Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Spice Melange
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Award-winning nostalgic aniseed, star anise + liquorice herbal tea blend
This blend won the highest food award in the country. The judges said: ‘Truly original and delicious infusion that packs a true punch.. finally a blend that’s blokey’! It’s also the nation’s favourite childhood sweet. Not just our opinion, it’s fact. There was a survey, questionnaire and everything.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
When Bluebird Tea Co. asked me what teas I’d like to try, this one was near the top of my list. After reading the ingredient list, you might wonder why it was that this was one of the teas I requested…
Ingredients: Liquorice, Aniseed, Star Anise, Hibiscus, Stevia, Chilli.
I mean, this tisane has two of my “I’d rather this tisane not have this ingredient” ingredients: hibiscus and stevia. So you might be wondering why I’d choose this tea. But this tisane also has three of the ingredients that I love to see in teas/tisanes: Licorice, Aniseed and Star Anise! And I guess my requesting this tisane proves that my love for these three ingredients overpowers my disdain for the hibiscus and stevia.
Oh, I’m still wishing that the hibiscus and stevia weren’t in there. Before even taking a sip, I’m thinking that it would be a better tisane without them, although it isn’t really a fair assessment because I haven’t yet taken a sip.
The dry leaf is gorgeous. Lots of whole pieces of star anise! They’re so pretty. It smells delightful too: sweet, warm and zesty.
To steep this tisane, I used my Kati Tumbler. (I prefer to use this device when I’m brewing a spiced tea/tisane like this because when I brew a spiced tea in my Breville, the spices become “embedded” in the tea maker and it requires a soak in baking soda to get the odors to release. Then again, I need to soak my Breville anyway, so maybe I should have used it to steep this!) I measured out 1 1/2 bamboo scoops of the tisane into the basket of the Kati and then poured hot water (195°F) over the tisane and let it steep for 8 minutes.
Ordinarily, when brewing a tisane with hibiscus, I steep it for 6 minutes or less. However, I could see very little hibiscus in the loose leaf blend so I figured that this tisane could benefit from a little more time. Spices need time to get their flavors to release fully.
OK! So now it’ sip time. I can definitely taste the hibiscus. Next time I try this tisane, I might go with 6 1/2 or 7 minutes rather than a full 8 minutes. That said, it doesn’t taste too hibiscus-y. But I’m still wishing it wasn’t there.
That said, this is really quite nice despite the presence of hibiscus and stevia. And for those who don’t really mind hibiscus quite so much, it does add an interesting tart, berry like flavor to the cup. It’s a little bit tart and I can feel the insides of my cheeks pucker slightly as I take a sip, but because there is enough going on with this blend from the warmth of the chili to the zesty sweetness from the licorice-y notes, I find that the tartness doesn’t upset me.
The stevia adds sweetness (obviously) and this is a nice contrast to the spicy chili tone. And take note: even though chili is listed as the last ingredient, this tisane has a real spicy kick to it from the chili! I can feel the heat at the back of my throat. It’s not too spicy or hot. I’m not running to the kitchen to find something to temper the heat. But it is warm enough to alert the sensors in the mouth that something spicy is dancing around the palate.
But the three real stars of this cup are the licorice, star anise and aniseed! This has a really lovely licorice-y flavor! If you are a fan of black licorice, this tisane should be at the top of your must try list! This has a lot of snappy licorice flavor! Sweet and zesty. It reminds me so much of the black licorice candy that I love. In fact, it tastes as though someone liquefied some black licorice candy and then served that in a cup with a splash of hibiscus, a pinch or two of chili pepper and a little bit of sweetener.
I like this served straight up without additions but it would also be quite nice with a cinnamon stick garnish. (I like the combination of cinnamon and licorice.) Really, it doesn’t need anything other than that. It could do without the hibiscus, although I’m not hating that the hibiscus is there. The same goes for the stevia. I like the little bit of sweetness that the stevia adds to this. It’s enough sweetness without getting that funky flavor that I sometimes taste from stevia in teas. Bonus!
Yet another huge win for Bluebird Tea Company!
Cinnamon Plum Caffeine-Free Herbal Blend from Rishi Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
The sweetest Saigon Cinnamon, also known as Vietnamese Cassia, melds with the deep, luscious flavors of currants, hibiscus and plum to yield a rich, warming cup in winter or a refreshing glass when served iced in summer. With its fruity, full-bodied and juicy character, Cinnamon Plum’s robust, crimson red infusion is delicious on its own or mulled into cider or wine.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I’ve said it about a hundred times (or more) … I’m not a fan of hibiscus. But I am a fan of cinnamon and of plums, and I also like currants and licorice. So this tisane seems to have more going for it than it does going against it as far as my palate is concerned.
So, I’ll give it a try!
The aroma of the dry leaf is an abundantly cinnamon-y fragrance. (The same is true of the brewed tea.) I can also smell notes of licorice and hints of fruit. It doesn’t smell distinctly plum-like or even like currants, it just smells warm (from the cinnamon), sweet (from the licorice) and fruity.
To brew this tisane, I used my Kati brewing system and I measured out a bamboo scoop of the loose leaf into the basket. Then I heated the water to 195°F and poured it into the tumbler. I let the tisane steep for 6 minutes. The liquid is a very deep ruby red color … like brewed hibiscus. Fortunately, the color does not accompany the thick texture of brewed hibiscus. Either the steep time prevented this or possibly the fact that there are a lot of other ingredients in this blend. (Or a combination of both these factors.)
It also doesn’t taste too much like hibiscus. I am getting a strong cinnamon-y flavor. It’s a sweet, warm cinnamon flavor. Not like the sweet, red-hot type cinnamon but like the kind of sweet, spicy cinnamon you’d sprinkle on your morning toast.
And I am tasting plum. It is both sweet and tart. The tartness is enhanced somewhat by the presence of the currants as well as the hibiscus, but fortunately for my tart-sensitive palate, this is not an overly tart drink. I’m not puckering as I sip it. I think that the tartness works in the favor of this tisane because it offers a nice contrast to the spicy and the sweet notes.
Overall, it’s a very enjoyable beverage. I like it served hot – it has a very autumnal feel as I drink it. It’s cozy and reminds me a lot of a mulled cider. In fact, I think that would taste lovely with this, I might try steeping this tea in some warm apple cider! It would also make a tasty iced drink that would be appealing to children as well as adults.
Harmony Ayurvedic Tea from TeaVeda
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Veda Company
Tea Description:
Find your bliss and indulge with the herbal mix of mint, licorice and Indian pennywort (said to enhance longevity) in our “Harmony” tea. Each blend is mildly caffeinated with green tea, one of nature’s antioxidant wonders.
Learn more about the teas from TeaVeda here.
Taster’s Review:
I can really smell the licorice here. It has a warm, sweet smell. The pennywort might add to some of the sweetness in the aroma, although I’m not really sure because pennywort is one of those herbs that I’m just not all that familiar with. I’m surprised that I’m not picking up more of the minty fragrance since mint can be a very dominant herb.
I wish I could taste the licorice as distinctly as I can smell it. I am not really familiar with the flavor of pennywort, so I suspect that is what I’m tasting because I taste a sweet, vaguely earthy taste that doesn’t taste like mint or licorice or green tea. So I’m guessing this flavor I’m experiencing is pennywort, or more accurately, what pennywort tastes like when it’s blended with licorice, mint and green tea.
It is kind of an odd taste but not unpleasant. It just tastes really different from anything I’ve tasted before, so I’m having a difficult time describing what I’m experiencing. What comes to mind as I sip it is the liquid that might result after having steamed spinach. The greenish liquor that would be in the water vessel of my steamer – I haven’t ever drank that liquid, but I’ve often guessed that it tastes earthy and vegetal. Now imagine combining that liquid with the steamer liquid after cooking asparagus and broccoli. Again, I’ve never consumed either of these liquids, but I have imagined them to taste earthy, vegetal and possibly a bit bittersweet. That’s kind of what I’m tasting now.
Now that I’m past the mid-cup mark, I’m starting to pick up on an aftertaste that is both minty and licorice-like. These flavors are starting to develop in the sip too, although the aforementioned steamer liquid taste remains the strongest flavor of the cup.
I can’t say I’m loving this tea, but I don’t hate it either. It’s just … odd. Different from what I’ve tasted in the past. Not a familiar flavor. But at the same time, it’s not unpleasant. It’s sort of like trying a new vegetable for the first time. Veggies aren’t always everyone’s favorite side dish on the plate, but we eat them and while we’re more likely to enjoy something more familiar, the new veggie isn’t so bad once you get used to it. That’s how I’d describe this tea experience.
Summer Garden Citrus Mint Blend from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & Oolong Teas
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
Summer calls for a blend that’s crisp, sweet, and tangy enough to be a showstopping iced tea. We wanted to do something a little different to celebrate the season, so we sourced a beautiful Wenshan Baozhong Taiwanese oolong tea as the base of our recipe. Wenshan Baozhong is an extremely green oolong, full of grassy notes, but with floral and creamy aftertastes. Mixed with a dash of Yunnan Jingshan Green to round out the body, we think this makes the perfect green base for summer.
To bring out the fruity and floral notes naturally present in Wenshan Baozhong, we picked out creamy and sweet orange peel, rich lemongrass and a juicy bergamot. We use roasted dandelion root and licorice root to draw out the sweetness and help you make a satisfying iced tea- no sugar necessary! Finally, we make it crisp and refreshing with a dash of lavender and spearmint. Enjoy!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This tea really is the perfect summer refreshment. This summer has been so hot and uncomfortably muggy that there have been times when I couldn’t bear to brew a pot of hot tea because even though I know that hot tea tends to be more cooling than a cold drink, I couldn’t bring myself to brewing something hot to drink. Thank goodness I had a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge for times like that.
This! This tea would make a perfect iced tea. I’m drinking it hot right now, and even served hot, it’s incredibly refreshing. The base of Yunnan Jinshan Green and Wenshan Baozhong Oolong makes for a wonderful sweet and light flavor with a lovely creamy texture. It’s lightly vegetal with just the right buttery note.
The lemon grass, orange peel and touch of bergamot adds a bright citrus note. The bergamot does not give this an Earl Grey-ish sort of flavor, but instead just enhances the sunny citrus flavors with it’s zesty character. I don’t know that I necessarily taste the dandelion root, although I do taste a toasty, nutty flavor which may be the presence of the roasted dandelion root. I also don’t taste a lot of licorice. But I do get a nice sweetness here – it’s pleasantly sweet without the addition of sweetener.
But the real star of this cup is the spearmint. It adds just the right touch of crisp, cool minty flavor without getting too aggressive. It doesn’t overpower … everything tastes very harmonious. This tea is named perfectly: Summer Garden Citrus Mint Blend. I taste fresh leafy notes, citrus, mint. It’s a beautifully smooth and enjoyable cup.
I can’t wait to be drinking this one chilled tomorrow! YUM!
Licorice Green Tea from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where To Buy: The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants
Tea Description:
Licorice root, fennel, anise, and gunpowder green tea, with a touch of cloves brews up sweet to the taste and full of licorice loveliness.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve mentioned Chuck’s Produce several times on this blog. I love this store! It not only offers great produce, but other high quality foods as well, including some great teas from local vendors like The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants.
In the bulk section of Chuck’s, I can get these teas bulk, which means I can get as little or as much as I want. I like that flexibility, because as I’ve said before, I’m a tea taster. I like to try a little bit of every tea rather than having a large quantity of a favorite. And the bulk section lets me get just enough for a pot full of tea, but not so much that I’ll have more than I need.
So, when I noticed this Licorice Green Tea from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants, I was excited! I love licorice!
This has a powerful licorice flavor from not only licorice root, but also fennel and anise. It tastes licorice-y, reminiscent of a strong black licorice candy. The clove comes in and cuts through the licorice a little bit to keep it from tasting like those licorice cough drops. The clove is just the right touch for this blend.
With my first couple of sips, I found myself wondering where the green tea was in this blend, because I really couldn’t taste it. All I was tasting was licorice and clove. But after a few sips, the smooth flavor of the Gunpowder green tea came though. The green tea notes are a little overwhelmed here. I taste the nutty flavor of the green tea, and a soft buttery note which is something that I don’t usually note in a gunpowder green. I find it interesting how different ingredients in a blend like this can bring out different qualities in a tea that I haven’t really experienced (or rarely experienced.)
Even though I feel like some of the green tea flavor is lost here, I really do like the licorice-i-ness of this tea. This tea is a licorice lover’s delight, but this isn’t that wimpy fruit flavored licorice stuff that they sell at the concession stand in a movie theater. This is REAL licorice flavor, so if that’s not your thing, this is not the tea for you.