Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tisane Description:
Ingredients: German chamomile, mint, orange peels and blossoms, malva and lemongrass.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the third tea that I received in my December Amoda Box (Yeah, I am behind, I
know) The other two teas that came in December’s Amoda Box were Black Tea Merlot from Vintage TeaWorks, which I did not review after receiving this box because I had reviewed it previously, and Minty Winter Wonderland from Tiesta Tea.
This Orange Blossom Chamomile from Petali Teas is a surprising blend. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a big fan of herbal blends, preferring teas with the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, but, I must admit that I do find herbal tisanes to be a nice, caffeine free alternative for evenings. And this herbal from Petali Teas is really tasty.
When I opened the pouch, I was astonished at how good the dry leaf smelled. It smelled sweet and orange-y … reminding me a bit of orange slices (you know those jelly candies that are an orange gel that is covered in sugar? Yeah, those … that’s what this tisane smells like to me) and since I love orange slices, my mouth started watering when I first smelled this … and I started craving orange slices. Since I didn’t happen to have any in the house, I decided to brew a cup of this to see if it would help curb my craving.
Sadly, it did not curb the desire for candy, but, I will say that it is a tasty cuppa. Citrus notes are strong, and it’s not just orange that I taste. I taste hints of lemon and even a touch of lime. The orange is the strongest note, but, I like how this is almost like a citrus punch kind of flavor, rather than focusing just on the orange. I also taste a very light floral note to this.
The ingredients list peppermint, and while I don’t taste a distinct minty note that screams PEPPERMINT to me, there is a certain zesty … crisp, cool note to this that I attribute to the peppermint. That is to say … this doesn’t taste overwhelmingly minty … but there are qualities to this that are minty. Perhaps the strength of the citrus is such that it overpowers the peppermint … and for this particular tisane, that works for me, because it is … after all, called Orange Blossom Chamomile and not Peppermint Chamomile. It should be about the citrus. But I do like the minty characteristics in this blend.
Overall, I found this to be enjoyable … one I’d be happy to enjoy again.
Real Red Paradise Tea from Tea & Botanicals
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Tea & Botanicals
Tisane Description:
Red Tea is naturally caffeine-free red tea blended with colorful flower petals and tropical flavors. Red Tea has reputed health benefits, as it is antioxidant rich and also contains vitamins and minerals.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Visually, this is a very pretty tisane. Amongst the needle-like reddish-brown rooibos leaves, there are beautiful petals of blue, red, and yellow. There is really very little aroma to the dry leaf, which is a little disappointing because with a name like “Real Red Paradise Tea,” I was kind of hoping for a beautiful, exotic fragrance. The brewed tea has a slightly stronger scent, smelling of a tropical fruit medley – not like any one fruit in particular, its more like a tropical fruit punch.
The flavor is surprisingly good. I say that because, with most rooibos blends I want a strong flavoring, because I don’t usually like to taste the flavor of oxidized rooibos. They are nutty, a little woody, and there is often this really funky sweetness that lingers into the aftertaste. It’s not really the most pleasant flavor.
But, somehow, this all works together very well. F0r starters, I don’t taste that funky sweetness nor do I taste a funky lingering aftertaste that I normally associate with red rooibos. I do taste the nutty tones, but somehow these typical rooibos flavors just work well with the flavors and more importantly with the level of flavoring that this tisane possesses. I taste sweet, nutty flavor, and unlike some other red rooibos blends I’ve tried in the past, this tastes very pleasant!
The tropical flavors are very light. I don’t know that I taste any one type of tropical fruit specifically. Every once in a while I think I taste pineapple, but, it tastes more like a harmony of fruit notes … and it’s a very delicate taste, like it’s off in the distance, just barely tempting the palate with sweet, fruity goodness.
And what I’m really enjoying most of all is how well these whispers of tropical fruit mingle with the floral notes … the rose is especially noticeable. The sweet notes from the rose together with the soft tropical fruit is really quite delightful.
Not a bad tisane, quite enjoyable. Nice for a quiet evening, when you just want to sit back and relax.