Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
This feels like cheating just a little. Yes, we did offer a Chocolate Malt Honeybush, but not as a Tea of the Week; it was one of our My Sweet Honeybush blends, and it wasn’t even offered on 52teas until a few months ago when I killed our My Sweet Honeybush brand and had a few left over. I’ve reinvented the blend with organic flavors and new ROASTED organic cacao nibs. (I spent several minutes just huffing the bag of roasted cacao nibs the other day when we received them. This blend is CHOCOLATE. No, it’s CHOCOLATE! I fully expect this week’s blend to disappear quickly (who doesn’t like chocolate?)
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I thought I had previously reviewed this Chocolate Malt Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas (when it was sold under the My Sweet Honeybush label) because it was really one of my favorite Honeybush blends that Frank has ever crafted. But, I couldn’t find the review … so I guess I didn’t review it!
I’ll remedy that right now!
As I mentioned in the first paragraph, this is easily one of my favorite honeybush blends from Frank … but truth be told, it’s probably one of my favorite honeybush blends from any vendor. The reason is simple: Chocolate! This is one of the best chocolate tisanes I’ve had … in fact, the only chocolate tisane that comes to mind that might top this is pure cacao nibs or … even better, pure cacao shells.
Frank does the chocolate right in this blend. (Remember some chocolate = good, more chocolate = better) He goes with the better approach and adds plenty of chocolate to this tisane. It is so rich and chocolate-y, and there is a distinct malt note to this that makes it seem as though I’m sipping on a chocolate malt … only this isn’t thick like a chocolate malt. It does have a creamy element to it, but obviously a real chocolate malt would be thicker, creamier … and ice creamier … but, this … is less fattening and quite satisfying even without the thick and creamy element of a chocolate malt. It makes a perfect dessert-y treat when you don’t want to indulge in the more caloric version of a chocolate malt.
And what I like best about this blend – the flavor of the honeybush melds perfectly with the flavors. The nutty sweetness of the honeybush accents the malt notes quite nicely … and I like that the flavor of the honeybush doesn’t really stand out. It is kind of subtle and in the background, allowing the flavor of chocolate to shine through.
This is really one of Frank’s best blends. If you’ve tried honeybush blends and have been less than impressed with them, I highly recommend trying this one … it might change your mind about honeybush! It is so yummy – a perfect treat for the chocoholics out there, too!
Walter Bishop Honeybush Tisane from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
If you are not familiar with strawberry-milkshake-drinking, red-licorice-chewing Walter Bishop, you have been missing out on a great science fiction show. Personally, I think Fringe jumped the shark shortly after it started. I thought they had a great opportunity to have a new show like the X-Files, but in my opinion, they squandered it by focusing entirely on one very convoluted story arc. Having said that, we have several customers who are fans, and our friend LiberTEAs actually approached me about a Fringe-themed blend some time back. So here we have it. Caffeine-free (because I really don’t think Walter Bishop needs caffeine) honeybush blended with real freeze-dried strawberries and organic flavors. This is a delicious treat. I can totally imagine Walter sipping and enjoying it, with or without mind-altering substances added to it.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Fringe is my absolute favorite show on television. Or perhaps I should say it was my favorite show on television, since the week that this tea was released was the week of the series finale. I was so sad when I found out that this last season would be the final season. While I do agree with Frank from 52Teas when he says that the show “jumped the shark” and it could have been so much better than it was, there was one thing that redeemed this program for me, one thing that made me watch every week: Walter Bishop.
Walter Bishop is absolutely my favorite television character of all time. There are many great television characters, but very seldom does one character come along that manages to make me both laugh and cry as much as Walter Bishop has … and sometimes I would be both crying and laughing during the same episode. John Noble portrayed Walter Bishop so brilliantly. If Fringe did not have Walter Bishop, I probably would have stopped watching some point during season 1. I mean sure, Joshua Jackson is nice to look at and all, but … at some point, this series would have lost me without John Noble’s dazzling portrayal of the mad genius Walter Bishop.
So, before the final episode, I wrote to Frank at 52Teas and told him that he needed – got that? NEEDED! – to create a tribute tea for my beloved Walter Bishop. What flavor to choose? I mean, Walter Bishop has quite a sweet tooth and loves his licorice, his coffee cake, his cotton candy (blue, not pink!) but who could ever forget his search to recreate the perfect Strawberry Milkshake after his favorite ice cream shop closed? A strawberry milkshake flavored honeybush tisane seems the ideal tribute to Walter Bishop.
I brewed this tisane and allowed it to cool before drinking it, because, I wanted to experience it chilled. I mean, milkshakes should be cold, yes? And it is really good. The strawberry flavor comes through during the sip – sweet with just a hint of tart, and the tartness lingers into the aftertaste. I don’t notice a lot of ice cream/milk flavor until I get toward the finish … and there I notice a sweet, creamy, milkshake-y kind of taste. This taste also lingers into the aftertaste … this definitely has a strawberry milkshake aftertaste.
My only complaint … is that I taste too much of the honeybush here. Granted that seems a weird complaint, given that this IS a honeybush tisane. And any time I am tasting a flavored tea, I want to taste the tea base, right? But, I think that the nutty flavor of the honeybush gets in the way of the strawberry milkshake flavor just a little bit during the sip. The aftertaste is more strawberry milkshake than the sip.
But this is a minor issue, because I don’t exactly MIND the flavor of the honeybush there … I just want to taste more strawberry milkshake. This is really quite tasty … and it is indeed a fitting tribute to my beloved Walter Bishop. Thank you, Frank!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
As for this week’s tea, imagine homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, encased in a delicious buttery pastry, full of sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb. Now imagine that in a comforting mug or icy tumbler full of caffeine- and calorie-free honeybush. Can you imagine it? Well, you don’t have to imagine it, you can order it now.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but I haven’t ever had rhubarb (except for rhubarb flavored teas) … at least, not to my recollection. I am pretty sure that I’ve never had Strawberry Rhubarb pie. But if this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas is any indication of what I’m missing, I think I need to try some soon!
This is really tasty! The nutty, sweet flavor of the honeybush is not a strong, distinct flavor but, I do notice it, and it melds nicely with the slightly buttery taste of the tisane … giving it a sort of freshly baked pastry shell kind of flavor.
The strawberry tastes sweet … in fact, it might be a tad too sweet for me to say that it tastes of authentic strawberry … it tastes a bit more like a glazed strawberry or like the strawberries that my gramma would mash with sugar for strawberry shortcake. There is a tart note to this too, but it isn’t that “berry tart” … so I can only presume that the tartness comes from the rhubarb. The aftertaste imparts a slight “berry tingle” on the tip of my tongue.
I find that I like the fruit taste here … it is smooth, sweet and delicious. It doesn’t really POP as a strawberry flavor … the strawberry is more of a smooth, soft flavor, and again, I can only presume this is due to the rhubarb presence. But I do find this to be an enjoyable tisane, one that is nice to sip later in the evening when I want something sweet and dessert-like. I like this one … it’s not my favorite from 52Teas, but, I’m enjoying it.
Lemon Dreams Tisane from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush & Herbal
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
I have an odd relationship with chamomile. Chamomile is like the really cute girl that I WANT to like, but she’s so sweet and cloying that I just can’t take her seriously. You know they type: She gets you an anniversary gift for your one week anniversary; wears a t-shirt that professes her love for you and offers you the matching shirt…
I WANT to like chamomile, really I do, but it’s so sweet and heady and flowery; it’s just too much. BUT… a little bit of chamomile with a LOT of honeybush, some lemon myrtle and organic lemon flavors, THAT is a tea I can cozy up with. I hope you enjoy this blend as much as I do.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I put off trying this Lemon Dreams Tisane from 52Teas for a while … why? Well, it’s the same ole reason … chamomile. I don’t hate chamomile. I have even been known … on occasion … to actually enjoy chamomile. But, every time I encounter a chamomile blend … there’s this little voice in my head that tells me “you won’t like it.”
Well, you know what, little voice in my head? You’re WRONG! I do like this. This is really tasty!
The honeybush offers a very pleasing sweetness to this cup, it tastes nutty and sweet with a touch of honey-like goodness. The chamomile is light and floral … and it hasn’t been overdone in this blend. There is just enough. And the lemon myrtle provides a delicious lemony note without tasting too tart. It tastes herbaceous without tasting medicinal … and it is very calming.
This is perfect for one of those nights when you’re feeling restless and something in you just isn’t ready to wind down and relax … and you’ve GOT to get some rest! After sipping on this for a little while, I feel much more relaxed … and I feel that restless spirit settling … getting ready to rest.
A really delightful, soothing blend.
Cherry and Almond Rooibos from Trail Lodge Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tisane Description:
This is one of Trail Lodge Tea’s own blends.Tart cherries and slivered almonds are combined with a combination of rooibos and honeybush. Caffeine free. Ingredients: Fair Trade Certified TM organic rooibos, and honeybush, and dried cherries, sliced almonds, and organic natural flavor.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Cherry and Almond Rooibos from Trail Lodge Tea is really delicious! I’m loving this!
I’ve had a lot of flavored rooibos blends … and some I like better than others. One thing I’ve noticed is that almond flavor works very well with rooibos, I suspect this has something to do with the fact that rooibos has a natural nutty flavor to it, and when paired with almond flavoring … the sweet, nutty flavor really shines through nicely.
And when you add cherry flavor … this cuppa becomes sensational! I love the flavor of almond and cherry together … and the base of rooibos and honeybush works so well with these flavors. The end result is a cup of naturally caffeine free tisane that tastes sweet and nutty with just enough contrasting tart flavor from the cherry to keep the taste buds happy.
What I’m liking best about this is that the flavor of rooibos is not a strong, obvious flavor. I taste the nutty notes from the rooibos, but not that weird sweetness from the rooibos. I taste the warm honey notes from the honeybush, but not that sour wood note that sometimes comes with rooibos. This is just a warm, wonderful cup of yumminess!
A delightful tisane … great for any time of the day.