Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Utopia Tea
Tisane Description:
Inspired by the traditional red-wine Sangria, our Fruity Sangria consists of elderberries, citrus, and lemongrass creating a flavorful cup. Fruity Sangria has large amounts of antioxidants and prevents cell damage. This beverage is great to drink anytime of the day and is wonderful over ice!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Yikes! Hibiscus!
Actually, the hibiscus isn’t too bad here. It mostly affects the color of the brewed liquid, which is a deep, ruby red color. As long as you don’t steep it too long, the hibiscus doesn’t become syrupy … I steeped this for six minutes, and I wouldn’t recommend steeping it any longer than that. Now, it isn’t syrupy or too tart, but, I can sense from the texture and the taste that if it had gone much longer, this would have been a syrupy, tarty cup.
Overall, the cup is sweet – tart with an emphasis on the tart. There is an pleasant fruity flavor to this – I taste the elderberries and there is a fermented grape/wine-y kind of taste to it, with hints of citrus and berry throughout the sip. As it cools, I get more of the sangria kind of taste, and the flavor of the hibiscus seems to soften somewhat. This is much better as a cold drink than as a hot beverage.
It’s tasty, and I like alright. It’s not bad, but it’s not great, either.
However, I am aware that there are many out there that like the flavor (and health benefits!) of hibiscus, and I think that they’d really enjoy the bright citrus and berry flavor of this tisane. This may be right up their alley.
Fruit Fusion Green Tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Fruit Fusion Green Tea is a harmonious fusion of Eastern and Western flavors. This tea has a tart, fresh aroma with a zesty and fruity flavor that cools and refreshes your body. Our Fruit Fusion Green Tea combines a quality Sencha green tea with genuine dried pieces of Rosehip, Hibiscus (a Chinese flower and natural source of many vitamins including C, A, and D), and orange peel. The Sencha tea leaves are loose, green tea leaves with a flat, smooth, and narrow body. When infused, the tea has a sweet and sour aroma. A refreshing drink that can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I had my doubts about this tea. After all, I’m not fond of hibiscus, and I have often let that be known here on this blog. It seems like it’s in nearly every tisane out there … why, oh why does it need to also be added to Camellia Sinensis? I mean, yeah, I get it … I know it’s loaded with vitamins and offers a realistic berry-like taste when it’s infused. But it also can be rather tart and when left to brew too long, it becomes syrupy. Fortunately, since it has been blended with a green tea here, that isn’t a problem, as I rarely brew my green teas for longer than 2 minutes. But the tartness. I’m doubtful, but I’ve got my fingers crossed. Here’s hoping!
OK, so this is pretty darned good! The hibiscus did not go all “hibiscus-y” on me and turn this into a syrupy, tarty tasting tea. I taste the lovely, sweet flavor of the Sencha, which is slightly creamy, almost buttery, and smooth. I taste the bright, vibrant flavor of the orange, and I do taste the hibiscus. It tastes tart and tangy, but, it doesn’t overwhelm it.
It’s got kind of a sweet-and-sour kind of thing going on, and I like the contrast. The sip starts off sweet, with a bright, citrus-y tone and sweet green tea taste. Toward mid-sip, the flavor shifts to a slightly tart taste, which develops and becomes more tart toward the tail and then carries through to the aftertaste.
It’s a very lively, enjoyable tea. Especially nice as it cools – would make a great iced tea!
African Summer from Tea Licious
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Tisane Description:
Honeybush, lemon grass, lemon myrtle, rosehips, eucalyptus, hibiscus, safflowers, marigold and orange.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Summer is almost here! Alas, summer is not my favorite time of year – I prefer autumn and winter … why? Because hot tea is so much better when it’s chilly outside! Yes, it’s all about the tea! However, I am certainly enjoying this African Summer tisane from Tea Licious!
The first thing I notice is the zesty flavor of lemongrass and lemon myrtle which gives it a delicious lemon taste without the pucker-y tartness. Then there is a tangy orange note that melds nicely with the lemony herbs. But even with the zesty and tangy flavors, the overall cup is pleasantly smooth, which has a lot to do with the honeybush, which gives it a sweet and nutty taste.
I was a little worried at first that it might be hibiscus-y, but really, the hibiscus only seems to contribute a little to the color of the cup while adding very little tartness or its syrupy texture to it. That being said, I do recommend exercising some caution when steeping this tea, as hibiscus can quickly overpower a cup when left to steep too long. I steeped my cup for six full minutes, and it turned out just perfect!
There is a soft mouthfeel to the cup, which I think is because of the hibiscus. This tells me that there is just the right amount of hibiscus in it … not too much, but enough so that the flavor and texture is not too thin. Kudos to Tea Licious for doing hibiscus the right way!
This is a very pleasant cup of tea, one that is tasty hot, and very refreshing served over ice! This is one that you can serve to kids as well as adults, because it is naturally caffeine free, and it has a pleasing flavor that everyone will love.
Rainforest Maté Tea from The Spice & Tea Exchange
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: The Spice & Tea Exchange
Tisane Description:
Spice and fruit unite in this unique herbal melange composed of energizing mate’ tea, licorice, spices, rosehips and pineapple chunks that refresh and revitalize when brewed. Moderate Caffeine.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tisane has a lot going on, but it all works together very nicely. The cloves offer the most prominent flavor of this cup, followed by a sweet licorice flavor. I don’t taste much of the distinct earthiness of the Yerba Maté, and given the natural earthy qualities of the spices I don’t think that earthy/vegetal tone is really necessary and might detract from the delicious flavors that the spices provide.
By the end of the sip, mint tones begin to peek out without becoming too overwhelming. I like the mint notes here, they are mere hints of minty goodness rather than an overpowering mint flavor … which is rather nice as I know from my own experience of blending teas that it is not easy to keep mint from taking over.
The sweet pineapple gives this tisane a luscious, fruity tone that is almost a surprise with the first couple of sips. With the start of the sip comprised of warm (but not spicy) spice, I didn’t really expect the sweet, juicy flavor of pineapple to shine through, but it does! Right about mid-sip, the pineapple begins to weave its way in and out of the sip. It’s quite nice!
In the background there are hints of floral notes that seem to complete the rainforest-y theme that this tisane embraces. I love how this tisane doesn’t just call itself a “rainforest” blend – it actually captures the spirit of what I imagine from a rainforest. Zesty, but with a cool, crisp mint coming in toward the end. Sweet, starting with a sweet yet snappy licorice note which is followed by a lovely pineapple flavor. It all comes together in a very refreshing and energizing way!
Daily Man Tea from BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong, Pu-erh and Herbal
Where to Buy: BijaBody Health + Beauty
Tea Description:
We’ve gotten enough feedback from guys to know you want your own tea, and you don’t want a frilly peacock feather on it. Point taken. Here you go.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the three different teas from BijaBody Health + Beauty I was sent to try, this was the one with which I hesitated longest. I could think of all kinds of silly excuses, but, if I were to be completely honest, it was because it was a “man” tea, and well, the last time I checked, I’m a woman.
But, really, that’s pretty silly too. It’s a tea! There are some herbals in there that are definitely intended for men, but, I have never claimed to drink tea for its health benefits, so why should I not drink a tea because of its purported health benefits for men?
This tea has a strong earthy quality to it, much stronger than I recall tasting with either the Daily Beauty Tea or the Nightly Beauty Tea from BijaBody. I definitely taste the Pu-erh here, but, it isn’t an overwhelming or off-putting flavor. I also taste the Oolong, and I can feel the texture from the Oolong too – its smooth and almost creamy.
This also has a slight medicinal quality to it, but not so much that it makes me want to stop drinking it. The medicinal flavor is balanced out with the warm spice notes in the background as well as the tea flavors to give this a very enjoyable taste. After a glance at the ingredients, I worried that the cayenne might be a bit too much for the cup, but, it is actually quite subtle, providing a little bit of heat, but, certainly not to the point where I’d categorize this as spicy or even medium-hot. It has a mild spice – it’s warm and energizing.
Overall, this is an enjoyable beverage, even for those of us who are not men. If I were to change anything about it, though, I should like for there to be more of a chocolate taste from the cacao nibs… I taste only hints of cocoa here. But for what it is, I found it quite agreeable.