Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Several people from our Southern Boy Teas Kickstarter campaign requested that we make a Mountain Dew inspired iced tea. I was thinking about how I would do it, and I kept thinking how good this would be as a honeybush blend. So here we have caffeine-free African honeybush with lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon myrtle and organic flavors. This is YUMMY. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
OK … I cracked up laughing when I read the name of this honeybush tisane from 52Teas: Very Big Hill Dew. Maybe I have a twisted, whacked sense of humor. Because when I shared the name of the tisane with my husband, he didn’t think it was funny at all. Maybe his sense of humor is whacked.
Regardless, this is a really tasty tisane. I don’t drink a lot of soda, in fact, I can’t tell you when the last time was that I had a Mountain … err … soda by which this tisane was inspired. It’s been a long time. So, it would be difficult for me to say with confidence that this tastes like that soda. I do know that when I opened the package, it smelled like the soda, and that I know because my husband does drink it (well, the diet version of it), so I’m familiar with the aroma.
And this does have a soda-like taste. I can taste that bubbly, effervescent sort of taste. It’s light and refreshing. And there is a lot of lemon-y, lime-ish like flavors dancing on my palate. It’s very tasty.
The honeybush adds a sort of sweet, honeyed flavor to the cup, as well as a slight earthiness. Not exactly “nutty” the way I usually taste from a honeybush tisane. It’s just more of a slight earthy flavor that complements the lemon-lime notes in a really pleasing way.
It is sweet, a little bit tart and tangy, and very enjoyable. I drank a cup of it hot, and then I chilled the rest that I brewed and drank it iced. It’s better iced (it is a soda-inspired tea, after all), but, it’s still tasty served hot too. I found it to be a calming, relaxing cuppa – nice for the end of a busy day.
Cinnamon Lemon Bai Mu Dan from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Here’s our premium bai mu dan white tea blended with cinnamon, lemon myrtle, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemongrass, lemon peel and natural flavors. Pucker up for some deliciousness!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
WOW! The combination of cinnamon and lemon may seem ordinary but the flavor of this tea is anything but ordinary!
The lemon flavors are so complex in this – it’s not like a squeeze of fresh lemon, it’s like a squeeze of fresh lemon, plus some lemon zest, plus some liquefied lemon curd all in one. It isn’t as pucker-y as I expected it to be, instead, the lemon notes are rather smooth, lightly sweet, with only hints of tartness. It tastes more like the flavor of a lemon-head candy than the flavor you’d get if you were to suck on a wedge of lemon: sweet, almost candy-like, and very enjoyable.
The cinnamon is not as pronounced as I expected either. Instead, it is well-balanced with the lemon-y flavors. It doesn’t overwhelm the cup or come off as too spicy. It is a warm cinnamon taste that complements the citrus notes: the cinnamon curbs the sour flavor of the lemon just enough while the lemon softens the spicy blow of the cinnamon. It is a very lovely marriage of flavors.
And I am happy to report that the Bai Mu Dan isn’t lost in all this wonderful flavor. The white tea offers a light, fresh flavor. I taste notes of hay and a sweetness that melds beautifully with the buttery notes of the lemongrass in the blend.
As I write this, I see that there are still 7 pouches of this tea left! So, I wouldn’t be surprised if people were less than excited by the seemingly ordinary offering of a cinnamon and lemon flavored white tea.
Well, it’s time to get excited, because this tea is way better than I expected it to be. Don’t get me wrong, I expected it to be delicious (I can’t really recall any time when 52Teas has left me dissatisfied) but, I didn’t think it’d knock my socks off the way it has. The flavor is sweet and comforting; this is one of those teas that is perfect to cozy up to after a long, hard day!
I love this.
Lemolicious Ecuadorian Guayusa from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
I was debating what sort of blend we should create with this new ingredient [Guayusa], and Sheri kept insisting it needed to be a lemon blend. I thought lemon was kind of plain, but it did sound good. The problem I saw was that as bold as the guayusa is, it would take some serious doing to convince it to take on any other flavors. But that’s just what we did: I pulled out all the stops to give this bold guayusa a nice gentle (but noticeable) lemon nudge. We added lemon myrtle, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon peel and some sun-dried lemon slices along with natural lemon flavors.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had this blend for quite a while now (and unfortunately it has long since sold out and is no longer available from 52Teas), it managed to get itself hidden in my stash and as I was sorting through my collection of teas the other day I came across it and decided I must start drinking it!
And I’m glad I did rediscover this Guayusa blend because it really is tasty. As Guayusa is a rather bold tasting tisane anyway, it is not surprising that it is the strongest flavor of this cup. The citrus-y lemon notes are there, but they are subtle … until you get to the aftertaste and it is in the aftertaste when the lemon really seems to grab me. It never becomes a pucker-y type of lemon taste – it isn’t sour – but it is tart and that is what I experience in the aftertaste. A tickle-y, tingly lemon-y taste coming to life on my palate.
But throughout the sip, the lemon is subdued and sweet, adding just a little lemon-y twist to the unique flavor of the Guayusa, which is somewhat similar to Yerba Maté but without the bitterness of Maté. It is slightly vegetative, and a little earthy. It is incredibly smooth. There is no astringency to it.
Guayusa is a stimulating drink and I find that it has the same effects on me as coffee … with one notable difference: I don’t get sick a couple of hours later when I drink Guayusa. I get the boost of alertness without the sick effects afterward. That’s a win-win in my book!
Signature Positiv-A-Tea Blend from Positiv-A-Tea
Tea Type: Herbal
Where To Buy: Positiv-A-Tea
Product Description:
100% Organic
Hand-Blended
USDA Approved
Naturally DecaffeinatedIngredients:
Hibiscus, Lemon Balm, Rose Petals,
Orange Peel, Cinnamon, Lavender
Tasters Review:
I’m not going to lie…when I was finished infusing this the color of it frightened me! I was also worried about the Hibiscus – many of you know my trials and tribulations with that ingredient…BUT…
This IS pretty pleasant! I’ve VERY shocked and surprised that the level of hibiscus is what it is! As it cooled – I could taste more tartiness so I will drink this HOT! If you are after the fruitier or tartier flavor you might like it cooler. The Lemon Balm follows it as far as ingredients that pop out a little more than the others but the one that lingers is the Lavender and it’s a pretty lavender as well as a little chewy…if you can picture that!! The rose and Orange are about equal in taste-intensity and that is subtle.
This is pretty and sassy and different all in one…I think it’s a neat blend and tastes alright! If you are looking for a positive blend and something that is positively unique…give this one a whirl!
Zest Energizing Tea from Teaquilibrium
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Teaquilibrium
Product Description:
Teaquilibrium’s Energizing Sport Tea contains yerba mate, a South American herb known for its plethora of health benefits. A study of yerba mate at The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific society in 1964 concluded that mate contains “practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.” Mate is also a natural source of caffeine, theobromine (dark chocolate’s euphoric stimulant) and theophylline (tea’s soothing stimulant) which stimulate the central nervous system to create calm energy and mental clarity.
Yerba Mate fuels your muscles and nourishes your body with 15 amino acids, 24 vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex. Natural phytochemicals stimulate your immune system and boost your metabolism.
Taster’s Review:
OK, when I first saw the name of this tea, I was immediately reminded of “the other” Zest (you know, the bar of soap?)
But I’d much rather use THIS Zest as my “eye-opener” – and it certainly does do just that. The lemon-y flavor is bright and clean… and shall I say it? Zesty! The delicious, lemon-y flavor curbs the earthy notes of the yerba maté. This is not overly earthy or grassy tasting, it is quite smooth for a yerba maté, which sometimes can come off as a little bitter. I’m not getting that with this cup at all!
The lemon-y flavor is not incredibly tart, although there is a faint, tangy note at the finish that lingers a little bit with a tingly sensation on the tongue. This is something that is almost barely noticeable unless you’re focusing on it, though. Mostly what I get from the lemon is a smooth, sweet citrus-y taste that reminds me a bit of lemon curd.
The yerba maté is a green maté (that is, it isn’t roasted), so it has a fresher taste to it which is very fitting with the whole concept of “Zest.” This tastes fresh and bright and lively! It is certainly enough to get you going even on those days when you feel sort of sluggish. This will help rid you of those “sleepyzzz!”
I like to steep this energizing drink in a vessel that I can keep the leaves continually steeping as I sip… so I am using my Libre Mug. I put the loose leaf into the main chamber, and then add the hot water and allow it to steep for five minutes, then I screw on the filter lid and the filter lid strains the tisane as I sip it. Since yerba maté lacks the tannins of tea leaves, it doesn’t get bitter from lengthy brew times – it just gets more flavorful!
I like this!