Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Chai Diaries
Tisane Description:
The first thing you’ll notice about this holiday blend is the color: a vibrant amaranth red that grabs you by the lapels and demands your attention. Then the aroma: enticing vanilla, sophisticated orange peel, hints of rose and lemon all tangle for a share of the stage in this bold elixir. Finally, the first divine sip.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I have to disagree with the above description … the first thing I noticed about this Blood Orange Tisane from Chai Diaries is not the color. What I noticed is that this is not a one with an overload of hibiscus! Yes, there is hibiscus in it, but, after steeping for six minutes, the tisane is not heavy, thick or syrupy the way a tisane with too much hibiscus would be.
The fact that the hibiscus is not overdone gets bonus points from this reviewer … because as you are probably aware (if you’ve read very many of my tisane reviews!) I don’t like hibiscus! In small amounts, hibiscus can be beneficial to a tisane. It adds a little bit of body and color to the brewed cup, as well as a distinct flavor – tartness! – not to mention significant health benefits. But too much hibiscus can mean a very tart, syrup-like thickness to the brewed tisane. Not very appealing, at least, not to me!
This tisane, on the other hand, is very appealing because the hibiscus is done the right way … as are the other components to this tisane. It is sweet with enough tartness to keep it interesting. The vanilla in this adds a very enjoyable creamy note to the cup, tasting a bit like a one of those creamsicle frozen treats!
While it is good served hot, I found that I preferred it iced! I recommend brewing it stronger when you want this one iced, because the flavor softens a bit as it cools. And brewing it stronger means adding more dry leaf to the teapot … not steeping it longer. Keep the steep time to 5 – 7 minutes to minimize the hibiscus’s impact on the final product.
This is sweet enough that it doesn’t need any sweetener – and this would be a fantastic alternative to overly sugared sodas for the kids (and adults!) in the summer!
New Sensation Tisane from Hari Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Hari Tea
Tea Description:
What adult doesn’t look back and wistfully remember a time when he or she had more plentiful energy? We spend enormous amounts of time and money trying to satisfy the longing for the feeling of newness – eagerness to take on life with no thought of limitation. We love the old feeling of a new sensation. And we certainly love the refreshing taste of hibiscus and mint.
Taster’s Review:
As I was reading the above description, I couldn’t help but think … no, I certainly do not love the taste of hibiscus. Sorry … but hibiscus is just one of those things that does not do it for me. So, I took on this New Sensation Tisane from Hari Tea with a bit of dread … feeling certain I would really dislike it.
And … even though I can’t sit here and say I love it … I don’t hate it either. It’s not bad.
This bagged tisane (a nifty little woven fabric bag, I like these because they don’t end up imparting a funky “paper” taste to the brewed liquid) isn’t something that I’m going to jump up and down and get all excited over … but, after steeping for five minutes, I like that the hibiscus and the mint are balanced enough so that I’m not tasting this overwhelming tart flavor nor do I get a heavy, syrupy-thick texture. It is thicker than say a pure mint tisane would be because the hibiscus does give the cup a slightly heavier consistency. But, after steeping for five minutes, it did not get too heavy, thick or syrupy.
And I like that the mint offsets some of the tart of the hibiscus too. This is neither too minty nor too hibiscus-y. It has a really nice balance between the two herbs. It is just a little bit tart, and a little bit zesty from the mint.
Overall, it’s a drinkable beverage. Not one that I’d probably want to drink every night or anything, but I would drink it again if it were offered to me. A nice surprise!
Vanilla African Redbush Tea from MarketSpice
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Tisane Description:
The addition of Vanilla flavoring and Chamomile to our standard African RedBush provides a rich and satisfying cup of tea. Add honey for that extra zing. High in anti-oxidants and naturally caffeine free.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a really nice vanilla flavored rooibos blend. Normally, chamomile is not my favorite thing, but, I like the addition of chamomile here. It adds just enough of something different to the cup to keep it interesting.
The aroma of the dry leaf is quite distinctive. It smells of tobacco – like the pipe tobacco that my step-mother would buy for my dad as she attempted to encourage him to smoke a pipe. She liked the smell of pipe smoke. I am not particularly fond of the smell of the smoke, but I liked the smell of tobacco (is it called “raw” tobacco when it’s not smoked and still in the package?)
But I’ll be honest, it throws me off a bit when I smell that fragrance in a tea. I find the smell of pipe tobacco pleasant but it doesn’t smell like something I want to consume, you know what I mean? But, once it started brewing, the aroma became much more like rich vanilla and less like tobacco.
The flavor is very pleasant. It has a smooth, creamy vanilla taste with a hint of nutty rooibos in the background. The woody tones of the rooibos come out as well, and I like the way they meld with the vanilla notes. The chamomile is very light, but I can taste that hint of apple-like flavor from the chamomile.
Overall, it’s a very enjoyable tea. I especially enjoy it later in the evening while watching TV, it’s got such a relaxing quality to it. Very nice!