Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Tea Description:
It’s time to relax with Revolution Tea’s Golden Flowers, a delicious blend of whole Egyptian chamomile flowers, marigold flowers and peppermint leaf. Naturally caffeine-free, Golden Flowers is Revolution Tea’s most popular herbal blend. Caffeine Free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea confused me a bit! I opened the pouch and brewed it without reading the above description, so, I thought that this would be a “pure chamomile” tisane. But it isn’t. This is a blend of chamomile, peppermint and marigold petals. So, imagine my surprise when I took a sniff of the dry leaf and could smell peppermint.
I thought maybe my olfactory nerves were playing tricks on me, so I went ahead and brewed the sachet in my favorite sunflower teacup. I poured freshly filtered water that had been heated to 195°F and allowed the sachet to steep for 6 minutes.
Usually, I’ll let a tisane like this steep for up to 10 minutes, but, since I was a little taken aback by the aroma of the dry leaf, I wasn’t too sure if there might be hibiscus hiding somewhere in this tisane and I didn’t want to take a chance at infusing that too long!
Once I finished brewing the tea, I took a sniff of the brewed, golden amber liquid. Yep, either my olfactory nerves are going bonkers or I’m smelling mint.
I took a quick sip., and I could taste the mint that I was smelling. Peppermint. Yep, that definitely tastes like peppermint. So either this was a blend that also had peppermint in it, or it was the best tasting pure chamomile I had ever tasted. I kind of thought it was the former because if Revolution Tea had in fact discovered this special chamomile that tastes like peppermint, then I kind of think that someone else in the tea business would have caught on and “discovered” it too. You know?
Anyway, once I was able to pull up the description of the tisane, the fact that I could smell and taste peppermint made a whole lot more sense. This is a blend – not a pure chamomile tisane.
And it’s a really tasty blend! The peppermint is strong but it’s flavor has been tempered just enough by the presence of the chamomile so that it doesn’t taste too herbaceous nor does it taste like I’m drinking mouthwash. As someone who isn’t always crazy about the flavor of chamomile, I’m happy that the peppermint is there because I find peppermint to be a whole lot tastier than chamomile.
The marigold petals, well, they really don’t do much. Marigold petals are usually utilized by tea blenders to add some visual appeal to the dry blend. I can appreciate this practice, because I like it when a tea is not just flavorful and fragrant but also beautiful. Although I will say that since this is a sacheted tisane, it’s not really necessary to focus too much on the visual appeal of the dry leaf because it’s not so easy to see.
But since I don’t really taste much from the marigold, I have nothing to really complain about with this addition. It doesn’t really alter the flavor in a noticeable way – this is something I learned in my days as a tea blender, because I tested it back then. When I would flavor and blend teas, I tested every aspect to make sure that I was crafting the tea exactly the way I wanted it.
But maybe … this is the way Revolution wants it and as I said, I don’t really taste the marigold so it’s not a problem one way or another. I do like what I do taste: I like the combination of peppermint and chamomile. I like that I’m getting the relaxing and soothing properties of the chamomile along with the delightfully cool, crisp flavor of the peppermint. It’s a winning combination.
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!
Mint Cacao Tea from Tisano
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Tisano
Tisane Description:
Tisano is redefining mint-chocolate. Our CACAO MINT TEA is pure and simple, we take our signature CACAO TEA and artisanally blend it with organic Egyptian peppermint, creating a rich yet refreshing chocolate experience that lingers on your lips. Great for early morning or as an after dinner delight.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy!
Yeah, I say that a lot. That’s because I’m surrounded by so much delicious tea! And this … is not so much “tea” as it is a chocolate tisane, but, without getting technical, I’ll just say that I’m really enjoying this Mint Cacao Tea from Tisano! It’s so yummy!
Every time I lift my teacup to my lips, I’m greeted with a strong aroma of CHOCOLATE! That smell gets my taste buds all excited for what they’re about to experience – a deliciously decadent, sinful taste of dark chocolate and crisp, cool peppermint. Sweet, just a little bit bitter (as in bittersweet chocolate), and minty. So good!
The combination of chocolate and peppermint is a classic one, and Tisano has taken this classic combination and created a really delectable “tea” that can be steeped in water or if you really want to go for the gusto, you might try steeping it in hot milk. Personally, I don’t like steeping tea in milk because it makes a mess. I like my tea brewing experience to be as carefree as possible, and this means the less mess, the better. But if you do choose to steep it in milk, I think you’ll be rewarded with a very satisfyingly rich, “hot cocoa” kind of cup.
Me, I steep it in hot water – 195°F to be exact. This tends to be my go-to temperature setting for tisanes, as I find the slightly lower than boiling temperature works best to extract the best flavor from herbs. I let it steep for 12 minutes as there are no Camellia Sinensis leaves in this – so I don’t have to worry about oversteeping or tannins. Rather than just 1 tsp. of dry leaf for 12 ounces of hot water, I go with 2 tsp. because the way I see it, more chocolate = better. These parameters produce a very flavorful cuppa that satisfies this chocoholic when the chocolate cravings set in. It’s a little like a thinned hot cocoa that’s full of dark chocolate flavor with a refreshing note of mint.
And even though this is not a true “tea” – this beverage definitely brings a smile to my face. It’s sweet and chocolate-y and just … oh-so-good!!!
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Iced Tea from Southern Boy Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
You can also learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I love a bowl of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream! So rich, creamy and the crisp, cool mint flavor really makes it a perfect summer time treat. And hey … let’s not forget the chocolate chips. Mmm! Chocolate!
So I was looking forward to trying this new flavor from Southern Boy Teas: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Iced Tea!
It is a tasty iced tea. There is a palate-pleasing balance of mint, chocolate and creamy flavors along with a backdrop of black tea notes.
That said, I do have a little issue with it. My one complaint is that the chocolate notes are just a bit on the “fake” tasting side, but this is something that I found an easy fix for: just add a little bit of sugar.
But because this tea is already on the sweeter side, if you sweeten your iced tea while it’s still hot (so that the sugar melts!), you might want to use a little less than you usually would, or you might want to hold off altogether and make a simple syrup to sweeten to your taste once it’s chilled.
I found it to be rather tasty without the sweetener but as I said, the chocolate tasted just a little off. I then made a simple syrup: I just add a teensy bit of boiling water to about a half teaspoon of water and stir in a coffee cup until the sugar is dissolved, and then add it to my tea. The simple syrup enhanced the flavors nicely and improved the flavor of the chocolate.
Even without the sweetener, this is still quite tasty. The chocolate notes don’t taste bad, but, there’s just a little something not quite 100% perfect about it either. The sweetener does improve this issue with the chocolate, but I am not thrilled with the fact that I need to sweeten my tea to make it taste right.
I liked it, but I’ve liked other teas from SBT more than this one.