by Winterwoods Tea
- Colonial Remedy No. 6 Lemon Balm from Oliver Pluff & Co.
- North from Metolius Artisan Tea
- Golden West by Pacific Tea
- Tummy Mint from Yerba Buena Tea Co
- Tomato Tornado from Stylin’ Tea Blends
- Wild Jujube from Teasenz
- Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas
Herbal Teas aren’t REALLY teas as many of us know…they are actually called Tisanes…regardless in this post I will be featuring my personal TOP TEN favorites over the past couple of months. Of course my taste buds are totally different from the next tea lover but these are what fit my fancy as of late. When it comes to herbal I tend of LOVE them or can live without them. These are 10 I would highly recommend. My Top Ten Herbal Teas or Herbal Tisanes, that is! If you don’t see your favorite on the list let us know why you love your favorites in comments!
