Harbor Time Tea from Steepers Artisan Teas had me do a double take. WHY? Because of the wonderfully green ingredients! This tea contains: Peppermint, Green Rooibos, Hawthorn Leaf, Spearmint, Blackberry Leaf. Everything is all natural and pleasant to all the senses!
Another Green Rooibos!? YAY! Green Rooibos finally seems to be stepping up and facing the Red Rooibos! I felt for too long that Green has been hanging out in the background while the Red had all the fun! Harbor Time Tea from Steepers Artisan Teas has just enough Green Rooibos to make everything work in this blend of flavors! The peppermint/spearmint is the REAL rock star! It’s the loudest aroma and flavor in this mix! Lucky for me – I’m a true minty-nut!
I would like to do a quick shout out to the Hawthorn Leaf and Blackberry Leaf that is also being used in this Green Rooibos Tisane! I have been seeing more and more Blackberry Leaves being used and I think that is pretty exciting! Hawthorn Leaf I usually see in heavy herbal tisanes. Harbor Time Tea from Steepers Artisan Teas is minty, herbally, and has a speck of underlying sweetness! It’s a REAL KEEPER!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Steepers Artisan Teas
Description
Exclusively blended for the beautiful harbor view in Gig Harbor, WA. HARBOR TIME TEA is a perfect minty herbal tea for relaxing in the moment.
Ingredients: Peppermint, Green Rooibos, Hawthorn Leaf, Spearmint, Blackberry Leaf.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas
Mediterranean Mint. How could you go wrong with a name like that? Next up at Sororitea Sisters is Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas.
Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas contains Wild Thyme, Wild Mint, and Armenian Wild Oregano. The loose contents are extremely fluffy and plump and smell AMAZING right out of the bag! It’s a carefully crafted herbal blend that Armeniac says is the perfect finish to a Mediterranean meal and is an uplifting taste experience!
While I didn’t drink this after a meal I did drink Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas after sipping on various other flavored teas and this was a wonderful palate cleanser.
Mediterranean Mint from Armeniac Teas is a calming mint most likely brought more to center by the thyme and oregano. The trio of ingredients complement each other perfectly and make a more-than-pleasant cuppa!
This was tasty hot, cool, and iced. According to the package this loose blend of herbs can be brewed and/or infused two times. YUM! I LOVE this minty-fresh experience!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: Armeniac
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Catnap from Aka Tea
I misread the name of this tea at first, and thought it said “Catnip.” Turns out I wasn’t far wrong, because this blend does actually contain catnip. It’s even more fitting when you consider that the company logo, and indeed the majority of their blends, are cat themed.
Catnap is purportedly a relaxing blend, containing chamomile, mint, lemon verbena, lemon balm…and catnip. In my head, catnip isn’t something I typically associate with relaxation – it conjures images of bright-eyed, mischief-making kittens. Maybe in humans the effects are different.
Noticeable amongst the dry leaf are small whole chamomile flowers, pieces of lemongrass, cinnamon chips, bright blue cornflowers, and finely shredded mint (and, assumedly, catnip) leaves. I gave 1 tsp of leaf 4 minutes in boiling water, no additions. The resulting liquor is a bright yellow-orange, the scent generically herbal with an edge of sweet mint.
To taste, it’s a little danker than I was expecting, more a dark, sludgy herbal than a bright, clean, refreshing one. Mint is the main flavour – there’s the characteristic cooling peppermint, the sweeter edge of spearmint, and then a borderline vegetal flavour that I’m assuming is the catnip. I’m putting it with the mints because that’s how it comes across to me – minty, but with a definite swampiness about it. Underneath all of those runs the cinnamon, adding a warming spiciness. I’m not sure that it pairs 100% successfully with mint, though. It’s not a flavour combination I’ve come across many times before, and I’m pretty sure there’s a reason for that…
The lemon emerges in the mid-sip, and lifts what could have been a fairly uninspiring cup into brighter territory. The lemongrass adds another layer of sweetness, combining hay-like notes with a light citrus, and the lemon verbena and lemon balm also help to heighten this impression. The chamomile makes itself known at the end of the sip, with its typical thick honey notes. It pairs well with the lemongrass, and moves this blend more firmly into “relaxing tea” territory.
To me, this is a tea of two halves. The initial sip is very heavy on the mint and cinnamon, but that fades pretty quickly and is replaced by the citrus-honey flavours that seem to develop further as it cools. It’s certainly a unique blend, but I’m not sure it’s one I’d seek out especially frequently, primarily because I find the flavour combinations a little too jarring.
Having said that, this is an interesting caffeine-free option, and it’s different from most other “relaxing” blends I’ve tried. If you’re looking for something a little unusual to brighten up your evening tea drinking, this could well be the blend for you. Cat lovers may well award extra points also!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Aka Tea
Description:
CatNap, anyone? Sometimes that’s just what the doc ordered. Catnip is not just for cats. It has been known to help humans relax, relieve headaches, and calm the nerves. Curl up with a cup and “cat”ch some z’s.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mint To Be Together from For Tea’s Sake
At first glance, this tea sounds stellar-a combo of different mints and lemon peel. Sounds refreshing and so inviting. When I opened the pouch, I was greeted with a fresh feel to the tea.
For Tea’s Sake is one that I stumbled upon after lunch with my parents at a neighboring town. I couldn’t resist grabbing 4 different kinds of their loose leaf tea to try.
Brewed up with fresh water at 212F and allowed to steep for 5 minutes, I poured myself a generous cuppa to enjoy. Unfortunately, first sip in, I knew this tea wasn’t for me. The lemon and mint didn’t play very well. Since I wasn’t in love with what I had, I thought I would try a nice cold brew.
So I scooped what I had remaining of this tea into a pitcher and allowed the tea to sit overnight. I have to say this way of brewing the tea yielded a better flavor but I just don’t think this is a tea cut out for me.
Final Thoughts? The lemon was present and quite lovely but I just didn’t like the combo of the mint with the lemon. It was almost like the mint either needed to be pulled back a bit or more lemon peel added in. This tea (for me) seems to be sort of confused. Regardless, I appreciate the effort. I would try this tea again in a heart beat just to try adding in another spoonful or maybe even cold brewing for another day or two. Or maybe even add in strawberries or raspberries. That may be the ticket.
Just one of those blends that needs a bit of experimenting!
Here’s the Scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: For Tea’s Sake
Description:
For Tea’s Sake Mint To Be Together Loose Leaf Iced Tea Blend. The perfect combination of tart lemonade and refreshing mint is reminiscent of warm sunny days and long conversations in the shade. Lemonade and friends are meant to be together. Mint Lemonade, 1.8oz/45g Tin.
INGREDIENTS:
peppermint, ground lemon peel and spearmint
Learn more about this tea and tea company here.
Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Tisane
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Tea Description:
Pink Rose Lemonade is a swirling collage of flowers with a hint of lemon and wintergreen. Like a fancy floral confection, this delicately handcrafted tea will refresh and soothe your palate. Pink Rose Lemonade is totally guilt-free, as it has no caffeine and is naturally sweet. Lemon, rose, mint, chamomile, and lavender spring to life in this absolutely fabulous herbal tea. Pink Rose Lemonade tastes distinctively wonderful brewed hot or cold.
Features:
- Premium Loose Leaf Herbal Tea
- Sample = 5 8-oz Servings
- 1/2 LB Bulk = $0.31 / Serving
- Naturally Caffeine Free!
- Gluten-free & Sugar-free
- No added flavorings
Ingredients: lemongrass, lemon myrtle, orange peel, rose petals, lemon balm, spearmint, chamomile, lavender
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot…that just sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Well…it IS! I’m usually not BIG on herbal tisanes but this Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot is something that sparks my interest that is for sure!
The product description and profile said the ingredients of this herbal tisane were lemon, rose, mint, chamomile, and lavender and that it is good hot or cold. I agree! First I want to point out how well these 5 ingredients meshed together so nicely! The ratio seemed to be 1/5 – 1/5 across the board…at least that is what my taste buds seemed to pick up! I’m glad because I don’t generally like or side with chamomile flavors but if you pair chamomile with mint I’m more apt to try it. Lemon is always a plus. Rose and Lavender I can be hot and cold on but here it worked!
Pink Rose Lemonade from The Tea Spot is refreshing this or any time of year! This is probably on my short list of favorite herbal tisane offerings to date!