Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tea Description:
Chai is a type of tea typically served in India with milk and sugar. Our Herbal Chai is comprised of rooibos herbal tea along with a combination of ginger root, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and black peppercorn. This herbal version offers a remarkable authentic chai flavor while remaining naturally caffeine-free.
Ingredients: South African Rooibos, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger Root, Cloves, Black Peppercorn
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Receive 25% savings on the Selection Club from Simple Loose Leaf. Just type in SISTERSELECTION25 in the coupon field and save 25%! This discount is applicable only to the monthly Selection Club subscription and not the retail selection of teas.
Taster’s Review:
This Herbal Chai from Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club Sampler Box is a very finely ground rooibos! The rooibos leaves are chopped finer than I’ve typically seen in most rooibos blends. It’s almost like a fine, “instant” powder … almost, but not quite. This still needs to be steeped.
So I steeped it using a T-Sac. I don’t usually reach for a T-Sac when I’m brewing tea, but with a tea/tisane that is as finely ground as this is, I usually choose a T-Sac to steep the tea because I don’t like loose, floating leaves in my brewed tea. I’m not in to floaters.
Additional parameters used to brew this tisane: with freshly filtered water heated to 195°F and 1 tsp. of Herbal Chai in the T-Sac, I steeped the tea for 10 minutes. Because this is a finer chopped chai, you don’t want to use a little extra leaf – as I often do with chai because I want a little stronger flavor with all the spices that are in the blend – but with this blend, the fine chop means that there is a lot of surface area and this is going to get plenty strong with the 1 tsp of leaf to 12 ounces of water ratio.
The aroma of both the dry leaf and the brewed tea is so delightfully spicy. It reminds me of the smell I would experience when I visit the spice shop in Portland. Notes of cinnamon, clove and pepper are prominent. I can also smell the cardamom and ginger.
Mmm! This is a perfect tisane to send out for September. As the air becomes crisp and the weather turns cooler for the coming season (Autumn!) this tea serves me as a reminder of what is to come. As I’ve said many times before, fall is my favorite season of the year. And … yes … the reason is TEA! Tea just tastes better hot. Yeah, there are some teas that taste better iced, but for the most part, I find that teas just taste better when they’re served hot and I find that hot tea tastes best when the weather is chilly.
And my favorite kinds of teas to sip during my favorite season of the year are chai blends like this because the warm spices are just so cozy and comforting! This is a perfect autumnal blend!
The finer chop on this blend makes for a very strong tasting chai, so don’t go overboard when you’re measuring out the leaf! You might want to even use a little less leaf because it does get very strong.
The spices are robust. The clove and ginger and pepper are the strongest flavors that I’m tasting. After these flavors are recognized by my palate, then I begin to pick up on the cinnamon and cardamom. The rooibos doesn’t offer a strong flavor to the cup, it’s more like a slightly sweet, nutty background flavor that is quite complimentary to the earthy notes of the spices.
I’ve got to tell you that when I saw that this is a rooibos chai, my thoughts were “Oh, another rooibos chai.” I wasn’t all that thrilled with the prospect. But this is one of the better tasting rooibos chai tisanes that I’ve tasted in some time. The finer ground on the blend makes for a deliciously pungent, spicy chai and that’s just fine with me!
This tastes great with a dollop of honey or a half a teaspoon of sugar. I find that the sweetener accents the spices in a chai (sugar and spice makes a chai taste real nice). Add a splash of milk or cream for a tasty latte … it’s a wonderful, caffeine-free treat to drink any time of day.
Green Pekoe Tea from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tea Description:
Green tea from the Fujian province of China. Green Pekoe is famed as an everyday tea, and is among the most popular teas consumed in China. Its thin, wavy leaves appear almost black when dry. Once infused, however, our ‘Green Pekoe Blues’ reveals its true color. And produces a light cup with a smooth, mellow taste and a gentle, soothing aroma.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Receive 25% savings on the Selection Club from Simple Loose Leaf. Just type in SISTERSELECTION25 in the coupon field and save 25%! This discount is applicable only to the monthly Selection Club subscription and not the retail selection of teas.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow! This is just what I needed today. As I write this (which is a few days before it will actually publish), I am feeling kind of drained. Everyone in the household is getting sick! Ugh! I don’t feel it yet … except for that weak, sort of drained kind of feeling that I feel. Lackluster … no energy. You know what I’m talking about, right?
Today, my box from Simple Loose Leaf arrived, and it came just when I needed something to pick me up and bring a smile to my face. (Receiving these boxes from Simple Loose Leaf every month always DO bring a smile to my face!) And this Green Pekoe is the first tea that I’m trying out of this month’s box.
The dry leaf smells very vegetal and a little earthy – like something between freshly cut grass, kelp and the leafy green section of the produce market. It’s a green tea, so I brewed it at my “go to” temperature for green tea, 180°F. I measured two heaping bamboo scoops of tea into the basket of my Breville One-Touch.
Well, I sort of “guessed” that it was about two heaping scoops. These leaves are long and curly like a bunch of tangled up wire! So, it’s difficult to actually get a heaping scoop out of the package. You either get more than a heaping scoop … or you get less, as in much less. Like a few leaves. This is usually the case. These leaves are very *independent* and don’t want to hang with the crowd on the bamboo scoop – they want to do their own thing!
So I measured out enough leaves to where it looked like two heaping scoops in the basket. Then I poured 500ml of freshly filtered water into the jug (fortunately the water is not as independent as the tea leaves and just goes with the flow), finished assembling the jug and set the timer for 2 minutes at 180°F.
And we have green tea deliciousness!
The flavor is sweet and mild. It’s not an overbearing “green tea” taste – it doesn’t taste too much like vegetables of any sort, nor does it taste bitter or grassy. I do pick up on hints of steamed artichoke, but it’s not an overwhelming flavor.
It’s smooth and feels soft on the palate. It has a very satisfying, soothing kind of taste – just the pick-me-up that I needed on this afternoon that was starting to feel kind of down-and-out! This tea got me out of that funk.
I like the light flavor here, it’s sweet with delicate notes of flower and fruit. The finish is slightly dry but not overly astringent. The aftertaste is pleasantly sweet. This would make an excellent everyday sort of green tea because it has a very enjoyable flavor and it is very relaxing to sip.
This tea helped turn my whole day around! Thank you, Simple Loose Leaf!
Jasmine Special Grade Green Tea from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tea Description:
Enjoyed for centuries in China, Jasmine tea is an extremely popular scented tea. Special Grade Jasmine is a quality green tea with long, dark twisted leaves and sweet jasmine buds that produces a blonde liquor and delicate jasmine flavor. A delicious tea for any occasion.
Ingredients: Jasmine Special Grade Green Tea
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
I think that August’s Selection Club box from Simple Loose Leaf is my favorite box yet! Take a look at the selections that came with this box: Lady Earl Grey (I mean … hey, if you’ve read very many of my reviews at all, you know that I’m all about the bergamot, right?), Blueberry White (I absolutely LOVED this and it’s phenomenal served iced!), Milk Oolong (Um … YUM!) and even the honeybush was really nice. And now, I’m drinking Jasmine! Yep, I love August’s box!
And I’m loving this Jasmine Green tea. I steeped it in my gaiwan, starting with a 15 second rinse, and then I steeped the leaves for 45 seconds using 180°F water, and then I strained the liquid into my special Jasmine Yi Xing Mug. I steeped the leaves four more times, adding 15 seconds onto each subsequent infusion, until my mug was full with yummy Jasmine goodness.
The flavor is sweet and delicate. The jasmine notes are not aggressive, they are soft and exotic and sweetly floral. These notes marry beautifully with the lush, lightly vegetative taste of the Chinese green tea.
The tea has a pleasant mouthfeel. It’s smooth throughout the sip and dry toward the finish. The aftertaste is sweet and lightly floral. A really enjoyable Jasmine tea.
To learn how you can join the Selection Club, click here. And don’t forget the coupon code for 25% savings. Just type in SISTERSELECTION25 in the coupon field and save 25%! This discount is applicable only to the monthly Selection Club subscription and not the retail selection of teas.
Lady Earl Grey Black Tea Blend from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tea Description:
Our very popular Earl Grey blend of citrus bergamot over an extraordinary Nilgiri Black Tea with the added indulgence of Vanilla. This mouthwatering combination is the perfect invigorating treat. For the famed “London Fog” effect, add steamed milk and enjoy a smooth and creamy delight.
Ingredients: South Indian Flower Orange Pekoe Black Tea, Earl Grey Flavor, Vanilla Flavor, Cornflowers
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
How awesome is this? Lady Earl Grey in the Selection Club box for August. If I wasn’t already in love with these boxes from Simple Loose Leaf, they would have had me at this tea!
When I first saw the name of this tea – Lady Earl Grey – I thought that it might be a bergamot flavored black tea with either Lavender or Rose added. It wasn’t until I opened the pouch and smelled the tea and could immediately recognize the aroma of the vanilla that I knew that this was a Creme style Earl Grey. The vanilla is very well pronounced in the fragrance of the tea and this translates to the flavor.
I brewed this in my Breville One-Touch by pouring 500 ml of freshly filtered water into the jug, and then scooping out two bamboo scoops full of the fragrant loose leaf tea and putting it in the basket of the tea maker. I set the tea maker for 212°F and the timer for 2 1/2 minutes. This produced two cups of perfectly brewed tea! (Have I mentioned lately that I love my Breville One-Touch? Everyone should have one of these!)
This is one of the nicer creme Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried in a while. The bergamot is strong and flavorful, but the sharp edges of the Italian orange is softened beautifully with the vanilla notes. It’s so delightfully creamy and smooth!
The black tea base is nicely round and has a malty tone to it. I like how the malt-like flavors of the black tea marries with the vanilla flavors to create an almost caramel-esque flavor that is positively delectable. The black tea is an invigorating, full-flavored black tea. I like that it’s good and strong and isn’t overwhelmed by the flavors of bergamot and vanilla.
The bergamot is pleasantly strong. It’s not the strongest bergamot flavor that I’ve experienced from an Earl Grey tea, but, it’s by no means weak or lacking in any way, in my opinion. It’s balanced well with the notes of vanilla so that these two components are not competing with one another, but working very harmoniously with each other, making for a heavenly cup of tea!
Save 25% off when you sign up for the Selection Club. Use the coupon code SISTERSELECTION25 when you join. This discount is applicable only to the monthly Selection Club subscription and not the retail selection of teas.
Honeybush Herbal Tisane from Simple Loose Leaf
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf here.
Tisane Description:
A sweet, smooth honey-scented herbal tea, Honeybush is made up of the leaves, stems, and flowers of a bush native to South Africa. Honeybush provides a bit of a natural smoked flavor with a touch of a tart finish. It is caffeine-free, low in tannins and contains antioxidants, making it a delicious, healthy, and versatile beverage.
Ingredients: South African Honeybush Herbal Tea
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Save 25% off when you sign up for the Selection Club. Use the coupon code SISTERSELECTION25 when you join. This discount is applicable only to the monthly Selection Club subscription and not the retail selection of teas.
Taster’s Review:
It’s not very often that I have a cup of straight-up honeybush anymore. Usually, I’m tasting honeybush as part of a flavored blend. But as I sit here, sipping on this Honeybush from this month’s box from Simple Loose Leaf, I find that I’m quite enjoying this! I’m enjoying it a lot more than I expected to.
In fact, as I was brewing it, my attitude was kind of glib. I wasn’t all that excited about it. I mean, it’s not like I’ve not tried pure honeybush in the past.
But as I said, it’s been a while since the last time I had a cup of pure honeybush. I don’t know for sure how long it’s been, but it’s been long enough to where I’ve forgotten just how tasty a cup of straight-up honeybush tastes.
It’s sweet and honey-esque. Hence the name. There is a nutty note to it, and a slight woodsy tone. The description above suggests a “natural smoked flavor” and while I can’t say that I ever remember that smoky note in the past, I am noticing it now. It’s slightly toasty. It enhances the nutty flavors, so perhaps that’s why the smoky/toasty note was indistinguishable in the past because what was “smoky” or “toasty” was also “nutty.”
It’s a very soothing beverage, and because it’s naturally caffeine free, it’s one that you can drink later in the evening without worry that you’ll start bouncing off the walls from a caffeinated buzz. And while pure honeybush is not something that I keep on hand regularly, it sure is nice to have a cup of it every once in a while, and I have Simple Loose Leaf to thank for reminding me of that!
That’s one of the reasons that I absolutely LOVE the Selection Club tea box that arrives from Simple Loose Leaf in my mailbox every month. I get five sampler size packages of high quality loose leaf tea in every box. Each month, these five teas are different, and every month, the box is a new adventure. It’s so much fun to receive this box every month!