Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Zhi Tea
Product Description:
Sweet Desert Delight, Another Zhi Signature Blend that takes flavor to new heights.
We blend our organic red rooibos (pron. “roy-bos”), coconut pieces, cacao nibs, anise pods, cinnamon, safflowers and stevia leaf to create a world-class organic taste sensation.
This is truly an oasis for the senses. Relish in the heady aroma of the steeping brew.
Inhale deeply. Pour a mug. Savor. Imbibe. Repeat. Indulge. Relax!
No sugar and no caffeine. Naturally sweet and healthy; from Zhi to you.
Taster’s Review:
My tin of this tea says “Desert Blend,” but the ingredient lists are identical, so I’d say that they’re the same blend … just perhaps a misprint on the label. Hey, it happens.
I’ve reviewed this tea previously, but, it’s good enough to deserve a second write-up. Really, though, I can’t say that my thoughts about this blend have changed all that much since that first review. I am still really enjoying this tisane.
The base of this tisane is rooibos, and while rooibos isn’t my favorite tisane base, here, it seems to work. The rustic, nutty flavor of the rooibos melds well with the flavor of the coconut and the deep chocolate-y tones from the cacao nibs.
The coconut is the strongest flavor, and it is sweet and creamy. The chocolate flavor is a bit more subtle, and it gives the cup an interesting dimension with its bittersweet taste. The cinnamon isn’t a spicy, “red-hot” kind of cinnamon; instead, I’d describe it as warm, mild spice. The anise gives a licorice-y kind of snap to the flavor and is a nice accent to the warmth of the cinnamon. Together, these ingredients all play off each other very well, making this a tasty cup to curl up to on this cold autumn night.
If I were to offer any criticism about this tea, I would say that I’d rather it not contain stevia, because I just don’t care for it. It has an off-putting aftertaste. Fortunately, it isn’t a particularly strong flavor in this blend – and the other ingredients here do their part to make this an enjoyable cuppa.
Stress Relief Tea from Solay Tea Therapy
Tea Type: Herbal Tisane/Green Tea
Where To Buy: Solay Tea Therapy (AKA Solay Wellness)
Product Description:
Solay Tea Therapy Organic Stress Relief Tea
With organic Chamomile, organic Peppermint, organic Indian Green Tea (decaffeinated), organic Skullcap herb, organic Wood Betony, organic Catnip herb and organic Stevia herb.
Steep one scoop of tea in boiling water for five minutes. Enjoy one to two cups daily.
Net weight 2 ounces $ 9.95 with wood scoop
Organic Chamomile – Soothing Sedative Properties
Organic Peppermint – Relieves pains from colic, dyspepsia and flatulence.
Organic Indian Decaffeinated Green Tea – Has a very high concentration of powerful antioxidants.
Organic Scullcap – Mild relaxant, therapy for anxiety and nervous tension.
Organic Wood Betony – General relaxant, helps to alleviate nervous tension.
Organic Catnip – Mild Sedative in humans.
Organic Stevia – All natural sweetener and antibacterial properties.
Tasters Review:
This is my busiest time of the year doing what I do for my Full Time Job and I thought I would have a cup of this to try and mellow out before switching gears from “work mode” to “home mode”.
I may not always grab an herbal tisane by choice – or should I say “at first glance” – but I have found the ones I am drawn to have mint in them. Lucky for me this one features mint…among other things. Another thing I am excited about in this blend of flavors is the Stevia…but I will get to that in a minute…
The post-infusion color of this tea/tisane is that of a bright yellow with a slight orange hue. Very vibrant! The aroma is mostly chamomile and mint but not overly-so.
The taste is soothing, relaxing, slightly minty, a bit of chamomile, green tea, and herbally. Everything jives well together and there isn’t one ingredient that over powers the others…I like that in herbal teas! It has a sweet finish which is nice, too!
The Stevia gives it a sweet or a hint of a sugar-sweetness to it. I think this works very well here! I think it really makes the blend special!
Another thing I like about this offering from Solay is that it came with a cute little wooden scoop which I will be doing a separate review on within the next week!
Please! Check out this website! It’s wonderful! Their customer service via email is great! They are good at answering any questions you may have! Their ingredients are top-notch! What a delight!
Cold Comfort Tea from Karma Blends
Tea Type: Herbal Tea
Where To Buy: Karma Blends
Product Description:
Cold Tea – Spicy Ginger Mint Eucalyptus
For a coldONE BOX MAKES 12 TEA BAGS
Caffeine Free
Contains Natural and Organic Ingredients
Daily Use Recommended» When can I drink it/What is it for?
– Anytime or For Cold, Cough, Allergies, On a cold day, Iced on a warm day.
» What does the tea taste like?
– The Cold Comfort tea is very flavorful with mint and ginger as the prominent flavors. The tea tastes mildly sweet as it contains stevia, the naturally sweet herb. How do the ingredients work in my system?
• Eucalyptus opens the lungs and encourages breathing by increasing oxygen in the cells. Eucalyptol, found in many over-the-counter remedies, loosens phlegm in the chest and helps to open clogged nasal passages.
• Lemongrass is a refreshing herb that helps to relieve exhaustion, clear headaches and combats stress.
Ginger is used to dispel pathogens via its ability to induce sweating.• Licorice is the best known natural expectorant and anti-inflammatory herb. Licorice helps to soothe the mucus membranes. It also acts as the bodys natural corticosteroid and decreases generation of damaging molecules called free radicals. Licorice is commonly used in Ayurvedic Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Not recommended for people suffering from high blood pressure.
• Peppermint opens up the respiratory passages.
» Are Accompaniments Recommended?
– The taste can be enhanced with lemon and honey. Honey increases the efficacy of the other herbs.
» Is it safe for children?
– Yes, only in a mild or diluted form. For children, the tea can be made using one tea bag in 14oz of water. However, not more than half a cup should be fed to the child in a day.
Tasters Review:
I’ve held off on trying and reviewing this herbal tea from Karma Blends because I haven’t been sick…but I can’t hold off any more! I NEEDED to try it!
I thought it would be good to have right now because of the astringent tasting tea I just consumed…I thought the mint and eucalyptus would freshen my breath!
I will say this is very minty and refreshing aroma-wise!
Of course the primary taste is mint/eucalyptus but I am getting a good deal of licorice which I normally find distracting in most cases but not this one! It works well as the 3rd noticeable flavor here!
Then the ginger pops in to say “hello” and again with ginger I am ‘hot and cold’. I want to say I dislike it in teas more than like it BUT, again, it really works well in this herbal blend!
I can taste the Stevia. It’s adds a nice natural-sugary undertone to this that I think helps tone down the ginger.
As it cools at room temperature the lemongrass is a little bit noticeable but it’s one of those ingredients I probably wouldn’t have noticed in a blind taste-test. Same thing with the Mango. I can’t really taste the Mango at all. I think it would be interesting if I could taste more of that. Maybe more of that and a little less licorice would be the ONLY thing I would change about this one. BUT…I am NOT complaining because I am really enjoying this.
If you are afraid of medicinal-type herbal teas…and enjoy mint…give this one a whirl! This one really surprised me! It’s quite good.
I’m having the bagged version of this right now and it is very flavorful for a bagged tea! The box suggested to try with honey and lemon to enhance the flavor. I didn’t do this but I may try that in the future!
I have to say…this is probably on of my FAVORITE Medicinal-Type Herbal Tea/Tisanes I have had to date!
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!