Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Townshend’s Tea
Tisane Description:
Dark Forest Chai is made up of honeybush, cacao, carob, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, red clover, rosemary and roasted chicory.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tisane smells incredible. As I was pouring the tea into my favorite mug and the amazing aroma wafted through the air, it was as though I had been magically transported to a donut shop – believe it or not, this smells like a cake donut that’s been dusted with cinnamon and sugar!
And while it doesn’t taste exactly like a cinnamon and sugar donut, there are elements in this that give it a similar (and very sweet-tooth satisfying) flavor. A strong cinnamon essence, pleasantly sweet, with a somewhat savory, freshly baked cake sort of element to it, which is further enhanced by the presence of the cacao and carob.
The roasted chicory gives this cup a satisfying depth and a toasty element that is very harmonious with the other ingredients, and I think that this ingredient is what gives the cup that rich, freshly baked flavor. It also lends a hint of coffee-like flavor to the background. Coffee and donuts!
I like that this doesn’t taste strongly of any one ingredient, instead, it is a medley of all the ingredients. It is mildly spiced, and while there is some heat to it which continues to develop as I make my way to the bottom of the cup, I would not categorize it as spicy. It is warm, though, and I don’t know that I’d recommend this to someone who is extremely sensitive to spice, but, if you like a medium-warm heat to your cup, this tisane provides that.
I figured I’d like this chai – as I do love chai! – but, what a surprising treat it turned out to be! I love this!
Simmer Down Tea from Good 4 You Teas
Tea Type: Herbal
Where To Buy: Good For You Teas
Product Description:
SIMMER DOWN TEA
A nourishing blend with a hint of berry and sweetness. A relaxing tea to help build a wall against stress. Great for the nerves and the heart. Hawthorn berries are the main ingredient, which are amazing for the heart. Made for the Heart Chakra. INGREDIENTS: Hawthorn berries, milky oat tops, nettles, schisandra, alfalfa, gingko, Eleuthero root (Siberian ginseng), Rhodiola rosea root, rosemary, skullcap, pink roses & lavender flowers. (NO CAFFEINE) All the herbs were purchased certified organic or grown in my garden. Over 50% New England grown.
Tasters Review:
I have been waiting to try this tisane. For a few reasons, actually. One being I really have to be in the mood to drink most herbals. The 2nd reason being I wanted to NEED to be Simmered Down to get the full effect of this Herbal Tea.
I’ve been a “Nervous Nelly” the last few weeks because of the Holiday Hustle Bustle (I still haven’t even started shopping yet because of the awful weather we have been having) and scrambling with work, home, and crafting problems and projects! So I figured this week was as good as time as any to give this tea a whirl!
I assumed this would taste REALLY herbally and I wouldn’t like it but I will say I was pleasantly surprised and I enjoyed this cup pretty well.
ALL of the ingredients play nice and are on the mild side!
I would say a little berry and a little herb – but again – the flavors blended well and were gentle! I LOVE that this tisane did NOT shout!
Immortalitea from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Company Description:
Immortalitea tea blend is a taste sensation that anyone who has enjoyed cooking knows that there are incredible flavors to be coaxed from the leaves of rosemary and sage. Herbal teas also benefit from these old savory seasonings! Rosemary, a herb with many beneficial antioxidants such as rosemarinic acid and camphor, goes very well with strong flavors like lemon, as does sage, another healthy herb with a strong tart flavor. We have created a unique tea blend that brings together the finest green tea with rosemary and sage to create a robust herbal brew, and we’ve sweetened this blend with lemon and rose petals. Enjoy this fine mixture of vital flavors, all designed to quickly bring invigorating, heathy nutrients to every system in your body.
Taster’s Review:
This is a very distinctive tea. I could smell the rosemary and sage the moment I opened the package, and that aroma intensified as the tea began to brew. Such a savory fragrance!
The green tea base is fresh and slightly vegetative, which lends itself well to the herbal flavors of the rosemary and sage. The touch of lemon further accents the savory taste of this cup, and the contrast of the sweet yet sharp flavor of rose makes this one of the more interesting green teas I’ve ever encountered.
The tea is wonderfully restorative. I just came back from a rather vigorous walk, and this tea seems to bring me back to life!
I previously reviewed this tea, but, a really good tea such as this one deserves revisiting… or perhaps I should say, you owe it to yourself (and I owe it to myself) to revisit these delicious teas! They are worth it… and so are we!
Misty Morning from Good 4 You
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté & Herbal
Where to Buy: Good 4 You on Etsy
Company Description:
♥ A lemony yerba mate’ blend to lift the mind’s mist every morning, day or night! For memory, concentration and mental alertness. Recommended for studying & staying focused. There’s feverfew in it too, to possibly help a headache. A tea made for the crown chakra.
Ingredients: yerba mate leaves, lemon grass leaves, lemon balm leaves, gotu kola leaves, gingko leaves, rosemary leaves, stevia leaves, sage leaves & feverfew flowers and leaves. (CAFFEINATED)
Taster’s Review:
I want to start this review by saying that I really like this company. Good 4 You has a shop on Etsy, and for those of you who are unfamiliar with Etsy, it’s a fantastic venue where artists can sell their wares. I sold my teas as well as my art on Etsy, and I love it there. So I was excited to receive hand-blended tea samples from this Etsy store.
The package arrived and it was hand decorated – a nice touch! – and the packaging for each of the teas that I received is very cute and thoughtfully executed. I have nothing but respect and admiration for this company, and I urge you to support handmade!
OK… now that I’ve said that – this tea is alright. I am not a big fan of green Yerba Maté, I find it a bit too earthy for me, but, here, the other herbs manage to smooth out some of the earthy qualities for my palate, which I appreciate.
There is quite a bit going on with this blend. There’s the Yerba Maté, it’s vegetative, it’s earthy, and it provides a richness and depth of flavor to this tea blend.
Then there’s the lemon grass and lemon balm. These two ingredients provide a nice, lemony sweetness to the blend. It’s not terribly tart – a bonus – the lemon here tastes smooth.
There is a savory quality to this blend – I can taste the combination of rosemary and sage. This is a classic culinary combination, and it offers a unique and flavorful contribution to this tea blend.
Then… there is the stevia. Here’s the thing. I really wish that tea blenders/artists would not put stevia in their tea blends. I am not really crazy about stevia as it is, I like it ok sometimes… but most of the time, I detect a funky sort of aftertaste from it that I’m just not wild about. Basically, the main purpose of stevia is to add sweetness to a tea (it’s sweeter than sugar), but if I want to make my cup sweet, I’d like to do that myself.
The stevia aside, I think that this blend makes a decent cup of tea. It’s not my favorite blend, but, I like that it is a handcrafted blend. I like the creativity and thoughtfulness that went into making this blend. It’s tasty and I like that I feel more alert after having enjoyed a cup of this tea. It is a FEEL GOOD kind of tea that I can feel good about drinking!