Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: English Tea Shop
Tea Description:
Peppermint Melon: Green tea, cinnamon pieces, licorice and peppermint leaves with melon flavour.
Taster’s Review:
I wasn’t too sure about this Peppermint Melon Green Tea Blend from English Tea Shop when I read the ingredient list. Melon and peppermint sounded alright together, but cinnamon and licorice? I love cinnamon and I absolutely adore licorice, but, I wasn’t sure how these sometimes zesty spices would taste with the melon flavor.
But as it turns out, the cinnamon and licorice are very faint, barely-there notes in this cup. The melon and peppermint dominate, and I’m happy to report that even though peppermint can sometimes overwhelm a blend, it’s not doing that here. The peppermint is more of an uplifting note, allowing the melon to shine through very nicely.
The green tea is a little lost in this though. By the time I reached mid-cup, I found myself wondering where the green tea was. I can taste hints of vegetation (more grassy than vegetable), but there really isn’t a lot of green tea taste to this cup.
But the melon and mint notes are nice. The mint tastes cool and refreshing and it’s a really pleasing accent to the melon flavor. The melon is sweet.
Overall, a tasty tea that tastes more of melon than of tea, and because of that, it’s just a wee bit disappointing. I would like a little more tea flavor here. Not the best tea that I’ve tried from English Tea Shop, but for the melon-ness of this … I found myself glad that I tried it.
African Chai Blend from Justea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Justea
Tea Description:
Our African Chai is whole leaf Kenyan black tea with organic African spices and rose/safflower petals. “The fennel, clove, coriander and liquorice root makes this chai smooth and silky on the palate. This African chai is balanced – it has a tea hit first and then a sweet finish”
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Justea’s fundraising effort to support Kenyan farmers here.
Taster’s Review:
Are you looking for a truly DIFFERENT chai blend? This African Chai Blend from Justea might be just what you’re looking for! This chai is quite different from many of the other chai blends that I’ve tasted … and different is good!
That’s not to say that I’ve not enjoyed the other chai blends I’ve tasted … you know how I love a good spiced blend. But this blend focuses on other spices: I taste the fennel and licorice root up front, and they give the cup a sweet, snappy kind of taste, and like the Tea Sommelier video for this tea states, it’s a very silky sort of wash over the palate. The clove and coriander lend warmth and zest to the cup without turning this into something overly spiced. The balance of the spices allows for enjoyment of each ingredient’s presence here, and I like that.
The Kenyan black tea is an excellent base for this tea because it is so rich and smooth, and it has its own sort of natural spice taste to it. It seems like a smart choice to accentuate the natural spice tones of the tea by turning the tea into the base of this African Chai.
I also taste the rose in this. I like the hint of sweetness from the floral notes here. It adds just a little interest, just a little something to keep the palate excited to keep tasting.
This tastes less “spicy” and more warm and “spiced.” It doesn’t have a “spicy-hot” sort of flavor, instead, it tastes comfortably warm, with a cozy sort of taste to it. The kind of tea that you like to warm up with on a chilly autumn day. As I continue to sip, my mouth feels warm, as though I’ve had something peppery, but not so hot that I feel the need to wash it down with something cooling. It’s a very enjoyable warmth.
I tried this African Chai a few different ways. First, I tried it straight up, and it was delicious. Then I tried it with a little bit of raw turbinado sugar, and discovered my favorite way to drink this chai. The sugar brings out the subtle nuances of the spices, and I got the most enjoyment out of this chai with just a little bit (about half a teaspoon for a cup of tea) of sugar (honey would do nicely too!) Finally, I decided to try it latte, and this makes a really outstanding latte too. Just a splash of warmed milk enhances the silky smooth quality of this tea. I really enjoyed it as a latte, but, the milk does mute some of the spices just a tad, and since I really love the spices … I’d have to say that the best way – or at least, my favorite way – to enjoy this is with just a little bit of sugar or honey. It’s so good!
Star Anise Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Blue Lotus Chai
Chai Description:
Our new Star Anise Masala Chai is absolutely delicious! It has all of the signature BLC spices, with star anise contributing deep, but subtle licorice notes.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
OK … do you guys remember when I first reviewed the Original Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai and I suggested in that review that they add some Star Anise or Fennel to the chai for some licorice-y notes? Well, guess what? They took my advice! (Those people at Blue Lotus Chai … they’re smart cookies!) And they contacted me after they perfected the blend … and sent me some of it to try! And I’m sure it’s no great surprise: I love this stuff!
I like this Star Anise Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai even better than the original Masala Chai, and I’m not just saying that because I suggested the Star Anise. I’m saying because I love that hint of licorice-y snap that the additional spice adds. It’s just a hint of licorice-like taste. It doesn’t attempt to compete with the other spices, instead, it blends in there harmoniously, creating a very enjoyable, exceptionally well-spiced cup of chai!
This is delicious iced too. Instead of adding the full 4 ounces of water to the chai, I’ll add some ice cubes to the blender along with the chai mix and milk, and blend until the ice cubes are obliterated. It’s like a frosty cool, iced “frappe/freddo” type of beverage you might get from the local coffee shop without having to pay five bucks a cup for it. YUM!
The spices here are good and strong – just like in the original Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai – spicy, peppery and sweet. I love the balance of spices in this chai because one spice is not stronger or heavier than the others … I taste a little bit of cinnamon, a little bit of clove … a little bit of ginger, black pepper, nutmeg and cardamom too. And then there is that delightful licorice-y tone from the Star Anise! LOVE!
This is the PERFECT chai … I love love love it. I might … even like this better than my Masterpiece Chai. And that’s saying something … because … well, that was a masterpiece! (Even if I do say so myself.) Next suggestion for the brilliant minds at Blue Lotus Chai: How about a Chocolate Rose Chai!
Slumbering Slope Tisane from Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Description:
Ingredients: Chamomile, Skullcap, Catnip, Spearmint, Rose, licorice
This is a simple blend to help calm the body at the end of the day. My sister grew the catnip for this blend. The skullcap and chamomile come from farms in Oregon. I like to use a variety of mild relaxants when I make any evening teas because everyone has a really specific combination of tensions in their body. Some folks hold tension in thoughts, others in their muscles.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about subscribing to Bird’s Eye Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I put off trying this Slumbering Slope Tisane from Bird’s Eye Tea for a while … and the reason is chamomile. I don’t dislike chamomile (although at one time I did dislike it) but, it’s also not my favorite herb. And … I usually only prepare a chamomile tisane later in the evening, when I want to start getting ready for rest because chamomile does have that relaxing effect. Actually, it makes me sleepy. But, usually, when I’m getting ready for bed, I’m not really thinking about preparing a tisane … although I think I should get myself into that habit.
And this would be a great tisane with which to get into that kind of habit! This is a tasty tisane. The chamomile is the strongest flavor, followed by the spearmint. I like that the spearmint is there to add a nice minty tone to the taste, but, it isn’t an overpowering taste, as I think a stronger minty flavor would be a bit more invigorating than it should be for a blend like this.
I can taste the rose, and again, I like that this is a soft, sweet rose note. The licorice is faint, but, it adds a hint of sweetness and an interesting contrast without coming off too zesty.
Everything about this blend is calm and soothing. It is a very relaxing blend that is not too medicinal or herbaceous tasting, and not overly sweet. It has a pleasant, easy to drink flavor. I like it.
Inscape: A NOS4A2 Inspired Yerba Mate Blend from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
But I suppose you want to know about the tea this week. Inscape is my attempt at an artistic interpretation of Joe Hill’s novel. It is dark and mysterious with a roasted South American yerba mate base blended with almond slivers, marshmallow root, licorice root and a touch of peppermint. It is largely flavored with organic marshmallow and maple flavors and the cup tastes mostly like a rich vanilla/maple mate with a whisper of licorice and peppermint–like the ghost of Christmas, unexpected and strangely haunting. This is MY inscape, my re-imagining of Joe Hill’s novel manifested in reality and poured out for you. I hope you like it.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve been drinking this Inscape: A NOS4A2 Inspired Yerba Mate Blend from 52Teas for a couple of days now, but this is the first time that I’ve taken the time to sit down and actually write a review about it. I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t even think about writing about the tisane until it was gone! Ha! And since I like to be sipping on the tea/tisane as I’m writing the review so that I can provide as accurate a review on what I’m tasting as possible, I found myself saying a few times … “well, I guess I’ll just have to wait until I brew it again.”
I have not read any of Joe Hill’s books (sorry, Mr. Hill, if you’re reading this), but, I am really enjoying this tisane so much that it is making me curious about reading NOS4A2 to see how the book stands up to the tisane that inspired it.
Generally speaking, Yerba Mate is not my favorite tisane base … but I don’t hate the stuff the way I once did. There was a time when I found it way too earthy for my liking … but, now, I don’t mind it so much. I also think that it may have had something to do with the actual Yerba Mate I was drinking, perhaps the brand was just not a very good one. But this … this is really nice. It tastes earthy and roasted … and this particular blend … almost tastes like a flavored coffee but with less bitterness than a typical cup of java.
The maple is what won me over with this particular blend – it is so yummy and maple-y and just … GOOD. It’s like that first taste of real maple syrup after drizzling the syrup over a stack of pancakes … you know that little drop that remains on the lip of the bottle? You’ve gotta wipe that off with your finger and taste it, right? That delicious, maple-y goodness is what I experience with every sip of this tisane.
Then I notice the creamy vanilla tones – it’s light and fluffy tasting, like marshmallow cream. In the background, I notice hints of licorice. And there is a nuttiness to this as well, and I don’t know if I’m getting that from the actual almond slivers or if it’s from the Yerba Mate. It’s not a distinct almond-esque flavor, it’s just a sweet, nutty taste that really elevates the soft, marshmallow-y vanilla notes.
Surprisingly, I don’t notice a whole lot of the peppermint. What I do notice a sort of clean … crispness right up front, but it isn’t a distinguished minty taste. Toward the finish, I start to pick up more of the peppermint tones, and the aftertaste as a faint, mysterious hint of peppermint. This surprises me because peppermint does tend to be a rather aggressive herb in blends, and often overpowers everything else. But that didn’t happen here – this is very skillfully blended with just the right amount of peppermint that leaves the taster thinking: “what was that?” Like the way a faint breeze feels when you’re walking through some spooky woods as night falls, and it tickles across your back and it’s just enough of something to make you wonder if the woods are haunted and you just had an encounter with a ghost. But … it’s a lot less freaky and a whole lot more tasty!
I like this a lot. I like it so much that I just visited the 52Teas website with the intention of re-ordering some … but it appears it’s sold out. Hopefully it will be re-blended!