For this – part 2 of my review of Yunomi’s Tea Discoveries Club, Volume 17 – I will be reviewing the remaining three tisanes that I received in this month’s package.
The three teas that I’ll be examining a little closer in this article are Hatomugi Tea, Mulberry Leaf Tea and Roasted Barley Tea.
The first tea that I’ll be tasting is the Hatomugi Tea – or Job’s Tears Tea – from Kanazawa Daichi. This tisane was processed in tea bags and when I first opened the pouch, it smelled remarkably like Roasted Barley – that I had to do a double take and make sure I was opening the correct package!
Then I looked closer at the Yunomi website and learned that this is a type of barley. It’s organic and it’s roasted – hence the familiar aroma.
The flavor is very much like I expected after experiencing the fragrance – that is to say that this tastes like roasted barley tea. And it’s YUMMY! Roasty-toasty, nutty and sweet. There is a slight ‘grain’ taste, like … well, like barley. It reminds me of wheat, like Wheat-Hearts cereal.
The second tea that I’m going to review for this article is the Mulberry Leaf Tea from Kesennuma Kuwacha. I’ve actually reviewed this tisane previously, but I don’t mind revisiting it!
I believe I may have brewed this tisane differently this time than I did previously, because when I brewed it before, I think I might have been under the misconception that it was a blend of mulberry leaf and Japanese Sencha because if you look at these leaves – they look like Japanese Sencha leaves!
So, I’m guessing that I went with a lower temperature and a 1 -2 minute steep previously. This time, I’m more ‘in the know’ so I went ahead and increased the temperature to 185°F and the steep time for 3 1/2 minutes.
While the dry leaf looks very much like a Japanese Sencha, the brewed liquid does not! The color is darker, like a forest-y green. But the Japanese Sencha flavor that I expected was there. This tastes very much like a Japanese Sencha and would make an ideal substitute for someone who loves their Japanese green teas but needs to cut back a little on caffeine. It’s a little sweeter than a typical Japanese Sencha – this doesn’t have as much of the savory quality that I’d taste with a Japanese Sencha. This is more fruity and sweet, but it still is very similar to a Sencha to me. Very nice!
My final tea journey with Yunomi this month is with the tisane that I figured would be my favorite from this Tea Discoveries Club package: Roasted Barley tea, which like the Job’s Tears, is also produced by Kanazawa Daichi.
And I was right – this is my favorite. I enjoyed almost all of the tisanes from this month’s package, the only one that I wasn’t all that crazy about was the Japanese Mugwort tea that I reviewed in part one of this series.
But this … ahhh! This is my favorite. I could drink this every day.
This Roasted Barley Tea also came in a tea bag – and yeah, if I’m going to offer any kind of criticism about this tisane at all, it would be that it’s a bagged ‘tea.’ I’d certainly rather it not be bagged.
But other than that, this is so yummy. It’s deliciously roasty-toasty, nutty, sweet and so comforting. It is sweet enough that it could even serve as a dessert substitute. It has a very coffee-ish sort of flavor to it – but without the bitterness of the coffee. If someone were looking for an ideal substitution for coffee – this would be it. It tastes more like coffee to me than chicory (which is an herb often used as a coffee substitute).
So my journey with Yunomi’s Tea Discoveries this month ends on a very high note! A very high – and delicious! – note, indeed.
Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: Kesennuma Kuwacha Sencha Mulberry Leaf Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Tea Description:
Rare Japanese mulberry tea, or kuwacha (桑茶), is very similar to a light sencha without the caffeine.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little unsure about trying this Kesennuma Kuwacha Sencha Mulberry Leaf Tea from the Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club from Yunomi, because I can’t recall actually having tried a Tisane made from just mulberry leaves before. I probably have had tea blends with mulberry leaves … but, I can’t recall trying a straight mulberry leaf tisane before.
But, I decided what the heck, I was going to give it a try, because everything that I’ve tried thus far from Yunomi I’ve enjoyed … so I put my faith in this company and hoped that they wouldn’t let me down.
And you know what – they didn’t! This is really quite nice. The aroma of the dry leaf is very pleasant with its sweet fruity notes and leafy/grassy tones. And the dark green, finely chopped leaves resemble a Japanese Sencha. Once brewed, the tisane keeps some of the fruity notes, and the leafy/grassy notes become more distinctive.
The flavor is very reminiscent of a Japanese Sencha, believe it or not! I was actually quite surprised by the flavor … I didn’t expect it to taste so much like a Sencha! It is sweet, slightly buttery, with fruity notes. It has a light character to it (although, if you want it stronger, you can add more leaf!) and the texture isn’t quite as brothy as a Sencha tea might be but … the grassy/leafy notes of the Sencha are there. This might actually be a little sweeter due to the fruity quality, and I’m noticing less (as in very little if any) savory taste to this. It’s more like a sweeter version of a Sencha … without the invigorating caffeine.
This tisane is perfect for those of you who would like to enjoy a green tea later in the evening but don’t want the caffeine … this has such a “green tea” taste to it that you’d think you’re drinking green tea … but you’re not! It’s really quite wonderful!
Caramel Spice from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Product Description:
Have you heard about the new tea in town? She’s a looker alright: dark, robust, and seductive, with a heart of gold. And you didn’t hear it from us, but she’s even better with a little booze. She’s a luscious black tea, with deep caramel flavour from dried golden mulberries and spicy warmth from orange peel and cinnamon. Take her apple picking. Bring her to Thanksgiving dinner. Sit with her by the fire. You’re going to want her by your side all fall.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the pouch, I was a little surprised by what I saw. The dried golden mulberries look a bit like tiny honeycombs. I wasn’t sure what I was looking at! So, I hurried to the David’s Tea website to read more about this tea. Yep… those are mulberries alright. Big, whole, dried golden mulberries, blended with black tea leaves, bits of orange peel, and chips of cinnamon. It looks very festive, and it smells oh-so-good!
The black tea base is pleasantly strong but not too aggressive. It is brisk and flavorful, and provides a good, solid backdrop of flavor so that the fruit, caramel and especially the cinnamon can present themselves.
The cinnamon is warm but not too spicy. While it is the dominate flavor of the cup, because of the other flavors here, this doesn’t taste like a cinnamon tea. In other words, its not all about the cinnamon with this tea; instead it works harmoniously to accent the other flavors while offering a pleasant strength all its own.
The fruit flavor is lighter than the cinnamon flavor. I can taste the orange peel – it tastes citrus-y orange but not in an orange juice kind of way. If you’ve ever made a holiday cider using orange peels and spices, you know the kind of flavor I’m talking about. This, mingling with a hint of mulberry is quite nice and deliciously different.
The caramel is also quite light, but it does develop as I sip. The first few sips, I could barely taste the caramel, but, now, as I’m nearly finished with the cup, the caramel is there. Not a lot of caramel… but just enough to really round out the flavors of this cup without being cloy.
Some recommendations go along with this tea: first, be sure to give the package a good, upside-down shake before you open it and begin measuring. This will help redistribute the flavors. Second, use just a little more leaf than you’re used to. If you usually use 1 teaspoon for 1 cup of tea, use 1 1/2 of this tea. Finally, I recommend adding just a little bit of sugar or other natural sweetener to. My first couple of sips without sweetener really didn’t offer much flavor, but I noticed after a little bit of sugar, the flavors really came to life. I wouldn’t add milk to this because it might overwhelm the balance.
Try these recommendations and prepare yourself for a different approach to the usual orange spice holiday blend!
Green Mulberry Tisane from Tula Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Tula Teas
Product Description:
Mulberry “tea” is drunk throughout Asia for health and wellness and it’s the personal favourite “comfort tisane” of Tula’s founder. Its flavour is often compared to green tea, so it is a popular alternative to green tea for those who are lowering their caffeine intake and those who love green tea, but want something that doesn’t taste bitter when overbrewed.
Our award-winning Green Mulberry tisane is made from the most aromatic strain of mulberry plant (Morus Alba). It is organically grown and processed by a small, woman-owned company in Northeastern Thailand, where the climate and soil are ideal for mulberry leaf production. The result is an antioxidant-rich, great tasting, caffeine-free infusion.
The deep golden infusion has a savory aroma with hints of hand-rolled green tea, steamed lacinato kale, toasted pumpkin seeds and brewed raspberry leaf. The flavour is boldly nutty (a bit like a fine Long Jing) with vegetal undertones and delicate berry sweetness. The aftertaste is a completely different experience from the taste: the flavour is still nutty, but it’s far, far sweeter. It has notes of mulberries (of course), but also blackberries, raspberries, slippery elm bark and crushed rose petals. This wonderfully layered infusion is a supertaster’s dream come true.
Taster’s Review:
This is surprisingly delicious. I was unsure about it at first. It looked different and smelled different. Not bad, just … different. In fact, it smells quite good and it reminded me of my vegetarian days when I ate quite a bit of kale. It is something that I don’t prepare now because I’m the only person in my family “brave enough” to eat it. Sometimes, I find myself missing it.
One of my favorite preparations for kale was to boil it until it was barely tender enough to eat, and then I would sauté it in browned butter with a little bit of garlic and blanched, slivered almonds.
And while it may seem as though I am digressing a bit, I’m not. Because this tisane tastes quite a bit like this kale dish. It has a pleasant vegetative taste with faint butter notes and a sweet nutty taste. There are also some berry-like flavors that come through.
Overall, this is a very flavorful and rewarding tisane. It is sweet, it is savory, and it is delicious. While many tisanes may come across as somewhat thin in flavor and/or texture, you won’t find that to be true with this tisane. It has a smooth, pleasing texture and the complexity of a fine Oolong!
YUM!
Green Mulberry Leaf Tisane from Tula Teas
Tea Type: Herbal
Where To Buy: Tula Teas
Product Description:
Mulberry “tea” is drunk throughout Asia for health and wellness and it’s the personal favourite “comfort tisane” of Tula’s founder. Its flavour is often compared to green tea, so it is a popular alternative to green tea for those who are lowering their caffeine intake and those who love green tea, but want something that doesn’t taste bitter when overbrewed.
Our award-winning Green Mulberry tisane is made from the most aromatic strain of mulberry plant (Morus Alba). It is organically grown and processed by a small, woman-owned company in Northeastern Thailand, where the climate and soil are ideal for mulberry leaf production. The result is an antioxidant-rich, great tasting, caffeine-free infusion.
The deep golden infusion has a savory aroma with hints of hand-rolled green tea, steamed lacinato kale, toasted pumpkin seeds and brewed raspberry leaf. The flavour is boldly nutty (a bit like a fine Long Jing) with vegetal undertones and delicate berry sweetness. The aftertaste is a completely different experience from the taste: the flavour is still nutty, but it’s far, far sweeter. It has notes of mulberries (of course), but also blackberries, raspberries, slippery elm bark and crushed rose petals. This wonderfully layered infusion is a supertaster’s dream come true.
Green Mulberry pairs with a range of Southern foods. Try it with Southern cuisine like fried chicken, spicy beans and rice or buttermilk biscuits, or pair it with barbecued tempeh, jam-topped vanilla ice cream or fresh-baked berry pies.
Green Mulberry is deliciously nuanced when hot, but it’s also intensely nutty when iced. Try it brewed strong with milk and sugar and chilled for a fantastic iced latte replacement.
Tasters Review:
Green Mulberry Leaf Tisane from Tula Teas absolutely SHOCKED me! The aroma is AMAZING! It’s unlike anything tisane/tea-wise I have EVER smelled! The only thing I can compare it to it buttered and Cooked Kale! It’s so bready and Kale-like!
The taste is quite nice, too! I was expecting it to be your average herbal taste but it tastes like toast and cooked kale with a toasted green tea finish and the aftertaste is nutty with a hint of fruit.
It’s Remarkable! I really like this! Other than minty herbals…this may just be my favorite herbal to date!
