Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
The sweetest Saigon Cinnamon, also known as Vietnamese Cassia, melds with the deep, luscious flavors of currants, hibiscus and plum to yield a rich, warming cup in winter or a refreshing glass when served iced in summer. With its fruity, full-bodied and juicy character, Cinnamon Plum’s robust, crimson red infusion is delicious on its own or mulled into cider or wine.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I’ve said it about a hundred times (or more) … I’m not a fan of hibiscus. But I am a fan of cinnamon and of plums, and I also like currants and licorice. So this tisane seems to have more going for it than it does going against it as far as my palate is concerned.
So, I’ll give it a try!
The aroma of the dry leaf is an abundantly cinnamon-y fragrance. (The same is true of the brewed tea.) I can also smell notes of licorice and hints of fruit. It doesn’t smell distinctly plum-like or even like currants, it just smells warm (from the cinnamon), sweet (from the licorice) and fruity.
To brew this tisane, I used my Kati brewing system and I measured out a bamboo scoop of the loose leaf into the basket. Then I heated the water to 195°F and poured it into the tumbler. I let the tisane steep for 6 minutes. The liquid is a very deep ruby red color … like brewed hibiscus. Fortunately, the color does not accompany the thick texture of brewed hibiscus. Either the steep time prevented this or possibly the fact that there are a lot of other ingredients in this blend. (Or a combination of both these factors.)
It also doesn’t taste too much like hibiscus. I am getting a strong cinnamon-y flavor. It’s a sweet, warm cinnamon flavor. Not like the sweet, red-hot type cinnamon but like the kind of sweet, spicy cinnamon you’d sprinkle on your morning toast.
And I am tasting plum. It is both sweet and tart. The tartness is enhanced somewhat by the presence of the currants as well as the hibiscus, but fortunately for my tart-sensitive palate, this is not an overly tart drink. I’m not puckering as I sip it. I think that the tartness works in the favor of this tisane because it offers a nice contrast to the spicy and the sweet notes.
Overall, it’s a very enjoyable beverage. I like it served hot – it has a very autumnal feel as I drink it. It’s cozy and reminds me a lot of a mulled cider. In fact, I think that would taste lovely with this, I might try steeping this tea in some warm apple cider! It would also make a tasty iced drink that would be appealing to children as well as adults.
Organic Chocolate Chai Tea Blend from Rishi Tea
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh Tea & Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
Velvety, mellow and deep, this chai is an enticing blend of energizing pu-erh tea, shade-grown yerba maté, and cacao. Made even more inviting by creamy vanilla, nutty coconut and fruity, pungent and uplifting Ayurvedic long pepper, Chocolate Chai is a most sophisticated take on hot cocoa.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
On this cold and wet evening in the Pacific Northwest, I wanted something warm and invigorating. This Organic Chocolate Chai Tea Blend from Rishi Tea is just what I needed!
And it is tasty! I did a quick rinse of the leaves (there’s pu-erh in there, and I didn’t want the cup to taste too earthy) and then I steeped this for four minutes in just under boiling water.
I find that when I use boiling water for Yerba Mate, the resulting brew comes out just a wee bit bitter. My solution to this was to use just under boiling water for Yerba Mate and Mate blends like this one. That way, I can steep a while to get full flavor out of the blend without having a bitter cup.
I’m really liking this chai, although, I find myself in disagreement with calling this “chai.” While I do understand that the word “chai” means “tea,” here in the United States, we’ve come to recognize the word “chai” to mean a tea blended with spices, and these spices usually consist of (but are not limited to) a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. There are sometimes omissions of one or more of these, and sometimes other spices like peppercorns or anise are added.
However, this blend includes these ingredients:
Ingredients: Organic and Fair Trade Certified™ pu-erh tea, organic roasted cocoa nibs, organic roasted dandelion root, organic yerba maté, organic coconut flakes, organic long pepper, organic cardamom, organic vanilla bean.
With only one of the “usual” ingredients, I find it difficult to call this a “chai.” That … and the fact that this isn’t as spicy as you’d normally experience with a chai. There is some warmth from the pepper and cardamom, but, it’s not a strongly spiced tea.
That said, this is still really enjoyable. I love the deep, mellow notes of the pu-erh and how well they marry with the earthy, vegetative notes of the yerba mate. The cacao and coconut and vanilla play incredibly well together to give this a sweet, rich, chocolate-y and creamy coconut-y flavor. YUM! It’s almost dessert-like!
I love the warmth, I love the complexity of flavors, and you KNOW I’m loving the chocolate! A really yummy tea!
Organic Raspberry Green Tea from Rishi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
Smooth, steamed green tea blended with tart hibiscus and succulent raspberries. This blend is sweet, jammy and rich with a character that lends itself to tasty hot or iced tea. Goes well with a squeeze of lemon or pomegranate juice.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Before taking a sip of this Organic Raspberry Green Tea from Rishi Tea, I found myself wishing there wasn’t so much hibiscus in it. The hue of the brewed tea is pink … a strong indicator of hibiscus in the blend!
But after taking a sip, I’m not minding the hibiscus so much. Because it was steeped for just 2 1/2 minutes, the hibiscus didn’t have a lot of time to become too tart. This doesn’t taste sour nor does it feel thick and syrupy (other indicators of hibiscus!)
This blend is tasty. The green tea is sweet and slightly vegetative. There are hints of a buttery note in the background. Because of the hibiscus in the blend, the raspberry notes are very prominent (hibiscus tends to take on a berry-like flavor). The raspberry tastes tart and sweet, and has a light berry tingle at the finish. The aftertaste is delicately tart with hints of sweetness.
A nice cuppa … I still would rather there be no hibiscus in it (what can I say, hibiscus isn’t my favorite thing), but, I have to admit that the pink color of the tea is kind of pretty. This would make a nice tea for a garden party, and it tastes good iced – and would make a nice alternative to those over-sugared sodas!
Peach Oolong Blend from Rishi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
Iron Goddess of Mercy and a lightly oxidized, flowery oolong from Taiwan are paired with dried peaches and the fresh essence of peach. A blush of hibiscus and a hint of sweetness from natural roots lays the foundation for one of Rishi’s most enticing, indulgent and fruity flavored blends.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I have to be honest, when I saw that there was hibiscus in this blend, I was skeptical. In my opinion, hibiscus has no place in an Oolong blend. And even after tasting this Peach Oolong Blend from Rishi Tea – and enjoying it! – I admit that I am still keeping to that opinion. Hibiscus should not be in an Oolong blend.
So, yeah, I am enjoying this tea. The Oolong notes are lovely: sweet, creamy and slightly vegetative. The peach flavoring enhances the natural fruit notes of the Oolong and I’m really liking that.
The schizandra berries add a touch of berry tartness to the cup – not that it needs it, but it is an interesting dimension to an otherwise very peachy cup. The hibiscus accentuates the berry notes, but it also enhances the thickness to the body of the Oolong, and this is probably my biggest complaint about the hibiscus here. Oolong is already a thick, lush tea, it doesn’t need additions that will add to this. It sort of “ruins” it. Sure … it’s an enjoyable cup, but I can’t help but think that it would be SO much better without the hibiscus.
Fortunately, there isn’t a strong hibiscus-y flavor … and there is something that saves this tea for me and that’s the licorice root. I love that hint of licorice. It is very slight … it isn’t a strong, licorice-y taste. It doesn’t taste sharp or snappy … it just adds a faint licorice note that keeps me sipping just to experience it.
I don’t think this is a bad tea, I just think that Rishi Tea should rethink the hibiscus addition. It turned what could be a really good tea into something that is just average, in my opinion.
Bao Zhong from Rishi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
Bao Zhong is a very lightly oxidized oolong with a clear green, delicate infusion and fresh floral notes of lilac and lily.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love the aroma of this tea. It smells so beautiful – like a field full of flowers in bloom, with hints of greenery in the background… it’s one of those intoxicating fragrances – it keeps me picking up the cup and holding it to my nose just so that I can smell it.
The flavor is also floral, but not quite as strong as I expected it to be based upon the aroma. The vegetative notes seem to soften the impact of the flowery tones, and brings some balance to the taste. Overall, I find the flavor to be soft, creamy, lightly vegetal and sweet with lovely floral notes dancing on the tongue.
I really like this – it’s different than what I would have expected from a greener Oolong – typically when I come across a green Oolong, thoughts of either a Tie Guan Yin or an Ali Shan quickly come to mind, but this tea is softer. The floral tones are not quite as sharp, neither are the vegetal notes. Everything is softer, even the creamy notes, which I’d describe as neither buttery or milky… just smooth and silky.
A very nice change of pace kind of Oolong for those times when you want something a little familiar but still quite different from what you’re used to.