Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Mighty Leaf
Tisane Description:
Our Ginger Twist herbal tea is a harmonious mix of lemongrass, tropical fruits, and mint fueled with a touch of ginger and ginseng. A lush and magical herb and fruited infusion, Ginger Twist herbal tea helps promote calm, focus and good health.
Learn more about this tisane here.
I received a sample of this tea in my November Love with Food Box.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried a few teas from Mighty Leaf, but I can’t recall ever trying this Ginger Twist Herbal Tisane from this company, so I was happy to receive a sampling of it in my November Love with Food Box. I would have been happier if it was actually tea and not a tisane, of course. However, this is pretty good, even if it is a tisane.
Right off the bat, I can think of one thing that earns this tisane bonus points and that is: NO hibiscus! Yay! It does have ginseng, and ginseng isn’t a favorite herb of mine, but I’d prefer ginseng over hibiscus in most cases, so long as there are other ingredients to offset the rather earthy taste of the ginseng.
And this tisane is plentiful in the ingredients department: ginger, lemongrass, mint, and some tasty fruit notes. The lemongrass adds a light, citrus-y taste to the cup that is a little bit tangy but not overly tart. The mint offers a crisp, cool note to the cup, sort of like the cooling effect of opening a freezer door on a hot afternoon. Just that quick wisp of a cooling sensation.
The fruit has a tropical taste to it, although I find myself having trouble pinpointing exactly what I’m tasting. It has an almost papaya-ish and mango-ish type of flavor going on. It’s sweet and brings a compelling contrast to the peppery notes of the ginger, which adds a zesty zing to the cup, but the heat of the ginger is toned down a bit thanks to the sweetness of the fruit flavor, and the cooling note of the mint and the smooth, buttery notes of the lemongrass.
I can taste some of the ginseng in this too, and it adds a sort of herbaceous medicinal quality to the cup that I would rather not be there, but, overall, it isn’t the strongest flavor that I taste, so I am appreciative of that.
An enjoyable cup – this is a tisane I’d like to have on hand when I’m feeling under the weather because it would be ideal with a dollop of honey to help soothe sore throat and an upset tummy.
Awake from Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté & Tulsi
Where to Buy: Bird’s Eye Tea
Tisane Description:
This energizing blend will brighten your mornings! This is a really fun blend that I hope will invigorate and keep you focused during this cool dark season we are entering.
Ingredients: Yerba mate, Tulsi, Bacopa (brahmi), Spearmint, and Currant
To learn more about this tisane, click here.
To learn more about subscribing to Bird’s Eye Tea, click here.
Taster’s Review:
I had a hard time waking up this morning. I just didn’t want to. I was all warm and snuggled in my bed, so comfortable … but I had to get up. Too many things to do today!
This is exactly the kind of tisane that I need on a day like this. Awake from Bird’s Eye Tea is a Yerba Maté blend that was included in their November subscription box.
Yerba Maté – as many of you probably already know – is super-charged with caffeine for an eye-opening experience, but, what I like about this tisane isn’t the earthy/vegetal taste of the Maté (although I don’t dislike that), I’m liking the hint of mint that I taste from spearmint and tulsi – it isn’t a strong MINTY taste, but it is a nice touch. I find mint to be an invigorating taste, and tulsi has a sort of calming effect … which allows me to become alert but not jittery.
I don’t have much experience with brahmi … in fact, I cant tell you with certainty that I’ve ever had this herb in a tea … or in anything else, for that matter. The Bird’s Eye Tea Newsletter for November says that brahmi is an adaptogenic herb, which is supposed to help the body adapt to stress.
OK, so what I’m deriving from that is that this tisane helps you wake up and face the day, stress free! Heck yeah! I certainly could use a little of that!
My one complaint about this tisane is that I wish I could taste more of the currant. I taste the mint, I taste the herbaceous, earthy flavor of the Maté (and of course the other herbs contribute to this herbaceous note as well), but I don’t really taste a whole lot of berry, except in the aftertaste. Not even in the immediate aftertaste, but, after I’ve finished the sip, about a minute or so afterward, then I notice a hint of berry flavor come through – just a wee hint of tingly, tart-yet-sweet currant. I like that … but I’d like there to be a little more.
Overall, though, I found this to be a very enjoyable herbal tisane. It is energizing, as I am just over the halfway point with my cup here, and I am already feeling invigorated. A really pleasant blend – I’m really liking Bird’s Eye Tea!
Darling Darjeeling from La Petite Cuillère
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black (Darjeeling)
As Sold By: Amoda Tea
Also Available at: La Petite Cuillère
Tea Description:
Cherry flavoured teas can often conjure up bad thoughts of cough syrup, so finding this gem was a happy surprise. The base for this tea – Darjeeling black tea, is soft and round and has been matched perfectly with a sweet and subtle cherry flavour. Adding a touch of milk to this brings out an incredible strawberry cream flavour.
This tea was part of the November Tea Tasting Box from Amoda Tea.
Taster’s Review:
This is the second tea from the Amoda Tea Tasting Box for November, and of the three teas, it was the one I was most excited to try for two reasons: first, it is the only one of the three that was an actual TEA and not a tisane. Second, it is a flavored Darjeeling!
Of the many different black tea types, Darjeeling seems to be the one that I see least often to serve as a base for flavored teas or tea blends. So, when I do happen to come across a flavored Darjeeling, I am eager to try it.
This Darling Darjeeling is a strawberry and cherry flavored Darjeeling, and I must say, I am really enjoying it. Sometimes cherry flavoring ends up tasting a bit like cough medicine, but, it doesn’t taste that way with this tea. It is a very pleasant taste: smooth, sweet and well-rounded. There is just enough tartness to it to keep it tasting authentic and not medicinal, and enough sweetness to keep me from puckering with every sip!
The strawberry is very subtle. And by very subtle, I mean almost absent. It does not come through strongly during the sip, although the flavor does develop somewhat as I continue to sip. But, where I notice the strawberry – a strong, delicious strawberry taste – is in the aftertaste. About five seconds after finishing the sip, I find a lovely strawberry taste come through, leaving my mouth tasting as though I had just bitten into a ripe, juicy strawberry. It is sweet and has that characteristic berry tartness. It’s quite enjoyable.
I am so glad that I had this opportunity to try this tea. Thanks, Amoda Tea!
Roasted Kukicha from New Mexico Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Co.
Product Description:
Kukicha, or twig tea, is a Japanese blend of green tea made of stems, stalks, and twigs, and has a nutty, slightly creamy flavor.
Uniquely flavorful, kukicha is also one of the preferred teas of the macrobiotic diet. Kukicha can also be added to juice to make a children’s drink. Kukicha is a powerful antioxidant and is very low in caffeine, in fact the lowest in caffeine of all traditional teas.
Taster’s Review:
This is the last of the three teas that were included in November Steepster Select box. As I mentioned before, the theme for this month was “Migration” and this tea represents the “scattered branches” left by the migrating birds. Very clever, Steepster. I find this month’s theme to be almost as enjoyable as the tea.
But that’s not said to take anything away from this month’s tea selections, which have all been extraordinarily good. The Diyi Cornfields Shu from Verdant Tea was one of the most unusual and delicious Pu-erh teas I’ve ever tasted. The Bai Mu Dan from Canton Tea proved to be one of the very best white teas and changed my beliefs about Bai Mu Dan! And this Roasted Kukicha is also quite exceptional.
The aroma of the dry leaf is a very strong roasted flavor. It’s really quite delightful and toasty. The fragrance of the brewed tea is quite subdued in comparison. The flavor is a much lighter roasty-toasty kind of flavor than the aroma of the dry leaf would lead me to think.
There is an amazing sweetness to this Kukicha that tastes a bit honeyed as well as caramel-like. It has that sweet, cozy kind of taste that I have come to expect from a Kukicha. The lighter roasted notes allow for some of the nuances of this Kukicha to shine through. It has a beautiful creamy undertone, and a delicious nutty finish. The aftertaste is sweet with the barest hint of smoke that softly lingers.
A very lovely Kukicha. Calm, relaxing and delicious.
Bai Mu Dan from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Product Description:
Other Names: Bai Mu Dan Tea, Pai Mu Dan Tea, White Pekoe Tea
White Peony undergoes very little processing. Made from just the unopened silvery buds and the small, top two leaves it is picked in spring and gently withered to yield a refreshing, easy-drinking tea, full of soft fruit flavours and melon notes with a lingering sweet aftertaste.
Taster’s Review:
This is the second tea that I’m tasting from the “Migration” themed Steepster Select Package. At first, I kind of wondered why a Bai Mu Dan would be offered as part of a “Migration” theme … but after opening the pouch, I understood. The leaves are crisp and dry, just like the fallen leaves that cover the ground this time of year.
The tea these beautiful, whole leaves produces is exquisite! Definitely one of the very best Bai Mu Dan teas I’ve yet to taste. It is surprisingly rich and flavorful. Many White Peony/Bai Mu Dan teas that I’ve tried in the past tend to be somewhat pale in flavor – delicate – but, this is not a typical Bai Mu Dan!
It possesses a delightfully sweet flavor and as the description above suggests, I taste the melon notes! That melon flavors intensify as the tea cools. There is very little vegetative/grassy taste to this Bai Mu Dan. Instead, I taste a crisp, clean, and sweet delicious flavor unlike any other Bai Mu Dan I’ve tasted in recent memory. Sure, many of those white teas tasted good, maybe even great, but, this one stands out as exceptional.