Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tisane Description:
This is one of the most original takes on Earl Grey tea available, Honeybush Earl Grey, takes the classic taste and puts it with a honeybush based tea instead of the traditional black tea. True to its name, this is one sweet tea that takes the addition of bergamot orange perfectly for a fruity and sweet cup of tea that is sure to please any palate. Made with only premium South African honeybush tea and true bergamot the taste is a distinct Earl Grey that will become a staple in your day. Perfect for a treat, or to satisfy the sweet tooth of the sugar lover in your home.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This is definitely one of the most unusual variations of the classic Earl Grey I’ve yet to try, and it is no surprise to me that it comes from Red Leaf Tea, as they have the largest collection of Earl Grey teas I’ve seen from a tea purveyor. This delights me because not only am I a big fan of Earl Grey tea, but, also, when I was just starting out in the tea business I wanted to have a vast Earl Grey collection.
Unfortunately, I did not succeed in that quest, mainly because it is quite difficult to blend Earl Grey! It is one of the trickier flavors to perfect for many reasons: not only is the quality of flavoring important, but also, the amount of flavoring is key … too much bergamot, and you’ll wind up with a tea that tastes like your grandfather’s aftershave, and too little and well, it’s not flavorful enough. So when I come across a tea purveyor that has got it right, I’m impressed.
And this Honeybush Earl Grey from Red Leaf Tea is very well done, indeed. The dry leaf aroma smells of honey, citrus and even a hint of flower. The fragrance is really quite lovely. The infusion smells like a mellower version of the dry leaf.
Wow! This tastes amazing. The honeybush offers its usual honey-like sweetness to the cup, and also brings a somewhat herbaceous flavor and a nutty note to the party. The bergamot is less floral than the aroma suggests, and it is less sharp than a classic black tea Earl Grey might be. It has a zesty citrus tone to it, and it tastes bright and tangy.
This is a refreshing change from the traditional Earl Grey, and it’s really nice to be able to enjoy Earl Grey later in the evening, when I usually have to limit my caffeine intake. This tisane allows me to have my Earl Grey and drink it too!
Chocolate Raspberry Honeybush from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Ingredients: Honeybush, organic cacao nibs, freeze-dried raspberries, natural flavors.
This tisane is part of the Box of Chocolates sampler.
Taster’s Review:
I have really been enjoying the chocolate teas and tisanes that came in my Box of Chocolate samplers. This is the third of six new-to-me chocolate teas in the box, and the only naturally caffeine-free selection.
When served piping hot, I find that the flavors of this are a little muddled, but when allowed to cool slightly (to a drinkable temperature, but it’s still hot), the flavors begin to pop. So, if with your first sip or two, you find that you’re not tasting much chocolate or raspberry flavor, give it a few minutes to cool down, and I think you’ll find the flavor begins to come alive.
What I’m discovering with this cup is that the flavors seem to weave their way in and out … with one sip, I notice a stronger raspberry flavor, and the next sip, the chocolate is more pronounced. The raspberry tastes sweet and juicy, with a berry tartness that emerges in the aftertaste. The chocolate has that deep, rich cacao kind of flavor.
The honeybush is nutty and sweet, and as I mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago, the flavor of the honeybush is strongest with those first couple of “hot” sips, and as I make my way toward mid-cup, the flavors become more balanced. This one gets a thumbs up from me!
Krueger’s Kiss Custom Blend from Adagio Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tisane Description:
Freddy’s a little creepy, goofy, and nutty – kind of like this blend of Honeybush and Rooibos Flavors.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Over the past week or so, I’ve been trying to focus on some teas that could be considered “romantic” Valentine’s teas. While I don’t think that I’d want to kiss Mr. Krueger, this custom blend created by my SororiTea Sister, Jennifer aka TeaEqualsBliss, is a delicious alternative to going mouth-to-mouth with Freddy. It is a blend of Adagio’s honeybush orange, rooibos cinnamon apple, and rooibos almond.
While I am not always particularly fond of rooibos, I do like the combination of rooibos and honeybush together. Somehow, when blended together, the honeybush softens the tames funky tasting rooibos. The two taste better together than individually, in my opinion.
The orange flavor is the most distinct note in this cup, but it doesn’t overwhelm. It is complemented by the apple, which softens the tangy citrus notes, and lends a very smooth sweetness to the cup.
The background is nutty and has a hint of woody undertones. The nutty flavor is further accentuated by the almond flavor. While it is not a particularly strong note, the cinnamon gives the overall cup some interest and depth.
A tasty tisane that can be enjoyed any time of day!
Raspberry Banana Honeybush from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
For this week, we’ve decided to create a new honeybush blend, this time a fusion of raspberries and bananas with real freeze dried raspberries and banana slices and natural flavors. It’s a great fusion of sweet and creamy, tart and smooth. Of course, it’s also caffeine- and calorie-free!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
OK, the moment I tore open this pouch, I knew I was in for a treat. It smells AMAZING and tells of the banana raspberry yumminess inside. As I scooped out the tisane into my Breville, I saw tiny bits of freeze-dried raspberries and big slices of freeze-dried bananas. YUM! Now the hard part… waiting! I typically steep honeybush blends for 10 full minutes to extract as much flavor as possible. And while it’s difficult to wait for 10 minutes sometimes, my patience is usually rewarded.
Wowza! This is very flavorful. My first reaction was “this reminds me of a smoothie, only hot,” which tells me that this is going to be amazing iced.
The honeybush is sweet and slightly nutty and offers a delicious background for the flavors of banana and raspberry. The raspberry is sweet yet tart, and what I like best is how the banana flavor really mellows everything out and makes it all taste remarkably smooth and sweet and very yummy. Very fruity and sweet, but just enough tangy flavor and nutty notes in there to keep it balanced and from tasting too much like an overly sweet kid’s drink (although, I’m pretty sure kids would love this too).
It looks like there are only 2 pouches of this tea left in stock, so, if the idea of juicy raspberry and sweet banana flavor appeals to you … you should definitely not wait any longer to order some for yourself! This one’s going to be GONE soon!
On The Eleventh Day of Christmas, 52Teas Sent To Me …
It’s Christmas Eve! Wow! I can’t believe I’m almost finished with my sampler box. I did enjoy it, though. It was fun to revisit these wonderful teas. And I am very excited to find out what tea Frank came up with for tomorrow!
For the most part, I have not been surprised by any of the teas that 52Teas put in this box. Frank made really good choices, choosing some of the best teas that he crafted over the past year or so. I do wish that the Gingerbread Chai was a part of this box, but I do understand why it wasn’t (since it was the Christmas Day sampler last year). It would have also been incredibly cool to find my Tomato, Basil and Black Pepper tea in this box. And since there was one or two blends that I haven’t tried over the last year or so, I wish that those were part of this box, only because I would have liked to have tried them.
But, besides these few minor details, this box has been a real winner with me. And today’s tea comes as no surprise to me, because this was definitely a hot seller. So, for the eleventh tea of Christmas, it’s …
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Frank has a way with honeybush. I may not always love other blends he creates, but, usually, his honeybush blends are absolutely amazing.
This Cinnamon Roll Honeybush is a dieter’s dream, because it has the flavor of a freshly baked cinnamon roll without the fat and calories.
I reviewed this tisane in September, and I am really glad that this was in the sampler box, because I’ve finished my pouch of this already. It’s so good, and it’s nice to revisit it. I hope that Frank will eventually make this tisane part of his Sweet Honeybush line, but until then, you can visit the in-stock page as Frank is reviving all the teas that he’s featured in this sampler. If you haven’t tried this one yet, you really should!