Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Local Coffee & Tea
Product Description:
Daughters of the Revolution vowed to “drink tea made from weeds” instead of imported tea. Thankfully they chose herbs, fruits and flowers to make their tea and as a celebration of those early beverages we now present them to you in this beautiful tea!
A CERTIFIED ORGANIC Rooibos blended with lavender the “Herb of Harmony”, rosehip shells, dried red and black currants, rose petals and bilberries. Heady, perfumed lavender notes with a floral, fresh, fruity and mellow flavor. This is a very relaxing tea for consumption any time of day or night. Naturally caffeine-free.
Taster’s Review:
It took me a while to finally taste this tea. But I didn’t hesitate with this tea because I didn’t think I would like it. In fact, I was quite certain I would enjoy it. I love lavender, I love currants, so I felt that this tea had a lot of potential, even though it is a rooibos blend. The reason I postponed trying this tea is because of the name. I wanted to save this tea to review closer to a patriotic holiday … like the 4th of July. But the 4th came and went and I had forgotten about this tea.
So… here I am now a couple of months after July and I figure that now is is as patriotic a time as any. And really, do we really need a reason to celebrate our patriotism? Especially if that patriotism is demonstrated through tea!
This is a delicious rooibos blend. It has a very nice amount of lavender essence, providing a beautiful, heady scent and delicious, sweet flavor without tasting too lavender-y. I love lavender, but it can be a little too much at times. Here, it’s just right. The rose adds a hint of flavor that proves to be very harmonious with the lavender notes.
The elderberries and currants add a tasty berry flavor that is pleasantly tart. That tartness offers a nice contrast to the sweet floral taste and gives the overall cup a nice sense of balance.
This is a very tasty “tea made from weeds!”
Selby Select Rooibos Tea from Local Coffee & Tea
Tea Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: Local Coffee & Tea/SipLocally.com
Product Description:
This is our custom blended Rooibos with orange peel and dried yogurt pieces. Created to celebrate the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, this is our perennial best seller. Each sip releases the aroma of sweet ripe oranges, followed by creamy notes on your tongue. You will think you are drinking Florida sunshine in a magnificently serene garden. Savor and enjoy! Naturally caffeine-free
Tasters Review:
The first time I tried Selby Select Rooibos Tea from Local Coffee and Tea was more than a year ago and I was given a small sample of it to try from a friend. I remember liking it BUT this past month I revisited this little wonder and ended up liking it a whole lot more than I remember! And I will say this…after the 2nd go-around with this Rooibos I promise I will never let it slip my mind again!
Every flavor is intense and fresh! I could taste the citrus and it was cheery and bright! This time around I could pick up on the yogurt MUCH MORE than the first time I tried this tisane and it is a pure delight!
This is a nice Creamy Treat but also orangey, delicious, flavorful, and memorable!
Mote Beach Tea from Local Coffee & Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Local Coffee & Tea
Company Description:
Mote Beach Tea is a combination of fruits and herbs including coconut, apple, hibiscus, rosehips and pineapple. Mote Beach Tea contains no sugar and is naturally caffeine free.
Mote Beach Tea was created to honor of the marine research conducted at Mote Marine Laboratory. This beach inspired loose leaf tea is a tisane and contains no true tea, camellia sinensis. Mote Beach Tea is high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Wonderful hot as a calming bedtime drink, or iced as a popsicle in the summer.
Mote Beach Tea is available in distinctive blue bags that are re-sealable to maintain freshness. On the back of each package is an overview of Mote Marine Laboratory.
Taster’s Review:
Tart!
I’m not a particular fan of sour teas, I like a little bit of tartness to a fruit tea or tisane such as this one, but when it is really tart, it is a little off-putting. This tisane is almost too much tart. Almost.
That being said, this tea isn’t ONLY tart… there are some other delicious things to be said about this tisane as well. In particular, I am really enjoying the combination of the pineapple and coconut. It lends a lovely tropical flavor to this blend.
The tartness comes from hibiscus, which also offers a bit of thickness to the liquor, giving it a rather enjoyable texture. The apple also brings a little bit of tartness to the party, but I am also noticing a backdrop of apple-y sweetness. Nice!
As I continue to sip this tea, I find that I like it better. It is especially nice when it cools down, because it tames some of the tartness. The coconut is sweet and smooth, and I am really finding it to be particularly delicious here. It is a bit like a tropical nectar!
A couple of things to note about this blend: 1) I added a dollop of honey to the brewed tisane and found that this brought the tartness level down to a palatable level for me. Like I said, I’m not big on tart. BUT, if you like tart/sour teas, you should taste this one before sweetening it. 2) If you want to tame the tartness without having to add a lot of sweetener, try steeping it for only 5 – 6 minutes instead of the suggested 8 – 10 minutes. This should be long enough to extract the flavors from the ingredients.
Patriot Tea (Daughters of the American Revolution)
Tea Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: Local Coffee & Tea (Sip Locally)
Product Description:
This tea perfectly captures the essence of the Sara DeSoto chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This is the oldest non profit organization in the Sarasota located in historic Payne Park.
Early colonists learned about locally grown herbs from the Native Indians. These discoveries played an important role in the protest against taxes the British were placing on tea, which would eventually lead to the Boston Tea Party.
Daughters of the Revolution vowed to “drink tea made from weeds” instead of imported tea. Thankfully they chose herbs, fruits and flowers to make their tea and as a celebration of those early beverages we now present them to you in this beautiful tea!
A CERTIFIED ORGANIC Rooibos blended with lavender the “Herb of Harmony”, rosehip shells, dried red and black currants, rose petals and bilberries. Heady, perfumed lavender notes with a floral, fresh, fruity and mellow flavor. This is a very relaxing tea for consumption any time of day or night. Naturally caffeine-free.
20 to 25 cups of tea can be made from 2 oz of loose leaf rooibos. We also suggest steeping our Rooibos multiple times for even more cups of great tea.
Store in a dry place.
Tasters Review:
This is a juicy flavored rooibos. I can taste the elderberries and currants more than the floral ingredients but I certainly like that. The rosehips and floral notes are subtle and are a nice gentle touch.
This is nice hot but I am going to be trying it ICED soon because I think it will be even better iced!
Another draw to this tisane is the history behind it! Not only the history – locally – and for their local DAR Chapter but the story behind Sara, herself! I did some research and found the following about Sara…
The Spanish explorer, Hernando DeSoto, explored this part of Florida in 1539, and according to legend, he had his daughter Sara with him. Sara met and fell in love with a native warrior by the name of Chi Chi Okobe (pronounced Chee Chee Okobee). He was a member of the Calusa tribe, which inhabited this region at that time. Unfortunately, he contracted a fever and was gravely ill. Sara decided to remain with him and nurse him back to health, but she contracted the fever and she died. Chi Chi Okobe was grief-stricken at the loss of his love. He had her body buried out in the bay. He then sent 100 of his best warriors out to the spot where they chopped holes in the bottoms of their canoes and drowned themselves to protect her final resting place. According to the legend, when you see whitecaps on the waves in the bay, they are actually the feather headdresses of those native warriors still guarding her grave.
For more information about Daughters of the American Revolution see THIS Website.
For more info about Sarasota’s Chapter see THIS Website.
And for more information about Local Coffee & Tea’s Sarasota Collection of Teas – check this out!