Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Honeybush
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tisane Description:
This tea was made by using some ingredients that were used in old fashioned home made root beer. We added honeybush to the rooibos to give it a natural sweetness. This way you can have an all natural, chemical free alternative to soda. If you do want the extra sweetness found in root beer, just add some sugar or natural sweetner and you will still have a natural treat. Caffeine free. Ingredients: Fair Trade CertifiedTMorganic rooibos, and honeybush, Fair Trade CertifiedTM Organic Whole Cloves, and Organic Cinnamon, Organic Ginger, Organic Star Anise, Orange Peel, and Organic Natural Flavoring.
Learn more about this flavored rooibos here.
Taster’s Review:
This Root Beer Rooibos from Trail Lodge Tea is quite tasty! It’s actually a whole lot better than I anticipated it to be. I like that they chose to use a base of organic rooibos and honeybush, I think that the slightly woody/nutty flavors of these two herbs seem to heighten the overall root beer taste, and the natural honey-esque sweetness makes this a very pleasant beverage.
A quick review of the ingredient list, and one might think that they’re about to drink a chai blend, but, this doesn’t taste like the typical chai, despite the ingredients. It definitely tastes more like root beer than it does a masala chai. The spices used here really do create a very “root beer-ish” kind of taste, and they are skillfully blended to keep the drink from tasting “spicy” – rather, it tastes like … well, like I said, it tastes like root beer! All that’s missing is the bubbly carbonation.
I do think that this root beer taste could be elevated even more if just a touch of spearmint was added to the blend. Not enough to make it minty … just enough to give it that zesty note of root beer. As it is though, it’s really quite tasty. It’s good served hot (even though it does seem a little weird to be drinking a hot cup of root beer) but it’s even tastier iced. If you decide to go ahead and ice this, I recommend adding some sugar (go with turbinado sugar!) to bring out the flavors in the chilled tisane.
If you’re a fan of root beer (and really, who DOESN’T like root beer?), you really should try this. I’m wondering how this would taste if I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make a float … I’ll bet it’s amazing!
Lavender Chocolate and Cinnamon Rooibos Blend from Lu-Lin Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tisane Description:
This is a caffeine free blend made from African Red Bush, cinnamon bark, cocoa shells and a sprinkling of lavender. The flavours infuse in a sweet and floral harmony. The perfect dessert tea as it contains no calories but satisfies your sweet tooth.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Lavender Chocolate and Cinnamon Rooibos Blend from Lu-Lin Teas just smells too good! The combination of cinnamon and chocolate evokes thoughts of my homemade hot cocoa … something I haven’t made in a long time (what can I say? I’ve been busy drinking tea!) but something that when I take the time to make is absolutely indulgent. And the hint of lavender adds such a lovely floral tone to the aroma without going overboard and making it smell like a bar of soap.
And the best part about this tisane is that it tastes just like I wanted it to taste. It is a pleasing balance of the key three ingredients … just enough of each one to provide a lovely flavor that is sweet, cinnamon-y … chocolate-y and floral … and not very rooibos-y! That’s a win-win in my book.
The cinnamon is sweet and has just enough sassy spice to keep the flavor interesting without overwhelming the cup – something that cinnamon can sometimes do! The chocolate … well, I am a chocoholic, so yes, there could be more cacao flavor here, but, there is enough to bring a smile to my face. It taste delicious and decadent.
But the real surprise here is the way the lavender plays in this cup … it is delicate and sweet. Lavender is one of those ingredients that when overdone, the tea ends up tasting soapy, and when underdone … what’s the point. This is has a lovely floral intonation but not so much that I taste “soap.” Instead, I just taste delicious lavender … one of my favorite tea floral flavors.
A really lovely tisane … I highly recommend this one, whether you’re a fan of chocolate, or of cinnamon, or of lavender (or if you happen to be a fan of all three, like me!) you really should try this tisane!
