Day 3 of our Holiday Countdown with Teanzo!
Since it’s that time of year and I’m an artist (who really NEEDS to get back into the swing of creating – I need some inspiration!) I decided to start featuring different holiday-ish designs of things that I’ve created in the past as well as pieces that others have created for me on my Holiday Countdown posts.
Today, I went back through some of my old pictures of artwork that I’ve created and I came across this Holiday greeting card that I made a few years ago. I thought it was an appropriate way to kick off this “parade” of holiday artwork as featured on a tea blog – and it gives me an opportunity to offer all our readers a cup of holiday cheer!
We really are very grateful to our readers that keep us blogging!
So, why don’t we get into the tea for day three?
Safari Rooibos
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
This refreshing rooibos iced tea with hints of fruit, is a great caffeine free source of antioxidants and trace minerals.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the first rooibos blend that I’m reviewing in this countdown. The small, needle-like rooibos leaves seem even smaller in this blend, as though they’ve been chopped to an even finer consistency. So, even though I haven’t been using the unbleached DIY loose leaf tea bags that were included in this Teanzo Advent Calendar box, I would strongly recommend using them for this tea (and perhaps any other rooibos blends should we come across more!)
I actually steeped this tea in my Kati Tumbler, but after steeping, I wished I had used one of those tea bags because the leaves are so fine that some of them fell through the very fine mesh sieve of the Kati Tumbler basket. To avoid “drinking” the leaves (nothing wrong with this, I just don’t like floaters in my tea), I strained the liquid again into another teacup after the tea was finished steeping. This action managed to eliminate the few leaves that made their way through the basket of my Kati. (Steeping parameters: 195°F for 10 minutes.)
And all that effort was worth it – because this is a really tasty blend. I’m usually somewhat ambivalent when it comes to rooibos blends (as many of my readers are already aware), but, I’m enjoying this. The rooibos has a honey-like sweetness and earthy, nutty flavors that are accented nicely with notes of citrus.
It’s not an overly flavored blend. I’m not tasting more citrus flavor than I’m tasting rooibos. There is a good balance between both of these elements. Usually, I’m all for it when the flavors are strong enough to conceal the flavors of the rooibos because as I said, rooibos is generally not my favorite taste, but, the flavors work well here. It’s enjoyable and it’s a nice, cozy drink for these cold, winter-y days.
I liked this served straight, but I think I like this one even better with a dollop of honey to bring out those natural honeyed flavors of the rooibos base. It’s soothing and comforting while it quenches my thirst.
On The Third Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent to Me …
The third day of Christmas has been a very meaningful day for me this year, as it was the day that I’ve been busy with these past couple of months. For two swaps that I was involved with (12 days of Christmas swaps) the day that was chosen for me was day 3. Three French Hens.
The first swap I was involved in was one I facilitated on Steepster. It was a tea swap, and each participant needed was assigned a day from the song, and they needed to come up with a tea to send out to each of the other participants … and their tea choice needed to be inspired by the lyrics of the song … that is to say, they needed to choose a tea that was inspired by the day that they were assigned. I needed to choose a tea that said “Three French Hens.” Instead, I chose three teas that were somewhat French-like, and presented them in a large egg. Three French teas that were laid by French Hens. At least that was the message I was trying to express with my swap. Hopefully it made sense to the other participants.
If I happen to glance at the “French Hens” sort of carelessly and quickly, I instead read French Horns. Then I think of “How I Met Your Mother” and the blue French Horn that Ted pilfered from the restaurant where he took Robin on their first date. Maybe for my contribution for the 12 Days of Christmas art swap I took part in I should have done something French Horn inspired. Instead, I made Smash Books. I hope that everyone liked them.
So… without further babbling, I present the tea that Della Terra Teas sent me for the Third Day of Christmas:
The Gingerbread Man
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tisane Description:
On the third day of Christmas a gift of tea for you! The Gingerbread Man!
We don’t believe a french hen flavored tea would have been a grand idea, so we present to you a delicious gingerbread rooibos blend! So creamy and full of flavor.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve stated many times that rooibos just isn’t my favorite thing. But, I do drink rooibos, pretty regularly, in fact, and so I guess I should stop saying that. While it is true that they aren’t my favorite, I don’t really dislike most of the rooibos blends that I try. In fact, the majority of the ones that I’ve tried over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve enjoyed … some more than others, but for the most part, I’ve enjoyed most of the rooibos blends I’ve tried. So I really DO need to quit saying I don’t like rooibos, because there’s quite a bit of evidence to the contrary.
This rooibos blend is pretty darned good. The description above is correct, this rooibos blend actually tastes creamy. But I don’t agree that this should be called “Gingerbread Man.” I just am not getting a whole lot of anything here that makes me think “Oh … this is Gingerbread!” It’s tasty, and that’s a good thing, but, it’s not really gingerbread to me.
I’m liking that that this is sweet without that “funky sweetness” that I sometimes get from rooibos. I taste a somewhat nutty flavor from the rooibos, and this contributes to the overall freshly baked cake kind of taste … but there really needs to be more ginger for this to be something I’d be able to say “oh yeah, that’s gingerbread alright.” I’m just not getting much ginger at all here.
What I do taste is the aforementioned creamy tone, notes of nutty flavor from the rooibos, as well as pineapple. I taste more pineapple here than I do ginger. Perhaps we could rename the Gingerbread Man to Pineapple Bread Man.
Now I’m being silly. That’s what happens when I start drinking tisane too late at night.
It is sweet, creamy and I taste very subtle spice notes, hints of ginger and of cinnamon. And from the currants, I get just a hint of a berry tartness toward the tail end of the sip.
Overall, it’s really kind of an odd – as in unusual – tisane, but, I am finding it really tasty, even if it doesn’t live up to what I would expect from something called “Gingerbread Man,” and I’m really glad I tried it.