Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Byron Bay Tea Company
Product Description:
A wicked tea to entice the licorice lovers. Combining the refreshing properties of peppermint with the tasty treats of licorice and aniseed myrtle, this specialty blend will linger long on the palate. Particularly beneficial after meals to settle the tummy or satisfy your sweet tooth.
Taster’s Review:
I have to be honest – I didn’t really like this blend too much at first. I found that I needed to add a little bit of honey to it to make it palatable for me, otherwise the flavors were just too harsh for me. But with a little sweetening, this becomes a very delicious cup!
The licorice flavor is strong, to the point of being quite sharp without the honey. But with the honey, I find that the licorice is softened just enough to taste a bit like a good old fashioned licorice.
The mint is not quite as strong as the licorice flavor, and in the competition, the licorice wins out at the start of the race. However, the mint perseveres, and there is a crisp, clean minty aftertaste.
One thing I wanted to mention about this tisane. I was experiencing some heartburn before I started drinking this tea… notice, I said WAS. The heartburn is gone now, and I’m only about halfway through my cup! For this reason, I recommend keeping this tisane on hand. It tastes way better than those chalky antacids, and based upon this experience, I think it also works better than the antacids do.
A very strong herbal blend that is for those licorice lovers out there!
Dandylicious from Byron Bay Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Byron Bay Tea Company
Company Description:
Rich, full-flavoured and caffeine-free, this specialty blend is a cleansing coffee substitute. The roasted wattleseed makes it a little nutty, while the cinnamon adds a spicy sweetness. Ideal for ‘Soy Dandelion Lattés’ (LSDs) plus perfectly palatable on its own.
Taster’s Review:
As I sit here with the cup in front of me, I can smell the aroma from the cup – and it really does have a very coffee-like scent. When I bring the cup up to my nose for closer olfactory “inspection” the fragrance of the cinnamon becomes more distinguishable, but there is still a very coffee-like essence to it.
The flavor is a little … different. It isn’t bad, but it is rather unusual, and I can see how the flavor might be a bit off-putting to some. This blend’s saving grace is the cinnamon, which adds a very pleasing spicy sweetness.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried a dandelion tea before, or if I have, I wasn’t aware of it. So I don’t really know what that tastes like. I mean, when I was a kid, I used to munch on dandelion stems, and I occasionally enjoy a spring mix salad that has dandelion greens in it, but that pretty much sums up my culinary experience with dandelion.
And then there is the wattleseed. I’ve only tried one other tea blend with Wattleseed in it (at least only one other to my knowledge!) and it was Byron Bay’s Chai.
My lack of experience with two-thirds of these ingredients is quite apparent; however, I will do my best to review the teas based upon what I taste. I taste cinnamon (as I mentioned previously) – its sweet and warm spice tones are very apparent in this cup.
There is a herbaceous kind of background note that is somewhat bitter and reminds me a bit of cooked dark leafy greens, so I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that this flavor comes from the dandelion. As odd as this bitterness is, I am finding it quite interesting and a delicious addition to the cup. There is also a pleasing malty flavor. I can also taste a nutty flavor to the cup. All of these interesting notes lend themselves well to the coffee-like translation of this tisane.
I really liked this herbal tea. It is quite different from any other tea or tisane that I’ve tried thus far, and this uniqueness alone sets it apart and makes it rather enjoyable.
Oolong from Byron Bay Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Byron Bay Tea Company
Company Description:
Tie Guan Yin or Iron Goddess is probably the best known Chinese high-grade Oolongs. A light, semi-fermented, whole-leaf tea that is low in caffeine, high in antioxidants and particularly beneficial around meal times. The fresh, earthy flavour carries a lingering aroma, as well as subtle undertones of florals and fruits.
Taster’s Review:
I adore Oolong teas. They seem to me to be just a little more complex … a little more flavorful … a little more interesting … than most other types of tea. Probably the only type of tea that I like better than Oolong is a yellow tea, and due to the rare nature (and higher cost) of yellow tea, I enjoy Oolong teas more often than I do yellow, which I tend to reserve for occasions as rare as the tea leaf itself.
So, when I received this Oolong from Byron Bay, I was very excited to try it. Having been quite impressed from the other teas I’ve tried from Byron Bay, my expectations were high for this Oolong, and I’m pleased to report that Byron Bay did not let me down!
This Tie Guan Yin has a lighter body than some ofther Tie Guan Yin teas that I’ve encountered. The floral character is a little stronger in this tea, which cuts through some of the heavy buttery notes just a little. The result is a cup that is very pleasantly floral, lightly sweet and possesses hints of buttery undertones. Delicious!
This tea is very smooth and has a rich taste despite it’s lighter quality. The mouthfeel is not as thick as some Oolong teas, but it is soft and silky. This tea is very enjoyable to sip.