Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Stash Tea
Tisane Description:
Rooibos, an antioxidant-rich herb also known as red tea, combines with clove, ginger root and sweet cinnamon to create a unique, caffeine-free sweet and spicy chai.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Spice Dragon Red Chai Herbal Tea from Stash Tea is another gift that I received over the holidays. It was one that I hadn’t yet tried from Stash, so I was happy to have the opportunity to give it a try.
I steeped this the way I would usually steep a rooibos tisane: using 195°F water and steeping for 10 minutes. With rooibos, if I use boiling water and attempt to steep that long, I get a sort of sour wood like flavor that I don’t find agreeable. But I found by lowering the temperature slightly, I can steep the tisane for 10 minutes to get a whole lot of flavor out of the blend, and not get that weird sour wood taste.
And this isn’t too bad. It’s strongly spiced with cinnamon, and there is some ginger and clove to this too. I find myself missing cardamom here, because I think that it might offer a more well-rounded spice note, but, as it is, it’s tasty.
I taste mostly cinnamon, and it’s a sweet cinnamon – not that red-hot cinnamon candy type of cinnamon. This is a sweeter cinnamon taste. The clove adds a warmth to the cup, but I don’t taste a lot of ginger. Maybe a little more ginger would add a zesty, spicy edge to the cup.
I don’t taste a lot of rooibos flavor here. I do taste a nutty/earthy sort of flavor that I attribute to the rooibos. This nutty taste marries seamlessly with the cinnamon.
This is kind of a “one-note” type of tisane. I taste cinnamon, and a background of clove and hints of nutty rooibos. Every once in a while I detect the peppery note of ginger. But, it isn’t as complex as other rooibos chai blends I’ve tasted. It has less spicy kick to it than some rooibos blends out there. Tasty, but not the best rooibos chai I’ve ever tasted.
Rooibos Peach Tea from Nuovo Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Nuovo Tea
Tisane Description:
Fragrant, juicy and fruit floral is the best way to describe this peachy flavored rooibos.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This Rooibos Peach Tea from Nuovo Tea is a very flavorful tea, indeed! Lots of juicy peach flavor with hints of nutty, honeyed sweetness.
But before I start talking about the tisane, I have to talk about the packaging from Nuovo! I love the “stacking” tin concept! There are three tins, and they all connect one on top of the other, with the top tin serving as a lid for the middle tin, and the middle tin serving as a lid for the bottom tin. Very cool and a really great space saving idea for those of us who have more tea than they do places to put it!
Today, I’m sipping on the tea that is in the middle chamber: Rooibos Peach! As I eluded to earlier, it is loaded with peach flavor! And the peach tastes sweet and juicy – just like biting into a fresh, ripe peach! Mmm! And while I’m not always crazy about the flavor of rooibos, here that nutty sweetness seems to play well to the flavor of the peach. It brings a slightly honey-esque tone, and a hint of a woody flavor in the distance.
This is tasty served hot, but, its even better when it cools. I drank about half of my cup, walked away for about fifteen minutes because I got busy doing something else (housework, ugh!!!) and then I returned to my cup to find it had become almost “cold.” I took a sip and found out that it’s even tastier like that! This makes a great caffeine-free (and sugar free!) alternative to sodas and soft drinks for your kids. This is the kind of drink that you can feel good about giving to your children!
Red Jade Tea from Eco Cha
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Eco-Cha
Tea Description:
The maker of this tea is employed by the Yu Chi Township Tea Research Extension Station and his factory produced the winner of the 2011 Black Tea Competition in this area. He is a leading figure in his field and his knowledge and expertise of black tea cultivation in Taiwan is virtually unsurpassed.
Learn more about this tea here.
Subscribe to Steepster Select here.
Taster’s Review:
I was really excited when I found teas from Eco Cha in January’s Steepster Select Box. Eco Cha is one of my favorite “new” companies. I’ve tried a few teas from them, and I’ve enjoyed each one, and I’m loving this Red Jade Tea too!
The aroma of the tea has a warm spiced scent to it – not really spicy, but more like a touch of spice. The flavor is full and there is a fair amount of astringency to this. I taste the notes of cinnamon and clove that are mentioned in the description of this tea, but I didn’t start noticing the mint until I got to mid-cup. Then I noticed the “tingly” sensation of mint, and I could feel the cooling sensation of the mint when I would inhale air over my palate in the aftertaste. It doesn’t taste distinctly of mint … but it has mint-like qualities.
I also taste a sort of “grain” like flavor: like malt. Not like the malty note you might taste from an Assam tea, but, more like the flavor of a hot cereal. That kind of malt. It’s a comforting kind of flavor, just like a steaming hot bowl of hot cereal would be. There is also a wine-like quality that I taste – reminiscent of black currant. Sweet and slightly fruity.
I recommend steeping this for just 2 1/2 minutes in boiling water, because a longer steep time could result in a slightly bitter tasting cup. I brewed mine at 3 minutes, and I started to notice just a hint of bitterness, nothing I found off-putting, but it made me wish I had infused the leaves for 2 1/2 minutes rather than three.
Another enjoyable tea from Eco Cha, and yet another tea that makes me glad that I subscribe to Steepster Select!
Red Maple Spice Tisane from Shanti Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tisane Description:
A lingering spice softened by sweet maple, this is one of our favourite maple blends. The color, aroma, and flavor profile match incredibly well and create a full multi-sensory experience. A must try tea for maple & spice lovers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow! This Red Maple Spice Tisane from Shanti Tea is seriously YUM! I didn’t think it would be this good – I tend to be apprehensive when it comes to rooibos blends – but I’m happy to report that this is a very tasty rooibos blend!
That might have a little something to do with the fact that the spice and maple notes dominate and I don’t really taste a strong presence from the rooibos. But I’m just fine with that. I do taste very subtle hints of a nutty taste from the rooibos and the flavor unites seamlessly with the maple and spice.
The cardamom and fennel offer a flavor that is warm and comforting. I taste hints of licorice from the fennel and hints of citrus from the cardamom, a flavor profile that is further accentuated with the addition of orange peels to the mix. The citrus-y notes are delicate and most noticeable toward the end of the sip.
The maple is sweet and tastes amazing with these other flavors. Everything is very harmonious. It is a sweet yet spicy treat that I find very cozy to sip on when it’s cold outside. I think I prefer this as a hot drink, although it tastes good when it cools too.
A really thoughtfully crafted rooibos tisane. This is one I’d highly recommend.
Whole Leaf Green Tea with Essence of Sunflower from Eden Grove
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Amazon Trading
Ingredients:
Camellia Sinensis with Red Pigments (Red Tea) with natural Sunflower flavor.
Learn more about Amazon Trading here.
Taster’s Review:
The ingredients of this Whole Leaf Green Tea with Essence of Sunflower form Eden Grove confuses me. The “red pigments” part confuses me. Red Tea to me means either Rooibos or black/oxidized tea leaves, depending upon where the tea is coming from. And this with this tea, the dry leaf looks like green tea leaves. I don’t see any rooibos and the leaves don’t appear oxidized. When I brewed the tea, it brewed up to look like a green tea – it’s a light, bright yellow-ish green color. And it tastes like a green tea.
Actually, it tastes like a green tea and sunflower petals. I can taste the distinct, bitter notes of the sunflower and they add a certain “perkiness” to this cup. The green tea is sweet and has a light, refreshing, slightly buttery tone to them. The sunflower adds a nice contrast to the green tea.
And I like that this is different from the usual tea selection. I encounter a lot of flavored teas on this, my tea journey, and I encounter many scented teas. But usually those teas aren’t flavored or scented with Sunflower. Usually those that craft the tea select a different flower when they scent a tea: rose and jasmine are two that come to mind immediately. But I don’t think I’ve found a tea until now that has been flavored/scented with Sunflower. And I like it!
So while I don’t understand the ingredient list of this tea … what I do understand is that I am enjoying what I’m drinking. It has an invigorating sort of flavor that doesn’t weigh the palate down. It’s a very nice, relaxing cup to sip.