Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Summer-time is HERE! And it’s a great time to relax with an icy tumbler full of our latest Tea of the Week.
Here’s a blend of caffeine-free honeybush and fat freeze-dried strawberries with organic flavors of strawberry, rum, lemon and lime.
If an icy tumbler of this doesn’t put a smile on your lips, you might want to check your pulse.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Summertime is almost over. Even though it’s not quite autumn in these parts … another week or two and it will be! We’re already getting the crisper, cooler weather and even some rain! And I’m happy about that because autumn is my favorite time of year.
This Strawberry Daiquiri Flavored Honeybush from 52Teas is very summer-like with its fresh, juicy strawberry taste … and it’s letting me enjoy some of the best of what summer is about without having to endure the hot weather right now.
I taste a little bit of rum-like flavor to this. The strawberry is the strongest flavor, and that’s quite alright with this strawberry fan! The lemon and lime compliment the strawberry nicely – adding not too tart a taste to the cup … just a little something that really perks up the flavors and brightens the overall taste.
The nutty sweet notes of Honeybush are also discernible here, but I don’t taste a lot of Honeybush flavor here. It’s not completely masked by the other flavors … there’s just enough there to remind you that you’re drinking a honeybush tisane and not a warm Daiquiri. (Well, I’m drinking it warm … although it would be very delicious iced too! I think I’m going to have to brew some of this for my iced tea tomorrow!)
Another well-crafted blend from 52Teas.
And while I’ve got your attention, I wanted to tell you that the creator of 52Teas – Frank – is trying to re-open his tea bar in Wichita, Kansas … but he needs OUR help! Please consider visiting Indiegogo and donating to the cause! And … there are lots of different perks offered for donating, too!
Poppy Fields Tisane from Indie Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi & Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tisane Description:
Tastes like jujubes
Sweet aroma of berries, apple and chamomile. Slightly sweet on the tongue, lightly minty with a tart finish. This tea is full-bodied and rich. Sip this tea and it will calm your body and relax your mind. ahhhhh.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
So, I’m a bit behind on my Amoda Tea reviews! This Poppy Fields Tisane from Indie Tea came in my July Tea Tasting Box, but, I’m just now getting around to reviewing it. What can I say, when it comes to tisanes … I always seem to be reluctant to try it!
But this is one of the prettiest teas I’ve seen in a long time! Big flower buds of chamomile, poppy and rose. And BONUS: No Hibiscus! Yay!
I was excited to see Tulsi as one of the ingredients in this tea (here, it was called “holy basil”) because I have enjoyed the tisanes with Tulsi that I’ve tried. I like the herbaceous, slightly minty, slightly spicy taste that Tulsi brings to a tisane.
In this tisane, the Tulsi offers subtle hints of the minty basil tones which are especially noticeable in the finish. I’m noticing more of a peppery warmth during the sip from the Tulsi than the cooling mint taste. But I like the way the Tulsi comes through in this blend, because there is a strong fruity character to this cup, and the spice gives it some added interest and depth.
The description from Amoda Tea suggests that this tastes like Jujubes … and I don’t know that what I’m tasting is Jujubes. I’ll be honest and mention though, that I’ve not had Jujubes since I was young. They were never really a favorite candy of mine (I didn’t like the way they stuck to my teeth). But I did like their bright, fruity taste, and while this tisane does have a fruity taste to it, I can’t say that this reminds me of that candy.
But it is sweet with lots of fruit notes: apple, orange, and hints of lemon. I don’t really taste a lot of ‘berry’ as mentioned in the description by Amoda, but, I do notice the tartness that lingers in the aftertaste. Given the sheer number of flowers in this blend, I did expect it to taste more floral than it does. It does certainly present a floral note to the palate, but, it’s a smooth, subdued floral taste rather than the sharpness that I often associate with floral tones.
Then again, everything about this particular blend is very calm and relaxed. The flavor is gentle and mild. It is a really tasty tisane … certainly better than I expected it to be given my hesitancy to actually try it. I like the fruity overtones, I like that it doesn’t taste overly herbaceous or medicinal, and I like that there is a pleasant warm yet sweet taste to it … without adding sugar.
As I mentioned in my review of The Road To Hana (also from Indie Tea) – a tea that also came from my Amoda Tea Box for July – I have already tasted and reviewed the third tea that came in my box: Lover’s Lane. I was really happy to see that Amoda Tea focused in on Indie Tea, because they are a company that I really like. They are a fun company with a youthful vibe … I like the jovial attitude they give their teas!
So this tea review gets me all caught up with my July reviews for Amoda Tea … and a good thing too, because I have August’s box waiting for me! I can’t wait to try the teas in that box from their featured blender: Tea Xotics … a company I’ve not yet tried! Yay!
Slumbering Slope Tisane from Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Description:
Ingredients: Chamomile, Skullcap, Catnip, Spearmint, Rose, licorice
This is a simple blend to help calm the body at the end of the day. My sister grew the catnip for this blend. The skullcap and chamomile come from farms in Oregon. I like to use a variety of mild relaxants when I make any evening teas because everyone has a really specific combination of tensions in their body. Some folks hold tension in thoughts, others in their muscles.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about subscribing to Bird’s Eye Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I put off trying this Slumbering Slope Tisane from Bird’s Eye Tea for a while … and the reason is chamomile. I don’t dislike chamomile (although at one time I did dislike it) but, it’s also not my favorite herb. And … I usually only prepare a chamomile tisane later in the evening, when I want to start getting ready for rest because chamomile does have that relaxing effect. Actually, it makes me sleepy. But, usually, when I’m getting ready for bed, I’m not really thinking about preparing a tisane … although I think I should get myself into that habit.
And this would be a great tisane with which to get into that kind of habit! This is a tasty tisane. The chamomile is the strongest flavor, followed by the spearmint. I like that the spearmint is there to add a nice minty tone to the taste, but, it isn’t an overpowering taste, as I think a stronger minty flavor would be a bit more invigorating than it should be for a blend like this.
I can taste the rose, and again, I like that this is a soft, sweet rose note. The licorice is faint, but, it adds a hint of sweetness and an interesting contrast without coming off too zesty.
Everything about this blend is calm and soothing. It is a very relaxing blend that is not too medicinal or herbaceous tasting, and not overly sweet. It has a pleasant, easy to drink flavor. I like it.
In The Mood Herbal Tisane from Hari Tea (Shoti Maa)
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Hari Tea
Tisane Description:
We appreciate the magic of the moment and celebrate that what is gives us and the world.
This tea stimulates your senses from the first sip and awakens your awareness of how nice it is to be alive: Orange treats with sweet, Hibiscus promises romance, pepper makes you awake for the adventure of the moment.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
So, hibiscus is supposed to be an aphrodisiac? That’s what I’m getting from the above description (taken from the Hari Tea website). If so, this is something I did not know about the herb.
It doesn’t make me like hibiscus any better.
This In the Mood Herbal Tisane from Hari Tea (Shoti Maa) has a bit too much hibiscus for my liking. What saves it for me is the notes of orange and the spice. The spicy notes, especially, help keep the cup interesting and detracts the palate from feeling inundated by the thickness of the hibiscus infusion. The spice also keeps the cup from being too tart. As it is, it’s drinkable for me, but, I can’t say that this is my favorite beverage.
It’s alright though. The orange gives it a little bit of sweetness, and a juicy taste – it tastes almost like there’s a couple of drops of freshly squeezed orange in this. I like that. I am wishing I could taste more of the other spices that are in this blend, particularly, I’d love to taste more of the licorice (or liquorice) and the cardamom. Every once in a while, I’ll notice a note pass my palate that I’ll think … “oh there it is!” but, then it disappears as quickly as it appears.
Overall, this wasn’t horrible. But, I don’t think it put me in the mood for anything other than a desire for some black licorice.
Mango Watermelon Honeybush Tisane from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
On to the tea: it’s one of our awesome caffeine-free honeybush blends, a sweet refreshing blend of organic watermelon and mango flavors with real freeze-dried mango. This is pure, sweet nectar. I’m sure it’s good hot too, but as an iced tea it is a thing of true beauty, just pure refreshment.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy! This Mango Watermelon Honeybush Tisane from 52Teas is so yummy! I was pretty sure I’d like it, I mean, I love mango, I love watermelon … and I like honeybush … so I had every confidence that I’d enjoy this tisane.
The mango and the watermelon are really quite nicely suited for one another. I can taste both of these fruits, and they are sweet. The watermelon flavor here reminds me of the taste of watermelon candy, and the mango reminds me of the mango nectar that you can buy in the cans in the fruit juice aisle. It is juicy and refreshing!
And even though honeybush tends to be sweet (hence the name) it does seem to cut through some of the sweeter “candy-like” notes here, adding some earthiness and a nutty flavor to the cup, and creating a nice, round taste.
Overall, this is a winner – one that will be great iced and one that kids as well as adults can enjoy (and it’s naturally caffeine-free so you don’t have to worry about overstimulating the kids!)