Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Nothing But Tea
Tea Description:
Honeybush is gaining a lot of attention at the moment for its benefits. This blend sees honeybush blended with strawberrys, kiwi, elderberry, passionfruit and rosehip for a new take on the fruit infusion.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Hello fellow tea lovers.
Today I’m reviewing this Honeybush Malaika which I have to admit that I have not had a lot of Honeybush tea compared to the likes of Rooibos. So if you’ve heard of it but don’t really know what it is or much information about it then hopefully this will help.
Some brief information on Honeybush: The name of this plant is Cyclopia but it is better known as Honeybush purely because it’s flowers smell sweet like honey. While Cyclopia is one plant it has many different cultivars, all of which originate across South Africa. Technically speaking Honeybush is not a tea but a tisane and considering this; is also low in tannin. Similar to Rooibos in flavour but Honeybush is considered to be sweeter and with a fuller body, though similarly it is also caffeine free.
Comparing it to Rooibos is interesting as I don’t usually like Rooibos but the few Honeybush I’ve had I loved. Rooibos has a chemical flavour (at least in my opinion) and that tends to overpower any flavours added to it. Honeybush does not have that issue and while it is perhaps a little sweeter I find it does not dominate additional flavours but rather enhances them.
Back to this tea in hand. I received a sample pack of 10g from NBT a while ago as an exclusive pre-release taster before it was launched on the site. Now it’s up for sale I decided the best thing for me to do was ice it to try and get the most flavour from it. So for two days I have had 10g of this blend steeping in my fridge using 1litre of water. Coldsteeping is much softer and keeps delicate tones, it’s my preferred method of icing tea/tisanes.
I haven’t mentioned much about the look or scent of the blend but honestly there was not much to it. The blend looked floral and multi coloured which bared a subtly sweet yet herbal scent. The fruit was too delicate for me to really say much about it and I decided to let it’s flavour speak instead. So I waited for the outcome with enough time to thicken with flavour.
Today is the morning I try this and the resulting liquid is a light brown/orange colour with a delicious sweet, fruit scent. Particularly like apple and strawberry with honey. A real contrast to it’s unsteeped scent. It’s flavour is just as wonderful! Sweet honeyed fruits with a touch of floral after tones that leave my mouth feeling sweet and refreshed. The fruit tones are mixed but notable berry with a touch of sourness with an exotic fruit affair behind them.
Honestly this tisane gave me a lot more pleasure than I thought it would and I’m happy to say this Honeybush blend is a winner. I don’t think I would have liked this if it was a Rooibos base and the Honeybush really does make this blend stand out.
Until next time,
Happy Steeping!
Marrakech Mint from Blackbird Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Blackbird Tea Co website or Blackbird Tea Co Etsy Store
Tea Description:
If you’ve ever been to Morocco, you know the pleasure of drinking green tea with mint and ample amounts of sugar after dinner, or really, just about anytime. Our blend of loose leaf gunpowder green tea, peppermint and spearmint will help your meal settle – and the bonus? Fresh breath.
Brewing Instructions – Using water that hasn’t quite yet boiled (about 180 degrees Fahrenheit), steep 1 teaspoon of tea per 8 oz. of water for 2-3 minutes. Enjoy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am exhausted right now so I wanted a tea that was both refreshing and invigorating. I thought maybe a mint tea would do the job so I grabbed for a tea from a company I didn’t know about until recently.
Blackbird Tea Co has a presence both on Etsy and with their own website. They have a gorgeous website. Simple but beautiful. I love how the pictures of the tea are not over done and they let their sleep package do the talking. I was sold from the moment I saw their slick canisters.
Since this is a green tea, I just used the water for our coffee machine here at work and popped the tea into the water. As I sat waiting for the tea to steep, I enjoyed the delicious mint aroma I could smell. I felt that bit of pep that I was looking for.
Let this steep for about 3 minutes and took my first sip. This tea delivered on the taste I was looking for. Brisk green tea with a soothing refreshing mint that really invigorates your senses. Green tea with mint is a pretty simple tea but it has to be done right. Sometimes the mint can really overwhelm the tea or go the opposite way and be hardly noticeable. That is not the case with this blend. The peppermint and spearmint play nicely together in my cuppa and the green tea provides that smooth delicate feel with hints of a roasted flavor in every other sip or so. Very nicely done.
This tea gave me exactly what I need today. Just a bit of pep with a gorgeous mint background. I’m excited to try this as a mint iced tea. I’m thinking this would be a marvelous prepared that way. I do have a favorite Marrakech Mint from Tealated that I adore but this one is right there along with that blend. All the different aspects are just so fantastically present and not one flavor controls the flavor. I hope all the Blackbird Tea Co teas are this fantastic!
Cinnamon Isle from Paper Box Goodies
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Paper Box Goodies
Tea Description:
This Oolong is a spicy trip to the tropics, with hibiscus, passionflower, and cinnamon (duh) all coming together to whisk you away. Oolong tea steeps for 3 minutes, and is known to boost your metabolism.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am such a fan of Paper Box Goodies. Leslie@Paper Box Goodies creates such a fantastic no fuss kind of tea. Her attention to detail isn’t lost on the no fuss packaging she offers either. Each tag on the tea bag is beautifully done and she even includes a gorgeous shrinky dink tag with each one that I have been saving to make earrings out of one day./
This particular tea is an oolong, a cinnamon oolong, a different take on oolongs that I’ve had in the past. I prepped this up in my One Touch Breville and let it steep 3 minutes like the tag says.
I let this cool for a few minutes and took a drink. Sweet roasted oolong goodness with a spicy cinnamon lingering taste. Like I said, Paper Box Goodies packs a fantastic flavor for having such a no fuss tea appearance. I really enjoyed this tea. Each sip I was giving the same fantastic flavor. Sweet and spicy with an oolong twist.
I’ve come to love the teas Paper Box Goodies has to offer and have come to learn that the teas they offer will always be delicious. These teas are perfect for work. I swear if I hadn’t known better I would have thought these were loose leaf teas. I’m just not used to tea bags having this much flavor. There have been a few here and there, but Paper Box Goodies has some of the best bagged tea out there.
This may not be my favorite of their offerings but I am still really enjoying it.