On Canada Day, I was looking for a festive tea to celebrate with when I happened upon this tea…Canoe Lake Blend by Pluck Teas. This tea that Pluck calls “a truly Canadian blend” is made up of black tea, rooibos, sunflower, jasmine, calendula petals, real maple syrup, licorice root, cocoa, safflower petals, cornflowers, and natural flavour. Meant to remind you of campfires and sugar shacks, I thought it was worth a try.
I brewed it at 200F for 4 minutes as the recommended steeping parameters of 5 minutes in boiling water seemed like it might be a bit much. Using my method, this tea definitely has a smokey campfire flavor to it. Smoke and maple sweetness. There is also a thick caramel sweetness here that is almost a bit burnt and a little bit stale. It hits you at the back of the throat and is a little offputting for my tastes if I am being honest.
I am surprised there isn’t more going on here given the list of ingredients that seem odd and out of place. What jasmine and sunflower had to do with a smokey maple/caramel tea is beyond me and though I know licorice root is often used to add sweetness, I am glad I can’t actually taste its cloying flavor. Plus, the cocoa is lost as there is no chocolate to be found, though it may be adding to the offness of the caramel since cocoa can sometimes read dusty and stale in teas.
I think this tea is trying to capture a relatively simple flavor with too many ingredients. Unfortunately, I think it suffers for it. Though it is not bad perse, I certainly found myself disappointed by the flavors promised versus the actual execution of it. It was fun to try but ultimately this tea just isn’t for me.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Pluck Teas
Description
Jennifer’s Tasting Notes
Notes of caramel, maple sugar, and pine smoke interwine in this rooibos and black tea blend. Memories of campfires and sugar shacks… a truly Canadian blend.
Ingredients
Black Tea, Rooibos, Sunflower, Jasmine, Calendula Petals, Real Maple Syrup, Licorice Root, Cocoa, Safflower Petals, Cornflowers, Natural Flavour.
100% natural.
Blended and packed in Canada by real people
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lola from Sicilian Tea Company. . . . .
Lola from Sicilian Tea Company. I can’t say it’s my FAVORITE tisane but what I can tell you is that I was pleasantly surprised by the aftertaste and I’m glad I was able to have a cup for that sole purpose. I know I am working a little bit backwards here but let me tell you why…
The ingredients in Lola from Sicilian Tea Company are Red Rooibos, Cinnamon, Licorice, and Lavender. I sometimes find companies are overusing red Rooibos the last few years in often mediocre flavor combinations which leave the flavor unmemorable or just don’t seem to jive with my own personal palate. When I saw the additional ingredients within this Rooibos I thought I would give it a try – although – I’m not overly fond of licorice in teas or tisanes – and seem to be hot and cold when it comes to the use of Lavender in tisanes and teas, too!
Having said that…this tea was alright. While it wasn’t my most favorite or favorites upfront while sipping it – my delight was more in the aftertaste and the linger of it all.
All of the ingredients were blended well in this offering. Nothing was too over powering and especially when it came to the Licorice and Lavender I was thrilled that it wasn’t.
The aftertaste is what caught my attention. It lingered nicely. The cinnamon was warming – as was the Licorice. The Licorice offered a subtle sweetness but it didn’t give off a weird aftertaste either. The Lavender seemed to smooth it out and hinted at a bit of floral goodness.
I found this to be very good after a meal or as a treat in the evening! Because Sicilian Tea Company had a winner with this ballsy flavor combo I’m interested in trying more of their offerings! Kudos!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Sicilian Tea Company
Description
Lola is a sweet treat that’s safe to have before bedtime. South African Red Rooibos is rich in antioxidants. Organic lavender, licorice root and cinnamon make for a yummy treat (without the guilt).
Brew at least twice to get the most out of your blend.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Catarina from Sicilian Tea Company . . . .
If there’s anything that has surprised me most from my years as a tea drinker is how I’m constantly learning to like new flavors. In this case? Licorice. (I KNOW. Stick with me, I promise.)
I, like many in the general population, have despised the anise-y, sugary taste of black licorice for years. So whenever I saw it as an ingredient in anything– but mainly tea– you’d usually see my turn my nose up and run for the other direction. But a few years back, I was getting my hair done at a salon that served Aveda tea (you know the type) and without thinking, accepted the cup that was handed to me. As I sipped, I was pleasantly surprised by the earthy sweetness that lingered. “What IS this magic,” I thought. Shocked as I was to find that this delightful flavor was coming from licorice itself, a whole new category of teas has just opened itself up to me.
And now, I find myself reaching *for* licorice teas whenever I’m given the chance. Usually they’re herbal, though, so you can bet I was surprised to see this black blend boast flavors of– you guessed it– licorice, along with spicy orange and cardamom. It’s robust as I’d hope a black tea to be, but needs no honey whatsoever with the delightful natural sweetness from the licorice. The orange and cardamom are almost reminiscent of a twist on a chai, and bring some lovely complexity to the brew. A bonus: these leaves resteep beautifully, and I got consistently great flavor after two, even three cups.
Don’t get me wrong: I still won’t be going anywhere near black licorice jellybeans anytime soon. But if you’re like me and think that licorice can never be for you, give it a sip and see if that changes your tune!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sicilian Tea Company
Description
Bored by bland brews? Catarina is your fix. Cardamom and orange peel make this Indian black tea blend pop. Bye-bye, bland.
Remember to re-brew your tea.
When brewed as suggested the large tin yields approximately 80+ servings, and the small tin yields approximately 16+ servings.
Ingredients: organic and fairly traded black teas, organic orange peel, organic cardamom, organic licorice root (to sweeten).
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
