Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tisane Description:
Don’t let the name fool you, this guayusa is subtle and calming but it is deceptive in its high caffeine content which creates a relaxed yet alert feeling. Lavender, mint, and vanilla are well balanced and come together for a light and earthy treat. Add a little sugar and the flavors come to life. The creamy vanilla, gentle mint, and relaxing lavender mingle and fight for attention but ultimately the vanilla is the strongest. This guayusa was inspired by a song that we adore, The Killer’s Vanilla by Amon Tobin, one of our favorite artists to listen to while blending tea. For more information on the naming of this guayusa check out our blog .
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
To the eye, this doesn’t really look all that special. It looks like most other Guayusa tisanes that I’ve seen.
To the nose, it smells like creamy vanilla with a earthy overtone and a distant note of mint … and an even more subtle hint of flower. So subtle, in fact, that it is difficult to discern that what I’m smelling is lavender (one of my favorite florals, especially when it comes to tea!) This tisane actually smells a little weird … but in a very intriguing kind of way.
To the tongue, this tastes really good! It is interesting and different with every sip. In one sip, I’ll notice a strong vanilla note, and in the next, I’ll notice the rich earthiness of the guayusa and notes of mint. Then in the next sip, I’ll notice the lavender as the prominent taste. I love that it seems to change with every sip … offering me different flavors to explore.
The guayusa has less of a vegetative taste than the aroma would lead me to believe, it tastes more earthy … imagine pouring half a cup of coffee and topping off the cup with yerba mate, and then you added the essences of vanilla, mint and lavender … this sort of tastes the way I’d imagine that cup would taste. There’s lots of flavor to enjoy here!
I love this tisane … and while this cup has been a complete surprise from start to finish, one thing that doesn’t surprise me is that I do love this. Butiki Teas never fails to impress me, and it seems like I fall in love all over again with each new cup I try from this company.
French Blend from New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green Tea Blend
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Description:
This French blend has a bright coppery colour, and Ooh-la-la floral notes from ‘crème de la vanille’, Jasmine and Lavender deliciously blended with flavorful Ceylons, pungent Assams and malty Kenyas. Truly a unique and wonderful tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I mentioned in one of my reviews for the 12 Days of Christmas countdown with Della Terra Teas, I also hosted a swap on Steepster using the 12 Days of Christmas theme. Basically, participants were to select a tea that would seem inspired by the lyrics of the song, The 12 Days of Christmas. I got Day 3: Three French Hens, and this is one of three teas that I selected to send out to the participants of this swap. (The participants didn’t have to send more than one tea, I chose three teas for a couple of reasons, 1) I couldn’t narrow down my choices to just one, and 2) since I had day three, I thought three teas just seemed to work within that theme … I sent them three “French” teas.)
And as I mentioned above, this is one of the three teas I selected. I chose this tea for a couple of reasons, first, the tea had a blended base of green and black teas, and since the other two teas I was selecting both had black tea bases, I thought the green tea would offer a bit of variation from the others. Second, I wanted a blend with lavender in it, and this tea has it. Third, I like the fact that there are other floral notes to this tea – specifically, jasmine and rose.
I am really happy with this choice. Since it was both a black and a green tea, I chose a lower water temperature (180°F) and steeped it for three minutes. The first couple of sips were rather astringent, but after allowing the cup to cool a couple of minutes, I found that the astringency waned. There is still some dry astringency to this, but it is actually quite nice, as it seems to cleanse the palate a bit.
This is a beautifully floral tea. It is exotically sweet with the notes of jasmine, rose and lavender, and there is a underlying creaminess to it too thanks to the vanilla tones. The base of black and green teas seems to be a goo choice for this blend, the black tea offers a bit of earthiness and a pleasantly rich flavor with hints of malt and even the faintest wine-like quality, while the green tea lightens the cup a bit so that the black tea doesn’t taste too heavy nor does it overwhelm the flavors of the flowers … or the vanilla for that matter.
A very enjoyable cup. I like the way everything is balanced. I can taste each element of this tea: I taste the black and the green tea, and that doesn’t always happen with blended teas such as this; I taste the vanilla, the jasmine, the rose, and of course, the lavender. These floral elements meld together so nicely, they don’t seem to compete with one another, instead, they work together to create a very luxurious tasting cup … like something you might sip at a French cafe while taking in the scenery.
Talk To Me from Hari Tea (Shoti Maa)
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Hari Tea
Tisane Description:
It’s no secret that the mental stress of modern life affects us. How can we avoid this unwanted guest? Sometimes we can’t. But maybe with a little comfort, we can maintain calmness. Here is a big comfort – Shoti Maa Tea. Each of the varieties is formulated to comfort your senses in different ways. Traditional and not-so-traditional herbs and spices are blended to give you an experience of meditative well-being. And perhaps the biggest comfort of all: Shoti Maa teas are simply delicious. One sample of the heady aroma and taste tells the story.
Note: This tea is part of the Shoti Maa line of tisanes from Hari Tea.
Taster’s Review:
Well, after reading such a lovely description, I would have liked to have been as equally as eloquent and complimentary about this tisane as they are about the product. Unfortunately, I can’t.
That is not to say that this is a bad tisane, it’s not bad at all, but, it just doesn’t taste or smell – in the opinion of this taster – as good as the description sounds to me.
The aroma is herbal in a medicinal kind of way, which was a little disappointing as I had hoped for a stronger lavender scent. As it is, I can barely discern the lavender, smelling mostly the licorice. Now, I like licorice, as anyone who has read very many of my reviews can attest. It’s certainly a favorite flavor of mine. However, for some reason, it just isn’t working for me in this blend.
The taste is a strong licorice flavor, and something about the way that it unites with the cardamom and lavender just isn’t really knocking my socks off. It’s not a bad flavor, but, it is strongly spiced/herbaceous, again, in a medicinal sort of way. I find myself wishing that the flavor had a stronger mint note or even a stronger lavender note. Perhaps even a stronger cardamom flavor might work. But, as it is, the strong licorice really overwhelms just about everything else, and the supporting herbs and spices seem to accent the licorice in all the wrong places.
On the up side, I do find that sipping this is incredibly soothing to my throat – suggesting to me that this would be a good tisane to have on hand if one is feeling under the weather and wanted something to help relieve an itchy, achy sore throat. And I find it does help calm and relax me.
And it isn’t a terrible tisane, I just find myself wishing it could be so much more than it is. I find myself wanting more from it, and as it is, it just seems to fall short of the mark. I would love to hear other people’s thoughts on this herbal, so if you’ve tried it, please do comment and tell me what you thought!
Lavender Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Lavender Matcha’s delectable taste is unforgettable because of its hint of mysterious origins. This special Matcha is quite enjoyable in many dressings, sauces and favorite deserts. This gives them the added flavor and color to differentiate them from refreshment offerings of similar treats. Lavender Matcha is a rare treat that marks the subtle floral differences in many fine dishes. It is the kitchen’s aromatic friend.
Learn more about this Lavender flavored Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I love lavender! I love floral teas anyway, but lavender is one of my favorite floral tastes in a tea. So I was excited to try this Lavender Matcha.
For this particular Matcha, I went against my “usual” go-to ordering specifications, and ordered the basic/starter Matcha with a delicate level of flavoring. I do love lavender, but with floral tastes, if the floral note is too strong in the tea, it ends up tasting more like soap or Aunt Hilda’s perfume than it does tea. And I want tea in my chawan … not soap!
Oh wow! It SMELLS so good! When I cut open the pouch and started scooping the matcha into my sifter, the beautiful fragrance of lavender filled my nostrils and the entire room! Wow! Such a wonderful aroma! It is so strong though, that I worried that it might be TOO strong … that the lavender might be too strongly flavored and end up tasting a bit like soap rather than like a delicately flavored Matcha as I intended.
Lavender is typically a flower/scent that is used to help enhance a sense of calm and relaxation, and is often used in night time blends to help encourage a good night’s rest. So I thought that a combination of lavender and Matcha would be interesting (for lack of a better word to use) since I find Matcha to be very invigorating. With the calming quality of lavender, and the stimulating quality of Matcha, does it just sort of even out … offering maybe a state of relaxed invigoration? These are the things that I ponder as I wait for the kettle to heat my water.
And even though I did worry about the level of flavoring, I think that the delicate flavoring is just PERFECT. At least for me, as a lover of lavender, it’s perfect. It tastes strongly of lavender, but, it doesn’t taste soapy. It tastes like lavender and Matcha!
The Matcha seems to take on an entirely different taste with the lavender … it still has it’s vegetative taste, but it somehow tastes fresher … slightly grassy but in a fresh, sweet spring grass kind of way. It tastes sweeter. I usually state a bittersweet kind of flavor from the Matcha, but I don’t taste that here. It just tastes SWEET. Beautifully, deliciously sweet.
And the lavender has a sharpness to it that really seems to perk up the palate in a unique way that I find refreshing. And I do feel that sense of calm from the lavender, but I also feel the invigorating power of the Matcha … it is really nice and quite a beautiful way to enjoy Matcha. I think I might get some ingredients to make ice cream soon and try THIS matcha as an ice cream! I’ll be sure to keep you posted on that!
Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot – be sure to check out the coupon code featured just after this review for a limited time offer on this tea!
Tea Description:
Pink Rose Lemonade is a swirling collage of flowers with a hint of lemon and wintergreen. Like a fancy floral confection, this delicately handcrafted tea will refresh and soothe your palate. Pink Rose Lemonade is totally guilt-free, as it has no caffeine and is naturally sweet. Lemon, rose, mint, chamomile, and lavender spring to life in this absolutely fabulous herbal tea. Pink Rose Lemonade tastes distinctively wonderful brewed hot or cold.
Learn more about this caffeine free tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Along with my Steep & Go, I received three samples of teas that go well using this cold-brew device: Boulder Blues, Climber’s High, and this tisane. Of those three, this one is my favorite to use in the Steep & Go. This was really surprising to me, because, I tend to avoid chamomile blends. I don’t dislike chamomile, but I don’t really like it either. However, the combination of ingredients in this herbal tisane works together so well, especially when cold-brewed in the Steep & Go.
It’s also quite good when hot-brewed and served warm just before bedtime. I especially like the aroma of the hot-brewed tisane. It smells so beautiful – I can smell the rose and the lavender and the combination of the two flowers is absolutely enchanting.
And it tastes pleasant too! The lavender and chamomile are very relaxing, and I find it tremendously soothing especially after a busy day. The flavors are sweet and lemony, with a foreground of floral notes and a background note of mint. The mint is not nearly as strong as I thought it might be, as mint tends to be a rather aggressive herb. Here, it takes the back seat and allows the other flavors to express themselves in a tasty and calming way.
But as I mentioned above, I really prefer this tea when cold-brewed using the Steep & Go. I recommend allowing this to steep at least ten minutes, but it really gets good the longer you let it steep. I found that after about a half an hour, the flavor was just perfect: light and thirst-quenching. I found that the bright, lemony notes were very refreshing, the hint of mint brought a cool, crispness to the taste and the floral tones added a pleasing contrast. It was pleasantly sweet without sweetener – this is the perfect on-the-go beverage.
To be honest, when The Tea Spot sent me this tea to try with the Steep & Go, I had my doubts… I guess I come from the school of thought that believes that the best flavor can be achieved through hot brewing a tea … but I am coming around to the whole idea of cold-brew after trying this tisane cold-brewed! This one made a believer out of me!
Special, Limited-Time Offer: Now through October 14, you can save 15% on your purchase of this Pink Rose Lemonade from the Tea Spot! Just put the Pink Rose Lemonade in your shopping cart, and use the coupon code sororitearose at checkout, and enjoy your savings … and the tea!