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!
Pineberry Honeybush from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
There really IS such a thing as a pineberry. Supposedly it’s a strawberry that tastes like a pineapple and looks like the image on our label, which to me looks kind of like what marshmallows would look like if marshmallows were a fruit.
So, of course OUR take on the Pineberry is probably nothing like what a real Pineberry tastes like, which I imagine not very many people would know anyway, but rather what I imagine a Pineberry SHOULD taste like.
I think it should taste like sweet, golden honeybush with accents of pineapple, strawberry and marshmallow–so I created this blend with real freeze-dried pineapple and strawberry bits and marshmallow root. It’s a little different, but then, so is 52teas.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Note: As I was writing this review, it seemed to come out more as a note to Frank (Chief Zoomdweebie at 52Teas) than it did a review … but it is still a review … so, since it does seem a bit like a note to Frank, I decided to craft it that way … I hope you enjoy my slightly different approach to a review today.
Dear Frank:
I’ve never tasted a pineberry. In fact, until I read the description of this tisane during the week of it’s release (April 8), I had never even heard of a pineberry. And since this Pineberry Honeybush from 52Teas is based upon what you think a Pineberry should taste like – I guess I will have to wait until a time when and if I should ever come across a pineberry in a market somewhere before I actually taste one.
However, I do like what your imaginary pineberry tastes like. Sweet with notes of strawberry, pineapple, and a lovely hint of marshmallow. YUM! And … I swear that I can taste an ever-so-subtle hint of pepper in this too, and I find that note to be so intriguing.
The honeybush is sweet and honey-esque, as I would expect it to be, with hints of a nutty background. I like that the honeybush is not a prominent flavor but that I can taste it, and it contributes to the overall cup in a very pleasant way. Perhaps the aforementioned hints of spice come from the honeybush, although I must admit that I don’t recall ever tasting spice notes from honeybush before (unless it was a spiced honeybush blend!)
I really like the way the sweet, nutty tones of the honeybush meld with the pineapple, and I think that you should explore the combination of pineapple and honeybush further. How about Pineapple Fondue Tisane: pineapple, chocolate, and honeybush, and put some marshmallow in there just for fun too … and while we’re exploring imaginary blends, I also really like the way the pineapple and the marshmallow work here, so a pineapple marshmallow green tea (or perhaps a white tea?) would be quite tasty too, I think.
And then there is the strawberry. The strawberry is sweet with just a whisper of tart. The strawberry notes taste authentic … no artificial strawberry flavors here! The strawberry with the marshmallow work nicely too. And since you’ve done Boo-Berry a few times, I think it’s time to work on FrankenBerry for Halloween this year: A strawberry marshmallow green tea.
Overall, I really enjoyed this Pineberry Honeybush a lot more than I thought I would. And I was pretty sure I’d like it, because your honeybush blends are usually tasty, and really, how do you go wrong with pineapple and strawberry and marshmallow? Answer: YOU don’t, and you didn’t.
Thank you for another delightful tisane.
Your Favorite Customer,
LiberTEAS
S’mores Genmaicha Green Tea Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
So, you liked the Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha (one of the reblends, by the way…), and you liked the Browncoat (Chocolate) Genmaicha? Well, you’re going to LOVE the S’mores Genmaicha! Toasty genmaicha blended with marshmallow root, roasted cacao nibs and just a tiny touch of smoke from a bit of lapsang souchoung. This is a heavenly treat to warm your bones and soothe your sweet-tooth.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! Just … WOW! This S’mores Genmaicha Green Tea Blend is probably the tastiest Genmaicha blend that I’ve tried from 52Teas yet! From my very first sip, I was totally blown away!
The smokiness from the Lapsang Souchong comes out, but it isn’t an overpowering smoky tone … it is just a hint of smoke … just enough to evoke thoughts of toasting marshmallows around a campfire and making s’mores!
The roasty-toasty, nutty flavor of the Genmaicha comes through too, and it gives the overall cup a sense of “crust” … like the graham cracker crust of a s’more. The flavor of graham doesn’t really come out strongly with this tea, but the nuttiness of the tea seems to give the flavor just what it needs … because it is almost like I’m sipping on liquefied s’mores!
The chocolate … well the chocolate could be stronger. But then, I’m a chocoholic, remember? There is never too much chocolate as far as I’m concerned. But I think that for this particular dessert tea, there is a fair amount of chocolate flavor.
But what really MAKES this cup for me is the marshmallow notes. The marshmallow, together with the Lapsang Souchong and the Genmaicha … tastes like a freshly roasted marshmallow! YUM! I can almost taste that hint of char on the marshmallow, and the gooey, molten, creamy marshmallow that would ooze out of the marshmallow and help melt the chocolate as it comes in contact with it when sandwiched between two graham crackers.
This is really so good … I’m on my second infusion of this tea (each measurement of leaves is worth at least two infusions!) and it tastes just as good as the first … no loss of flavor! If you are looking for a delicious, chocolate-y, marshmallow-y tea treat … you need look no further. 52Teas has got you covered!
White Christmas Black Tea Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Here’s our premium black teas blended with peppermint, marshmallow root and organic flavors. I know we’ve done a few marshmallow/mint blends this year, but this might just be the crowning jewel. As a few of our 12 Teas of Christmas sampler purchasers have already commented, the black tea lends a faint chocolate note to the mixture of mint and marshmallow.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh yum!
I have tried the other marshmallow root teas that 52Teas has crafted in the past, and I’ve enjoyed them all, but, this White Christmas Black Tea Blend might just be my favorite thus far. (I don’t know though, the Sun and Cloud Mist Tea is really amazing too!)
First, I really like that the black tea is not overpowered by the other flavors. I taste the black tea right up front, and while I do enjoyed my flavored teas, I do appreciate it when the tea is not overwhelmed by the flavors. Here, the black tea is robust, rich, and delicious, with a moderate amount of astringency. And as it has been mentioned on Steepster, there is the faintest note of cocoa to this that is quite delightful – and I can’t help but wonder how AMAZING this tea might have been with chocolate flavors too. That’s not to say it’s not already delicious – it is! – but, I’m a chocoholic and chocolate always makes things taste better!
The peppermint is crisp and refreshing. My mouth feels clean in the aftertaste, I can feel the cool mint tingle over my tongue. Very invigorating! I like how the marshmallow softens the mint somewhat though … this doesn’t taste TOO minty. The marshmallow gives the cup a soft, sweet taste that I really like.
What a great tea! I really like this one a whole lot. Well done, 52Teas!
Russian Samovar from Mahamosa Gourmet Teas, Spices & Herbs
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mahamosa Gourmet Teas, Spices & Herbs
Tea Description:
This tea blend is derived from an old Russian recipe. As the name implies, it is perfect for serving from the traditional Russian teapot, the “samovar”. Russia is known for its love of teas which first arrived from China through Mongolia. Tea is the most popular non-alcoholic drink in Russia. Zoom into this classic blend and note the dark leaves, smoky in appearance. This blend is highly aromatic. It is light bodied, and in accord with the appearance of the leaves, a hint of smokiness.
Leaf: Dark leaves
Body: Light
Aroma and Taste: Highly aromatic, hints of smokiness
Intensity: Medium
Color: Orange
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Russian Samovar from Mahamosa Gourmet Teas, Spices & Herbs is one of the smoothest morning brews I have had in a very long time.
When I opened the bag and put the leaves into my steeping basket I could smell a faint aroma of vanilla, although this is not listed as an ingredient I felt it had to be a natural aroma in the tea. I also was able to taste a light vanilla flavor as well but as the tea cooled more the vanilla aroma dissipated. The flavor mellowed into a simply smooth delicious black tea.
I have enjoyed this tea on several occasions and each time I plan to do a review on it but I just find myself sitting back and enjoying my morning cup which tells me I really like this tea.
I won’t say it is a complex tea layered with different flavor notes or anything like that. Rather it is a simple morning cup that wakes you up gently, smoothly, and allows you to start moving without feeling jittery or anxious. It is very pleasant to sip, welcoming on the palate and such a lovely cup.
I have been impressed with the teas from Mahamosa thus far, I still have a couple to try but so far I give a huge thumbs up!
Mahamosa contributes 50% of their profits to charity which gets my approval as well!
Now getting back to this tea … it says in the description that it is smokey. Well, you know, its not really all that smokey, at least not in the manner of a Lapsang Souchong anyway. Its rather difficult for me to label it as smokey because usually that is a flavor that is up front, in your face, and in this tea is simply is not. For some that may make this tea more or less attractive The smokiness is light, and in a strange way far less in the flavor than in the feel of the tea. I don’t know if that makes sense or not. It does have a very light campfire side aroma but there is this light sweetness to it that makes me think more of a lightly roasted marshmallow than the campfire smokiness itself.
Another cool thing about this tea company is they also offer spices and herbs which I do need to replace a lot of my outdated spices soon, they, like tea, also lose flavor after too long. So for those of you who need another great reason / excuse to buy more tea … there you go! You probably need to replace spices as well!
