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!
Pumpkin Brownie Honeybush Blend from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
I think this one might just speak for itself. Caffeine-free honeybush, cacao nibs and marigold petals with organic pumpkin and fudge brownie flavors. This is a big cup of delicious!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t remember ever tasting a pumpkin brownie before, and I’m pretty sure that if I had tasted a pumpkin brownie before, I would remember it! So, for the purposes of this review, I’m going to just have to imagine what a pumpkin brownie would taste like.
And while I’ve never tried pumpkin brownies, something I have tried (and I LOVE!) are pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. When autumn arrives, something I’m always keeping a look out for at my grocery store bakery are those cookies … and I’m happy to say that this reminds me a lot of those yummy treats!
But getting back to the subject of pumpkin brownies, I think I’m going to have to find a recipe for pumpkin brownies too. This might just have to be the Thanksgiving dessert for this year’s Thanksgiving. Because … yeah. Pumpkin … Brownie. Do I need to say any more?
And if my pumpkin brownies wind up tasting anything like this yummy tisane, I think it might even be something that is requested more often than on Thanksgiving. This is YUM!
The honeybush base is a nice choice for these flavors, because it has a naturally sweet, nutty taste that goes really well with a fudge brownie flavor. It adds some depth to the brownie notes. And I like the way the honeyed flavor works with the pumpkin too.
This is a sweet dessert-like tea, but I like that even though it’s inspired by something that is really rich and sweet, it isn’t an overly sweet cup of tea. It satisfies the sweet tooth without overwhelming it. There is a balance, ad the pumpkin, while it is a sweeter vegetable, it adds an element of savory to the cup so that it’s not cloying.
The pumpkin is sweet but not too sweet, and adds a compelling contrast to the cacao flavor, and I really love the way pumpkin and chocolate taste together. There’s a good amount of chocolate flavor, a good amount of pumpkin, and I can still taste the nutty flavors of the honeybush too.
YUM!
Citrus Hibiscus Herbal Tisane from Simple Loose Leaf
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Fruit/Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
This lovely and colorful blend of hibiscus, rose hips, lemon grass, orange peel and organic rooibos infuses a ruby red herbal with a refreshing citrus and tart flavor containing light spice tones. Excellent over ice for a zingy citrus treat, and enjoy hot to help punch out a cold or flu.
Hibiscus Flowers, Rose Hips, Rooibos, Lemongrass, Orange Peel, Juicy Lemon and Orange Flavors
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This smells AMAZING! I love the bright citrus-y scent of this tisane.
Now, as you can imagine, the name of this tisane scared me just a little bit. Citrus Hibiscus Herbal. Hibiscus just isn’t my thing. But, I’ve had some really positive experiences with hibiscus lately, and the last hibiscus based tisane that I tasted from Simple Loose Leaf turned out to be alright. And this smells really good … so with those things in mind, I kept my fingers crossed and I brewed myself a cup of it.
OK … there is a bit more hibiscus in this than I would like there to be. That said, there are some other flavors in this that appeal to me. I like the citrus-y notes to this, and I do like how the rooibos lightens up the thick body that would normally accompany such a hibiscus-heavy tisane, making it much more palatable.
While this isn’t my favorite tisane , I found it tastes better served iced. Some of the hibiscus zing seems to chill with the cold, making this much more enjoyable, and just like the Cranberry Breeze from last month, my youngest daughter found these two drinks to be especially enjoyable, and hey, I’d rather her be drinking this than something sugary.
Another tasty way to enjoy this: add a couple of cloves and some cinnamon to the teapot before you pour in the hot water to start steeping. Let the spices steep with the tisane … it doesn’t end up too spicy, but the warmth of the cinnamon and cloves add some delightful contrast to the tart citrus and hibiscus.
It’s not a bad tisane, but it isn’t my favorite tisane, either. Then again, I didn’t expect it to be. But that’s the beauty of the Selection Club from Simple Loose Leaf. I get to try out five different teas every month and if there’s one in that five that doesn’t make me do the happy dance, that’s OK. It’s a sample size, and I still have four other teas that I can enjoy.
It’s all about the power of choice!
At the beginning of every month, I receive an email from Simple Loose Leaf that details the teas that will be featured in the next month’s box. I can choose to receive two large packages of two teas that appeal to me. I can choose which two teas I want from their menu of five teas. What if I want to try all five? Well, then I can choose to receive the sampler package, which offers five samples, one of each tea of the five on the menu.
That’s what I usually choose, because I’m a taster. That’s what I do. I taste a tea … try it out, and then I tell you about it. Most of the teas and tisanes from Simple Loose Leaf, I’ve really enjoyed! Occasionally, I’m going to encounter one or two that just doesn’t excite me, like this one. And that’s OK because I do have the power of choice with this program!
And whatever you choose to do – that’s OK too. This program gives you the power of choice!
Use this code: SISTERSELECTION25 to get a 25% discount when you sign up for the selection club. This discount is not applicable on the retail selection of teas, and is only good for the selection club subscription.
Want even more incentive to join the Selection club? Then, check THIS OUT! Now through June 20th, all new subscribers will receive a FREE teapot with their first shipment. WOW! What an awesome deal!
Gemini Rooibos Blend from Nina’s Paris
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Nina’s Tea Store (to be open soon!)
Tisane Description:
Rooibos means ‘red bush’ in Afrikaans. Rooibos infusion from South Africa provides a deliciously light drink. It is caffeine-free and contains numerous health-promoting ingredients. It can be enjoyed throughout the day and is a perfect beverage in the evening. Rooibos can be served with milk and sugar, depending on your preferences. Served as iced tea, it is absolutely delicious!
Gemini Rooibos: Strawberry, vanilla and grapefruit
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I was interested in this Gemini Rooibos Blend from Nina’s Paris because of the fact that it was the astrological tea for my sign. And while I’m not sure what strawberries, vanilla and grapefruit have to do with the “twins” … I’m liking this tisane anyway.
While it’s hot, I could really taste the creamy vanilla notes. This flavor softened as the tisane cooled, but I noticed more of the strawberry and grapefruit with the cold tisane, and I think I actually prefer this iced.
The flavor of the rooibos comes through, but it isn’t a really powerful flavor. I taste gentle notes of nutty, woody flavors with a honeyed sweetness from the rooibos, and the nutty flavors meld well with the creamy, sweet vanilla notes. The strawberry and grapefruit actually work quite well together, although I must admit that I would not have thought to ever combine these two fruits together. But, like I said, they work – and they taste really quite good together.
The strawberry is sweet and it is the primary fruit note throughout the sip, with the tart notes of grapefruit arriving at the finish. The citrus lasts long into the aftertaste, but it’s not an extraordinarily tart flavor, as its tartness has been softened by the other flavors. Instead, it’s more like a bright, sunny citrus note that perks up the taste buds as the sip nears the finish.
A really enjoyable cuppa – this Gemini is happy with it!
Rooibos Kalahari Tisane from Tea Affair
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Tisane Description:
Brace yourself. This tea has got a serious citrus kick that gets you in a good way. Lemon and lime together is an experience your taste buds will enjoy. The aroma of the tea is subtly sweet, woodsy with a nice lemon cream. The first sip is soft lemongrass with a lingering lime twist and hints of the natural sweetness of the rooibos.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
There are a few things that I do as I prepare to write a review. Probably the most obvious thing is that I brew myself a cup of tea – or tisane, as is the case with this Rooibos Kalahari Tisane from Tea Affair. I examine the dry leaf, smell it, and brew it .. sometimes according to package instructions, and sometimes according to what I think would work best for me.
For example, when given an Assam tea, typically I see 5 minutes as the ideal steep time. However, over the course of the many years that I’ve been drinking tea (more than I want to admit to!) I’ve learned that 5 minutes for most Assam teas is just too long and produces a bitter cup of tea. So, with most of the teas that I brew, I go with my best judgment and seldom does it let me down.
I also go to the website and check out the information that the tea purveyor provides on the tea I’m going to write about. Information like ingredients and where you, the reader, can buy the tea if they’re intrigued by it. However, when I went to the Tea Affair website to find information on this tisane, I came up empty handed. This tisane doesn’t appear to be available on the website. So, I shot out an email to Amoda Tea to ask them about it. They got back to me quickly.
Amoda Tea is GREAT when it comes to customer service, which is one of the main reasons why I’m still subscribing to this service. Well, that, and the fact that I get the opportunity to try new-to-me teas, and some are from new-to-me companies. I love that.
According to Amoda Tea, Tea Affair is a wholesale tea company … so this isn’t a tea that you – my readers – can buy. So, if you’re interested in this tea, please contact Amoda Tea about it!
In the meantime, let me tell you a little bit about this tisane!
Tasty! The citrus notes here are strong – much stronger than I would typically experience with just lemongrass, which suggests to me that the “natural flavors” here include lemon and lime flavors. There is a creamy element to this cup as well which could be from the lemongrass, as I often experience a somewhat buttery note from lemongrass.
I am enjoying the way the earthy notes of the rooibos (a little bit woody with a slightly sweet, nutty tone) contrast with the bright citrusy flavors. It’s a very refreshing beverage and tastes good iced, but is also quite the soothing cuppa when served hot.
Overall, an enjoyable rooibos blend. Not my favorite caffeine free selection that I’ve gotten from Amoda Tea, but, I liked it alright, and it was interesting to learn a little bit more about Tea Affair – a company that I hadn’t heard of before this experience began.