Herbal tea can be a great before-bed comfort, especially as the weather gets cooler. Composed of sweet and savory herbs and naturally caffeine-free, it’s hard to go wrong. Usually, my one complaint with herbal tea is that the flavor is mild or too delicate, but wow! Was I proven wrong on this blend! The lavender is so fresh, fragrant, and plentiful– it all but knocked me over when I first got a whiff of the dry leaf. This is a tea with simple but powerful ingredients, each one vibrant and visible in the blend.
The health benefits of these herbs are all the positive usual suspects: lavender and chamomile for relaxation, rose hips for health-boosting vitamin c, and cool, stomach-calming peppermint. When brewed, the lavender definitely takes the spotlight, lighting up my whole room with its warm, floral scent, and filling my senses when I bring my mug up to my face. Beneath all the lavender fragrance, the chamomile and peppermint play well together, producing a mellow, grassy, lemon-mint brew. The rose hips are harder to pick out. Traditionally, rose hips tend to be strong and sour, more like orange or hibiscus, but in this blend they appear only as a little fruity note at the back of each sip.
While I might not be in the mood for this tea every night, it definitely comforted me, reminding me of herbal teas I would drink when I was home sick or staying warm on a snowy day. Not to mention the lavender was out of this world: I have yet to find another lavender tea that can even come close to competing with this one.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Description:
Making this tea your evening ritual through Fall and Winter can be a great way to help naturally boost your mood if you’re experiencing wet grey days. Lavender can calm emotional stress, peppermint can invigorate your mind and chamomile will help soothe.
This tea is no longer on the site but others from Winterwoods Tea Company are here!
Lavender Dream from Dave and Solomons Tea
Dave and Solomons are a mother and son tea blending company, currently selling their indie creations on their Etsy store. I hadn’t come across them before this sample arrived with me, but it’s always nice to discover a new tea company, if a little dangerous for the bank account!
Lavender Dream is a fruit and herbal blend, combining the sweet fruitiness of peach with the light floral of lavender. It sounds a little odd to begin with, but I was pleased to discover that they’re actually two flavours which work incredibly well together. The dry leaf itself is incredibly pretty, with dark pink rose petals, bright blue cornflowers, and purple lavender buds, plus large (1-2cm square) chunks of dried papaya.
I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 5 minutes in boiling water. The result is a medium orange-brown liquor, which smells wonderful and which filled the entire kitchen with the scent of fuzzy peach. To taste, it’s very much as you might expect. The peach isn’t particularly natural-tasting, hence “fuzzy” peach, but it’s strong and incredibly juicy, and I’m more than happy with that. The lavender is definitely playing second fiddle here, not really making itself known until very much the end of the sip. When it does, it’s a pleasant counterpoint to the sweetness of the peach, adding a delicate floral flavour, and just a hint of perfume.
I expected this one to be a lot heavier on the lavender, given that it’s called Lavender Dream. Having tasted it, I feel Peach Dream 
would be a much more appropriate name, because it is primarily a peach flavoured tea. I’m not the biggest fan of floral teas, particularly when they’re herbal blends, but in this case it shouldn’t put you off. The lavender really isn’t very prominent, but the contribution it makes is balancing one, and pleasant to boot.
As this is a caffeine free blend, it’ll likely be making a regular appearance in my evening rotation for a good long while to come. I love the juicy peach notes, and I’d actually like to try this one iced (although I might have to wait until summer, or a rare warm day, for that now.) I’ll definitely be trying more blends from Dave and Solomons Tea in the future on the strength of this experience. There’s certainly some skilled blending going on!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Dave and Solomons Tea
Description
Yummy peach cubes with organic lavender, rose petals, marigold & cornflower petals. MMMM Soooo good!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
#MusicandTeaMonday: Sweet Dreams Herbal from AstroloTea
Sweet Dreams is part of AstroloTea’s Transformative Loose Tea range, which combines ingredients with specific properties to create teas designed to have an effect on either mind or body. Sweet Dreams, true to its name, is supposed to be a relaxing blend, with the intention of promoting sleep or rest. Like many blends of this kind, it contains a selection of herbal ingredients known for their calming properties, including rose petals, hops, jasmine, lemon balm, and lavender. It also contains more unusual ingredients, such as poppy, catuba, gotu kola, dogwood, yarrow, brahmi, kava kava, and mullein. Many of these I’ve never come across before. All of the ingredients are organic, except the kava kava which has been cultivated without the use of chemicals.
I followed the recommended parameters and used 2 tsp of leaf for my cup, added to boiling water for 5 minutes. The resulting liquor is a bright orange-brown, with a mildly herbaceous scent. The flavour is more delicate than I expected, initially quite generically “herbal”, but with clear flashes of rose and lavender. There’s a distinctive thick sweetness from the hops in the mid-sip, and a touch of aniseed-like fennel. A light lemony-citrus note rounds off the sip.
The proliferation of ingredients made me wonder whether it would be possible to distinguish any one of them at all, but in actual fact it is possible to pick out the stronger, more dominant, flavours. Many of the ingredients are unfamiliar to me, though (and probably to most people), and it’s fair to say that the overall effect is herbal with an edge of floral. I’m pleased the the floral doesn’t edge over into perfumey, and it’s not too strong, so you might get along with this even if floral teas are not typically your thing. In flavour terms, its reminiscent of a lot of similar blends, only with more unusual, carefully selected, ingredients.
I didn’t notice much of an effect straight after drinking, but I can certainly appreciate having another caffeine-free pre-bedtime blend in my cupboard. With its light, delicate flavour, it’s a pleasing choice for late night drinking whether you buy into the “sleep-aid” aspect or not. I’d happily seek out more AstroloTea blends in the future.
And since today is #MusicandTeaMonday, we couldn’t help but pair this tea with this song! Don’t forget to join us on your favorite social media of choice with #MusicandTeaMonday!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: AstroloTea
Description:
Sweet Dreams Organic Loose Leaf Tea is only available as an herbal tea blend. It is a powerful sedative tea for nighttime relaxation and sleep. It has been used to help relieve insomnia and sleep disturbances.
This soft and dreamy tea is the perfect way to close every day. Slip into comfort and notice how gently everything floats away as you easily drift off to dreamland. Sweet Dreams tea is a luxurious gift to give yourself for a day well lived.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
#MusicAndTeaMonday: London Fog from Harlow Tea
It’s #MusicAndTeaMonday and I hope you will join us by posting on your favorite social media! #MusicAndTeaMonday: London Fog from Harlow Tea is the tea I chose today and the song pairing is London Calling by The Clash!
It’s been a while since my last flavored Earl Grey so I thought I was about due and London Fog from Harlow Tea stood up to the test! The black tea base is of medium strength and the flavors are a slight notch above medium. The Earl Grey-ness is peppy but the addition of the lemon peel and lavender flowers really take it to the next level in terms of flavor.
London Fog from Harlow Tea is such a comforting cuppa. I would share this with just about anyone – it’s that type of tea. Now…let’s get on to the music pairing for #MusicAndTeaMonday.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Harlow Tea Co
Description:
London Fog Loose Leaf Tea (My version)
Ingredients: Earl gray tea, lemon peel, and lavender flower.
Contains caffeine
Ever had a London fog latte? Well I wanted to make my own version. This black tea, with a hint of citrus and lavender, is perfect on its own or in a latte.
Want to try the latte? Steep the tea in 4 oz. of water, strain and add to 4 oz. of steamed milk for the perfect tealatte.
Packaging shown is the 3 oz. size with a recyclable paper container. 1 and 2 oz. sizes come in stand up pouches .
Learn even more about this tea here.
William Shakespeare’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson and Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
Possibly the most well-known name in western literature, William Shakespeare began his life as a tanner’s son in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the spring of 1564. After a seven year period following the birth of his children in which no reliable records of his life can be found, Shakespeare reappeared in London where he began writing and acting in plays.
Initially, his name was relegated to the corners of playbills, but as his productions grew in popularity, theaters began using “written by William Shakespeare” as their main selling point. The plays and poems he produced during the thirty year period when he was writing have endured the test of time and are studied and read across the world. He pioneered many styles and structures that have set the foundations for some of western literature’s greatest achievements. Shakespeare is even credited with inventing over 1700 words in the English language.
Gardens, herbs, and flowers appear in many of Shakespeare’s plays and oftentimes play a critical role in his stories. Our William Shakespeare tea blend is a combination of a few of the many herbs he references: lavender, roses, rosemary. The wit and playfulness of his verse means that Shakespeare’s plays can still be enjoyed today, ideally with a warm cup of tea.
This black tea and floral blend brews to an amber cup with a sweet, floral taste. The slightly earthy and woody notes are rounded out with the citrus taste of bergamot and sweet rose petals.
Ingredients: Rose Congou black tea, lavender petals, rose petals, rosemary and bergamot oil.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the first of many new teas (from Simpson & Vail) that we will be reviewing here at Sororitea Sisters – William Shakespeare’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson and Vail – that is! I’ve always been a fan of poetry but this specific name and tea go beyond my love for writing! Whether or not it’s TRUE or a case of mistaken identity – I ‘may’ be distantly related to William Shakespeare. The family rumor is that I am related to a ‘John Hall’ from Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. There was a John Hall that was a Doctor there in the 1500’s that married William Shakespeare’s Daughter Susanna.
So there were MANY reasons I was excited about this tea! But let’s get to the ACTUAL tea experience – shall we? This William Shakespeare’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson and Vail has a black tea base and is blended with lavender, rose, rosemary, and bergamot oil. After reading the product description and learning about the connection and inspiration of this tea I was blown away at the creativity and artisan-ship!
First and foremost the powerful aroma smacked me in the face as soon as I opened the bag! This is some STURDY stuff! William Shakespeare’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson and Vail is like a special flavored Earl Grey. Not just your standard EG but with a little extra something. But the aroma was magnified that is for sure!
The color of the post-infused tea in the cup was a lighter color of brown that I thought it would be. But that didn’t mean the taste was going to be lacking. The flavor on the tongue was almost as intense as it was on the nose! I could taste the Earl Grey as well as the heavy-duty lavender. The rosemary was subtle but contributed.
I really enjoyed this William Shakespeare’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson and Vail. Sure – the tea was a winner – but – when you have a theme, tribute, or personal story with it – it makes it even better!