Wow! This tea is so cool tasting. It tastes like cream soda. Ingredients include rosehips, vanilla, chamomile, spearmint, raspberry, lemon grass, hyssop and herbs. This blend is very soothing, and very mellow. The taste is so unique and interesting. I want to keep taking another sip because there is just so much going on and I want to keep trying to figure it out. I can see why this tea has won awards and is a “fan favorite” at Market Spice
The first thing I noticed was that it smelled really sweet, so I skipped the agave (this is happening a lot lately! So unusual for me). I’m glad I went without sweetener because naturally it is already sweet enough. The second thing I noticed was vanilla and herbal flavor- spearmint, chamomile, and lemongrass. I could taste the raspberry at the end- but it really just added extra sweetness and nothing tart, which is great in my opinion because I don’t like tart. When I saw spearmint and lemongrass in the ingredients, I got nervous because I really dislike anything minty or lemony. I found that these ingredients were not overpowering and I quite enjoyed the little symphony they created, even if I don’t generally enjoy them on their own.
One thing I would like to mention- as a breastfeeding mother I am apparently not supposed to ingest the herb “hyssop”. It also shouldn’t be ingested if you are on any kinds of medications, like antidepressants. I realized this after I had finished about half the mug. Once I read the warnings on a few different medical sites, I dumped the remaining tea (sadly, because I really wanted to drink it). Please check with your doctor (or at least google interactions) before ingesting any herbs, it can be really dangerous. However- if you aren’t breastfeeding, pregnant, or on medications- go ahead and enjoy! This blend is dang good!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Market Spice
Description
One of our sweetest and most popular herbal teas, Sunset in Seattle is a blend utilizing a myriad of herbs that are soothing and mellow. Ingredients: Rosehips, Vanilla, Chamomile, Spearmint, Raspberry, Lemon Grass, Hyssop and herbs. Contains no sugar and is caffeine free.
This tea is a 3rd place winner in the North American Tea Championship for Flavored Herbal Blends category.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Tuk Tuk Chai Blend from Tay Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tay Tea
Tisane Description:
This Thai inspired chai is bursting with flavor. Red vanilla rooibos tea provides the base for this infusion mixed with lemon grass, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I really love autumn and one of the main reasons for that is because as I’ve said before, hot tea just tastes better when it’s chilly outside. When that chill of autumn nips the air, it just feels better to hold a steaming cup of hot tea in my hand to warm me up. And no blend of tea does that better than a chai blend.
To brew this Tuk Tuk Chai from Tay Tea, I used my Kati Tumbler and measured out a heaping bamboo scoop of the tisane into the basket. I generally use some extra leaf when I’m brewing a chai blend because I like my chai blends strong. If I’m going to go latte with a chai, I add a scoop and a half of leaf, but since I didn’t want to go latte with this particular blend, I just used a heaping scoop. The rest of the parameters go like this: 195°F for 10 minutes. Remember, with rooibos, you can steep it extra long without worry that it will get bitter!
This chai blend has an interesting combination of flavors. The rooibos base has a honey-like flavor with earthy/nutty undertones and these flavors accentuate the earthiness of the spices in this blend nicely. The cinnamon, cardamom and ginger add a pleasant warmth that is well balanced. I’m tasting each of the spices without one overpowering the rest. The lemongrass adds a bright splash of flavor to the cup. And the vanilla softens the edges and adds a delectable sweet and creamy note.
It’s sweet and spicy, earthy and bright. It has a very satisfying warmth to it. It’s something that would be a nice, uplifting drink in the morning and a wonderfully cozy beverage for later at night. And because it’s naturally caffeine free, it’s something you can drink at any hour without worry that it will keep you up all night.
C of Tranquilitea Herbal Tisane from Good Life Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Good Life Tea
Tisane Description:
Luscious hibiscus flowers join with subtle citrus notes of lemongrass and tart rose hips. Add the superfruits and chamomile and you’ve got one bedtime immune system booster!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, you’re probably well aware of my lack of enthusiasm for herbal tisanes that contain hibiscus and chamomile. Well, this blend has both of them. So as you can probably imagine, I wasn’t dancing the happy dance while I was brewing this.
But, it’s actually quite tasty! A lot nicer than I expected it to be, for sure, and much tastier than I would have imagined.
This is the first tea that I’m trying from this “new-to-me” company, and along with the teas that they sent to me, they sent a letter. In it, they described this blend this way:
This is a fruit and herbal blend. It has a nice blueberry base with Chamomile and Lemon Grass. The name is from a place on the moon where the Apollo landed – Sea of Tranquility. The name is a play on words. C is for the Vitamin C which the hibiscus and rosehips offer. Tranquilitea is the chamomile. It’s a great flower that promotes calmness and helps with sleep. This is our second most popular tea. The lemon grass is to give a nice, bright finish. This mix contains a little bit of Amber sugar to mellow it out.
While I’m generally not crazy about teas that include sugar or sweetener, I have to admit that I’m kind of glad that the Amber sugar is there, because I think that this would be a bit too tart without it. I’m not one who usually sweetens a tisane like this, and I know that if the sugar wasn’t there, I would have probably wanted to add a pinch of sugar to it to tame down the tartness.
That said, I do prefer to decide how much sugar I’m adding to my cup. So, I’m kind of finding myself unsure of how I feel about this addition. I’m glad that this wasn’t too tart when I took my first sip, but, at the same time, I’m not thrilled that sugar was added to the tisane. But without dwelling on the subject too long, I’ll tell you about the rest of what I’m tasting…
This tisane is pleasantly sweet and fruity. I’m liking the blueberry, and as much as I am not fond of hibiscus, I have to admit that hibiscus DOES enhance berry flavors. And it does enhance the blueberry nicely. I am getting the sweet blueberry flavor with a touch of berry tartness. The lemongrass adds just a hint of citrus flavor and perks up the flavors.
I can barely taste the chamomile. In fact, this would be the ideal blend for someone who doesn’t like chamomile but wants to drink chamomile teas for their restful/healthful properties, because like I said, the chamomile is barely noticeable as far as taste goes.
To brew this, I went with my go-to temperature of 195°F for herbals and steeped it for six minutes. I find that six minutes was a good time – it delivered a really delicious blueberry flavor with light citrus-y notes without too much hibiscus-y taste or texture.
Overall, this is a pleasant cup of tea. It’s soothing and sweet, with just the right level of tartness to it. And to my surprise, as I’m typing this, I find myself becoming slightly drowsy from the tea! That’s a big bonus in my book.
Ginger Twist Herbal Tisane from Mighty Leaf
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Mighty Leaf
Tisane Description:
Our Ginger Twist herbal tea is a harmonious mix of lemongrass, tropical fruits, and mint fueled with a touch of ginger and ginseng. A lush and magical herb and fruited infusion, Ginger Twist herbal tea helps promote calm, focus and good health.
Learn more about this tisane here.
I received a sample of this tea in my November Love with Food Box.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried a few teas from Mighty Leaf, but I can’t recall ever trying this Ginger Twist Herbal Tisane from this company, so I was happy to receive a sampling of it in my November Love with Food Box. I would have been happier if it was actually tea and not a tisane, of course. However, this is pretty good, even if it is a tisane.
Right off the bat, I can think of one thing that earns this tisane bonus points and that is: NO hibiscus! Yay! It does have ginseng, and ginseng isn’t a favorite herb of mine, but I’d prefer ginseng over hibiscus in most cases, so long as there are other ingredients to offset the rather earthy taste of the ginseng.
And this tisane is plentiful in the ingredients department: ginger, lemongrass, mint, and some tasty fruit notes. The lemongrass adds a light, citrus-y taste to the cup that is a little bit tangy but not overly tart. The mint offers a crisp, cool note to the cup, sort of like the cooling effect of opening a freezer door on a hot afternoon. Just that quick wisp of a cooling sensation.
The fruit has a tropical taste to it, although I find myself having trouble pinpointing exactly what I’m tasting. It has an almost papaya-ish and mango-ish type of flavor going on. It’s sweet and brings a compelling contrast to the peppery notes of the ginger, which adds a zesty zing to the cup, but the heat of the ginger is toned down a bit thanks to the sweetness of the fruit flavor, and the cooling note of the mint and the smooth, buttery notes of the lemongrass.
I can taste some of the ginseng in this too, and it adds a sort of herbaceous medicinal quality to the cup that I would rather not be there, but, overall, it isn’t the strongest flavor that I taste, so I am appreciative of that.
An enjoyable cup – this is a tisane I’d like to have on hand when I’m feeling under the weather because it would be ideal with a dollop of honey to help soothe sore throat and an upset tummy.
Lemomila Tisane from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
A simple blend, adding some noted of lemon to a sweet and calming infusion of chamomile. A nice variation for those chamomile lovers out there.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The first thing I notice when I open my packet of Lemomila Tisane from Shanti Tea is the scent of Chamomile. Peeking inside the package, I can see big chamomile blossoms. While I’ve never made any big secret that I’m not particularly fond of chamomile, I don’t hate it and I find that the larger the chamomile blossoms, the more I like the tisane. In other words: crushed blossoms = not so great, while big, whole blossoms = much better.
And in this tisane, I didn’t see any crushed blossoms at all. These were big, whole chamomile blossoms mixed with the sweet, citrus-y flavor of lemongrass.
The lemongrass adds a nice brightness to this cup. The citrus tones are sweet with a tart note that hits the palate towards the end of the sip and lingers on through the aftertaste. It’s not a strong sour note, though, just a hint of citrus-y tart. Mostly what the lemongrass provides is a nice contrast to the sweet, apple-like notes of the chamomile. Notes of honey can also be tasted.
Overall, a very enjoyable way to relax, this Lemomila Tisane from Shanti Tea!