Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tisane Description:
A sweet, smooth honey-scented herbal tea, Honeybush is made up of the leaves, stems, and flowers of a bush native to South Africa. Honeybush provides a bit of a natural smoked flavor with a touch of a tart finish. It is caffeine-free, low in tannins and contains antioxidants, making it a delicious, healthy, and versatile beverage.
Ingredients: South African Honeybush Herbal Tea
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Save 25% off when you sign up for the Selection Club. Use the coupon code SISTERSELECTION25 when you join. This discount is applicable only to the monthly Selection Club subscription and not the retail selection of teas.
Taster’s Review:
It’s not very often that I have a cup of straight-up honeybush anymore. Usually, I’m tasting honeybush as part of a flavored blend. But as I sit here, sipping on this Honeybush from this month’s box from Simple Loose Leaf, I find that I’m quite enjoying this! I’m enjoying it a lot more than I expected to.
In fact, as I was brewing it, my attitude was kind of glib. I wasn’t all that excited about it. I mean, it’s not like I’ve not tried pure honeybush in the past.
But as I said, it’s been a while since the last time I had a cup of pure honeybush. I don’t know for sure how long it’s been, but it’s been long enough to where I’ve forgotten just how tasty a cup of straight-up honeybush tastes.
It’s sweet and honey-esque. Hence the name. There is a nutty note to it, and a slight woodsy tone. The description above suggests a “natural smoked flavor” and while I can’t say that I ever remember that smoky note in the past, I am noticing it now. It’s slightly toasty. It enhances the nutty flavors, so perhaps that’s why the smoky/toasty note was indistinguishable in the past because what was “smoky” or “toasty” was also “nutty.”
It’s a very soothing beverage, and because it’s naturally caffeine free, it’s one that you can drink later in the evening without worry that you’ll start bouncing off the walls from a caffeinated buzz. And while pure honeybush is not something that I keep on hand regularly, it sure is nice to have a cup of it every once in a while, and I have Simple Loose Leaf to thank for reminding me of that!
That’s one of the reasons that I absolutely LOVE the Selection Club tea box that arrives from Simple Loose Leaf in my mailbox every month. I get five sampler size packages of high quality loose leaf tea in every box. Each month, these five teas are different, and every month, the box is a new adventure. It’s so much fun to receive this box every month!
Fenouil Tisane from Les 2 Marmottes
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Les 2 Marmottes
Tisane Description:
Fennel, magical blend of flavors! Who can resist its sweet anise, its sweet and sugary notes? It is a symphony of flavors of the South, who said at first sip and do not easily forget. This is indeed the mark of a great deceiver.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I absolutely LOVE the aroma of this tea. Licorice! Love! The dry leaf has a stronger fragrance than the brewed liquid (not surprising) but they both smell absolutely amazing.
I steeped the bag at 195°F for 8 minutes and while it was steeping, I enjoyed the delightful licorice aroma that filled the kitchen. Fennel is not an herb that I usually keep in the kitchen, mostly because I’m the only person in this household that enjoys its sweet, licorice-y taste. I used to keep it on hand back when I was blending my own tea blends (it was one of the ingredients of my Masterpiece Chai blends), but since I closed my business, I haven’t had much need to keep it around anymore since, as I said, I’m the only one who really likes it here, and when I’m cooking, I’m cooking for more than just me.
So, it was a real treat to have this tea and enjoy the smell of fennel in the house again! Although, I have to admit that I have never actually had a cup of infused, 100% fennel before. I’ve had it in teas and tisanes as part of a blend before, but never have I consumed a 100% fennel infusion before.
But it’s really tasty! It tastes like black licorice, and since I’m a huge fan of black licorice, I’m loving every sip of this Fenouil Tisane from Les 2 Marmottes. It’s sweet – almost sugary sweet – and it doesn’t have quite as much sharpness or snap as the black licorice that I’m fond of generally has. This is a “softer” version of black licorice … black licorice’s sweeter younger sibling.
But it is very enjoyable. I found it to be very soothing – this would make a great tisane to reach for if you’ve an upset stomach. If you’re not particularly fond of the taste of black licorice, you probably won’t enjoy this either. But if you like black licorice, you’d really enjoy this tisane.
Organic Earl Grey Tea from Delicious Sip
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Delicious Sip
Tea Description:
One of our most popular teas and for good reason, it’s the go to classic that is always in style. Our bergamot infused Organic Earl Grey has a unique aroma that beckons for just one more sip.
This heavenly black tea is a treat that can be enjoyed anytime of the day and has been hailed by many as the “best they’ve ever had.” We invite you to treat yourself to a cup or two and decide for yourself. We think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Well, I don’t know that I’ll hail this Organic Earl Grey Tea from Delicious Sip as the best I’ve ever had. Then again, I’ve had a LOT of different Earl Grey teas and so there’s quite a bit of competition for that number 1 spot. But I will say this: It IS a really wonderful Earl Grey!
Whenever I’m about to brew a new-to-me Earl Grey tea, the first thing I’ve got to do is smell the dry leaf. Do I smell that bergamot? Yep! I can smell that distinctive bergamot essence, and it’s strong with this blend without being an overwhelming scent. It smells lovely, it smells like bergamot, and it’s a powerful aroma without smelling so strong that I’m worried that it’s been overdone. The brewed tea has a much softer fragrance. The bergamot is still distinctive and I can smell notes of the rich black tea base as well.
The flavor is is divine! The black tea base is a rich, full-flavored black tea. There is a fair amount of astringency to the cup. It’s earthy, strong and has a light undertone of sweetness that complements the tangy bergamot flavor. The bergamot has a tart, citrus-y note to it, with whispers of floral notes that weave their way in and out of the sip.
The sip starts out with a sweet note. As the sip progresses, the rich, robust black tea flavor washes over the palate. Shortly thereafter, I start to pick up on that unmistakable bergamot flavor: exotic and citrus-y, tangy, and just a hint of sweetness. The bergamot lingers into the finish. The finish is dry and I can feel a slight puckering on the inside of my cheeks from the astringency. The aftertaste sort of tingles on the tongue the same way as a tart, citrus drink might tingle.
A very enjoyable Earl Grey. I’m very happy that I got to try it, and if you’re a fan of Earl Grey teas like I am, I’d recommend you trying it as well, you might just find a new favorite to add to your tea collection!
Revenant Oolong Tea from Pelican Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Pelican Tea
Tea Description:
An earthy but delicate habanero-infused Seschung Oolong tea with organic mint and pan-toasted brown rice. This is a favorite when I’m not in the mood for something sweet, but definitely in the mood for… something*.
*Something in this case may be anything. Spooky.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Whoa! This one has got some kick to it! When I read the label and it said “Moderately Spicy,” I didn’t expect quite so much heat! Not that I’m unhappy with it, I like the spice level. But, for those of you who tend to be sensitive to spicy things, don’t be fooled by the word moderate. This one is warm.
But after the first two or three sips of WARM … the heat becomes more subdued (or maybe it’s just that the taste buds have adapted to the heat) and now it’s more like a pleasant warmth at the back of the throat. So, don’t let those first two or three sips scare you, once you get past that point, then you can sit back and really enjoy the complexity of this tea.
Because yes, it’s spicy, but, there’s so much more to this tea than just heat from the habanero pepper.
First, we have the roasted flavor of the Se Chung Oolong tea. The delicious roasty-toasty flavor melds beautifully with the pan-toasted rice, and the delicate smoky notes of the Se Chung accentuate the spice of the habanero. I love the way the roasty-toasty, the smoky and the spice taste together. It’s a well-conceived flavor combination.
Then there is the mint. Given how well the other three components – Oolong, rice and habanero – seem to work together, one might think that the mint is a bit out of place in this blend. But, I like the touch of mint. Mint can often become a bit too aggressive in a blend and wind up giving off a toothpaste-y sort of taste, but, that didn’t happen here. The mint is strong enough to be tasted but not so strong that it overpowers the other flavors. Instead, what it does here is come in to offer a cooling, crisp note to the warm, toasty and smokin’ flavors of the other ingredients. It’s an interesting and creative contrast to the warm flavors.
Since this IS an Oolong, I decided to take it for another infusion. The second infusion was – surprisingly – a little spicier than the first. This surprised me; I expected the heat to wane a little with the second infusion. The roasted and smoky notes of the Oolong as well as the toasty rice notes seemed to soften somewhat. I think I preferred the balance of the toasty, smoky and spicy notes of the first cup over this, where it seems that the fiery notes of the habanero are stronger than the flavors of the Oolong and rice. It’s still delicious, just different.
The mint is a little stronger in this second infusion too, so with this cup, there is more balance between the mint and habanero flavors rather than with the warmer notes. It’s more like a balance between the crisp, refreshing notes of mint and the peppery heat. Still a tasty cup of tea, and certainly worth the resteep!
This is a really fascinating blend from Pelican Tea!
Cumulus Green Tea from Pelican Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Pelican Tea
Tea Description:
Cumulus. A light, contemplative brew of gently habanero-infused Pinhead Gunpowder green tea, organic peppermint and spicy cinnamon.
Yeah. We also like the sound of that.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love the aroma of this Cumulus Green Tea from Pelican Tea! The dry leaf has a warm fragrance from the cinnamon and habanero, but there is also a crisp, exhilarating note from the peppermint and a slightly fruity note … which I originally thought must be from the green tea, although I don’t usually smell “fruit” when I smell a gunpowder green tea, so I guess that the fruit note I smell could also be from the habanero, which is technically a berry, right?
Once brewed, I smell cinnamon and peppermint primarily, with background notes of habanero and green tea. It smells zesty, warm and inviting.
Mmm! This is really good! All the flavors have a really nice balance and each note seems to meld in a really harmonious way with the other notes. It is one of the more “fluid” tasting teas – that is to say, everything just sort of moves along in a very smooth, effortless, seamless way.
The sip starts out with the cinnamon and peppermint and these two notes are pretty well paired – they aren’t competing with one another, and they aren’t overpowering flavors. This doesn’t taste too minty or too cinnamon-y.
Next comes a very soft wave of heat from the habanero. The warmth of the habanero sort of builds on the back of the palate, but it never becomes a really strong flavor. It’s just a gentle sort of warmth. If I slurp the tea, I notice more habanero notes, but, even then, it isn’t a bold peppery flavor.
The notes of the gunpowder green are ever present in the sip, sitting there, in the middle of things, offering its sweet flavor and light lushness of green tea notes. There is a hint of smokiness to this too that is off in the background, and this marries especially well with the cinnamon flavor.
A really good tea. If the idea of a habanero infused tea is a little intimidating to you, I recommend starting with a tea like this one because it’s “gently infused” with the habanero, and that gentle infusion allows for enjoyment of the pepper without too much of the spice.
I’m really happy I got to try this one!