Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Functional Tisane
Where to Buy: Algonquin Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Blends nutritious and supportive herbs with stimulating herbs, producing a balanced, uplifting tea that energizes without the side-effects of caffeine.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
This is tasty … for an herbal tea. And that last part is the problem. I’m not big on herbal teas. I never have been. I’d rather drink Camellia Sinensis. And unfortunately with the Postal Teas 9th edition box – all three selections were herbal teas. Herbal teas from Algonquin.
Now, granted, all of these Algonquin herbal teas were unique and quite different from anything that I’ve ever tried. And that’s both a blessing and a curse because while there may be an ingredient or two that I recognize in this blend, for the most part, I’m drinking herbs that I’m not really familiar with so it makes it difficult to recognize and reconcile what I’m tasting.
But I still tried it because that’s what I do. I taste teas and then I write about what I’m tasting.
In this blend, the most easily identifiable ingredient and flavor is the mint. It’s crisp and adds a nice, refreshing element to the cup. There’s ginseng – not a favorite herb of mine. I can taste the earthiness of the ginseng. Nettle is in this too and I’m glad to report that while I get hints of the bitterness that goes with Nettle, it’s not a strong or dominant flavor.
Then there are some other ingredients that I’m less familiar with, like alfalfa (oh, sure, I know what it is, I just don’t recall having it in a tea any time recently), astragalus, angelica, joe-pye and calamus. It also has labrador, which I’m pretty sure I’ve had before, but again, it’s not something I’m familiar enough with to taste it and say, ‘yep, that’s labrador’ with complete confidence.
The combination of these ingredients is supposed to be a stimulating and energizing tea without caffeine. OK, but, I kind of like my caffeine. The only time that I’m not up for some caffeine (tea caffeine, that is, not coffee!) is when I’m getting close to bedtime. So, I can’t say that I really want an herbal, caffeine-free stimulant. I like my stimulants caffeinated, thank you.
Overall, it doesn’t taste bad. It tastes minty with an herbaceous and earthy background. Mint is the top note. It’s tasty. If you’re looking for a caffeine-free stimulant, you should try it. If I were looking for a caffeine-free stimulant, I might first consider that I’m trapped in a bad dream. But if after determining that I’m not in a bad dream and I’m not having some kind of mental breakdown and I still – for some unfathomable reason – want a caffeine-free stimulant, this is something I’d consider.
I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed to learn that the 9th edition box from Postal Teas was all herbal selections. While I did enjoy these herbal teas for the most part, herbal selections just don’t excite this tea drinker all that much.
That said, these teas from Algonquin were alright and I drank them and didn’t hate them. There were definite “pros” to them. For example of the three herbals that I tried, there were no hibiscus in any of them! Nope, not even a little bit of hibiscus. Big bonus points to Algonquin for crafting herbal blends without that horrible hibiscus stuff. And I also appreciate that they’re unique. There are ingredients that I’ve not been exposed to, and like I said, that’s both a blessing and a curse. I would like to be able to taste something and say “oh yeah, that’s the __.” But, I can’t really reconcile some of the flavor notes because there are ingredients that I’m not so familiar with.
But the benefit is that it’s something different. This doesn’t taste like the average herbal blend from ABC company, you know? So like I said, blessing and a curse.
Overall, I’d say that while my experience with this 10th edition of the Postal Teas subscription was not the most exciting and thrilling of boxes that I’ve received over the past 30 days or so, I didn’t dislike the teas that I drank from the box. And that’s a “pro” too.
Sweetfern Tonic Tea from The Algonquin Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Functional Tisane
Where to Buy: Algonquin Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Delicious daily tonic formulated to assist every major organ in the cleansing of toxins. Immune boost and detox. Great iced tea. Tastes similar to black tea
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
The above description suggests that this tisane tastes similar to black tea. And despite this ‘promise’ – I found myself still hesitant to try it because … well, because it’s a tisane. And I know that I’ve mentioned more than once or twice my apprehension when it comes to tisanes.
But I finally decided that it was time to try it. So, to brew this, I measured out three bamboo scoops of the tisane into the basket of my Breville One-Touch tea maker and added 500ml of water to the kettle. Then I set the temperature for 195°F and the timer for 7 minutes and I let the tea maker do it’s thing!
I let it cool for a few minutes before taking the first sip. And yes, it does taste a bit like black tea. More accurately, it tastes like a ‘thinned’ black tea with herbaceous notes. Like maybe someone took half a cup of black tea and topped it off with an herbal tisane.
It’s actually quite pleasant to sip. And this tea has a few “pros” to it: a) there’s no hibiscus! Yay! b) it has echinacea which is a fairly well-recognized herb that boosts the immunity system. c) it’s pretty tasty.
Unlike many tisanes I’ve had in the past, this tisane is more like a unified flavor of all the components. That is to say – this tastes like one flavor and I’d find it difficult to discern the different flavors/ingredients of the blend. I taste a gently warm flavor to it – like a subtle spice. I notice a slight “root-beer-ish” kind of note that I attribute to the burdock.
But other than the “thinned black tea with herbaceous notes” – that’s really all I can taste. I taste a thinned black tea, herbaceous flavors, warm, subtle spice and a hint of root beer. It’s a tasty tisane.
The brochure from Algonquin that was included in this edition of the Postal Teas box suggests that tea is an effective “cleanser” or detox type of tisane and this is a detox tea that I wouldn’t mind drinking now and again because it does have that black tea + herbal tea taste to it and I’m finding it to be pleasant.
One thing I gotta say about Algonquin, their packaging is beautiful! If I saw these packages in the store, I’d definitely be tempted because the artwork is stunning and as I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for artwork! The packages that we got from Postal Teas are not as lovely as what I see on the Algonquin website, but if it wasn’t for receiving this 9th edition of Postal Teas, I probably wouldn’t have discovered the beautiful artwork!
Postal Rooibos Blend from Monarch Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Monarch Tea Co. or Monarch Tea Co. on Etsy
Tea Description:
Warm and rich, perfect for dessert or just when you want that sweet fall moment to yourself.
Ingredients: Rooibos, caramel pieces, sunflower and calendula petals, chamomile blossoms, natural flavors.
Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
This rooibos blend is a very finely chopped tisane! It appears to be both red and green rooibos and they’ve been chopped into near dust particles, along with the petals and the chamomile. Everything appears to have been pulverized to a near “powder like” consistency: a very fine cut.
I brewed this in my Breville, measuring 2 bamboo scoops of the tisane into the basket of the tea maker and adding 500ml of water to the jug. With most tisanes, I would use 3 bamboo scoops, but because of the fine chop on this, I decided that more than 2 would be too much. The finer cut means that there is more surface area exposed and lots of flavor will be released and more loose leaf would result in too strong a brew. I set the parameters for 195°F and 10 minutes and let the tea maker do the rest.
This is a tasty blend. Not my favorite of the three teas that I received in my Postal Teas box for October, but I’m certainly not disappointed by it.
Because it’s a blend of both green and red rooibos, I find that the flavor is sweeter and slightly more fruity tasting rather than a strong, nutty flavor. This fruity note accentuates the chamomile flavor which has a natural apple-like flavor. There are hints of nutty flavors in the background which complement the caramel notes. It is sweet, soothing and relaxing to sip. It’s a light cup – both in taste and texture.
It has a pleasing, autumnal taste to it, making it just the right thing for the October box. It’s cozy and would make a great tisane to sip late at night when you’re craving something a little bit sweet but nothing that is going to be too filling or overstimulating.
You Had Me At Pekoe Black Tea from Tease
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tease
Tea Description:
A classic Kenyan black tea in traditional orange pekoe style. Perfect for adding milk &sugar. Equally satisfying iced with your favourite sweetener.
Learn more about July’s Postal Teas shipment here.
Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I recently subscribed to Postal Teas – just to check them out. I’m always interested in seeing what other companies out there have to offer, and I especially enjoy subscription services such as this one. I like the idea of a “mystery box” coming my way each month where the teas have been curated with a theme in mind.
So I was really excited when the “One Classy Lady” themed tea box arrived filled with three ‘classic tea staples.’ To be honest, these three teas – A Kenyan Orange Pekoe, a Genmaicha, and a Lapsang Souchong – didn’t really generate a lot of excitement with me because these are teas that I’ve had on more than one occasion (although not from this specific vendor) and I was kind of hoping for a new tea experience.
However, I was happy to find a hand-written note in my box. Here’s what they wrote to me:
Anne,
We’re super excited to have you experience these teas!
We decided to go with some well made classics that everyone should try at least once.
Let us know which is your fav!
-Postal Teas
OK, I understand a little more about why they selected these teas and I’m good with that explanation, because I agree! I think that everyone should try these three teas. Also included in the box was a nifty little 48-page notebook for “tea notes” (and I like that they took the time to write “tea” on this notebook. It’s a little detail, certainly, but I like that it is one that wasn’t overlooked.)
But that’s enough about the box … let’s get into this tea!
When I first read that this is an Orange Pekoe tea, my immediate thought was “oh, another Ceylon.” Not that Ceylon teas are bad, mind you! I love a good Ceylon tea and I’ve discovered MANY wonderful Ceylon teas in the time that I’ve been reviewing teas. Some very surprising Ceylon teas … some Ceylon teas that have changed my original belief about Ceylon. But, I’ve had a lot of Ceylon and I was just hoping for something a little different.
But this isn’t a Ceylon!
It’s a Kenyan Black tea! Now, Kenyan teas, I’ve had quite a few, but far fewer than I’ve had Ceylon teas. And I’m always happy to try a Kenyan black from a tea company I’ve not tried before – and I’ve not tried any teas from Tease, Postal Teas featured tea purveyor this month.
Robust! Full-flavored! Smooth and rich! These are all words I’d choose to describe this Pekoe. It’s rich and malty with a pleasing mouthfeel. It has that sort of “chewy” taste that evokes thoughts of freshly baked bread crust.
Our local grocery store always has fresh French bread – hot and right out of the oven – at the top of the hour in the afternoon. We like to plan our visit to this store around this time of the day so that we can pick up a loaf of the bread to devour in the car after we’ve finished shopping. No butter, no jam … just warm, soft, freshly-baked goodness. My favorite part is the caramelized, crispy-chewy crust … and that’s what this tea reminds me of!
This is an ideal tea to choose for that all-important first tea of the day because it’s bold and has some invigorating GUSTO to it – it will give you that kick you need to get the day started. It also takes well to the additions of milk and honey if you like to add those to your breakfast tea.
As for me, I like this one served straight up. It has a light sweetness to it that is reminiscent of honey and caramel, with lovely floral tones in the distance that accent these sweet notes perfectly. There is a mild, cleansing astringency that readies my palate for the next sip. A really lovely CTC Kenyan.
And despite my first thoughts on the overll package, I have to say that it was a very fun package to receive so I’m going to go with at least one more month from Postal Teas to see what August has in store. So far, I’m enjoying this familiar journey with Postal Teas.