Ginger Twist Herbal Tisane from Mighty Leaf

by liberteas

Ginger_TwistTisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Herbal Tisane

Where to Buy:  Mighty Leaf

Tisane Description:

Our Ginger Twist herbal tea is a harmonious mix of lemongrass, tropical fruits, and mint fueled with a touch of ginger and ginseng. A lush and magical herb and fruited infusion, Ginger Twist herbal tea helps promote calm, focus and good health.

Learn more about this tisane here.

I received a sample of this tea in my November Love with Food Box.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve tried a few teas from Mighty Leaf, but I can’t recall ever trying this Ginger Twist Herbal Tisane from this company, so I was happy to receive a sampling of it in my November Love with Food Box.  I would have been happier if it was actually tea and not a tisane, of course.  However, this is pretty good, even if it is a tisane.

Right off the bat, I can think of one thing that earns this tisane bonus points and that is:  NO hibiscus!  Yay!  It does have ginseng, and ginseng isn’t a favorite herb of mine, but I’d prefer ginseng over hibiscus in most cases, so long as there are other ingredients to offset the rather earthy taste of the ginseng.

And this tisane is plentiful in the ingredients department:  ginger, lemongrass, mint, and some tasty fruit notes.  The lemongrass adds a light, citrus-y taste to the cup that is a little bit tangy but not overly tart.  The mint offers a crisp, cool note to the cup, sort of like the cooling effect of opening a freezer door on a hot afternoon.  Just that quick wisp of a cooling sensation.

The fruit has a tropical taste to it, although I find myself having trouble pinpointing exactly what I’m tasting.  It has an almost papaya-ish and mango-ish type of flavor going on.  It’s sweet and brings a compelling contrast to the peppery notes of the ginger, which adds a zesty zing to the cup, but the heat of the ginger is toned down a bit thanks to the sweetness of the fruit flavor, and the cooling note of the mint and the smooth, buttery notes of the lemongrass.

I can taste some of the ginseng in this too, and it adds a sort of herbaceous medicinal quality to the cup that I would rather not be there, but, overall, it isn’t the strongest flavor that I taste, so I am appreciative of that.

An enjoyable cup – this is a tisane I’d like to have on hand when I’m feeling under the weather because it would be ideal with a dollop of honey to help soothe sore throat and an upset tummy.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane

Organic Spring Twist from Butiki Teas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Butiki Teas

Tea Description:

Our Organic Spring Twist originates from an all organic estate located in Dexing City which is found in the northeast area of the Jiangxi Province in Southern China. This green tea is processed by withering, firing, rolling and then baking the leaves. Organic Spring Twist is a flavorful and mellow tea that is intoxicatingly sweet with a vegetal aroma. This tea has notes of fresh peas and the juiciness of a summer peach with a full smooth body. Please note that we have a very limited supply of this tea.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Oh yum!

I know I say “yum” a lot when it comes to tea.  What can I say?  I love tea!

So rather than just saying “yum” – let me say this:  this is a tea that is really so delicious, that I think that even those who tend to shy away from green teas because of the strong vegetative overtones would really enjoy this green tea.

It has a light, fresh taste that reminds me of spring, making the name of this tea quite appropriate.  The above description suggests notes of sweet, fresh peas and smooth, juicy peaches.  Peas are not my favorite vegetable (quite the contrary:  they’re my LEAST favorite), but I think I could be persuaded to eat a bowl of peas if they’ve been enhanced with peach juice, and tasted the way this tea tastes!

On Steepster, there are comparisons of fresh, sweet corn on the cob, and I do think that comparison is much more appealing to me.  I don’t have a lot of experience with peas (except for bad experiences) and there really is nothing bad about THIS experience.  And I do get that sweet corn kind of taste here … it is very bright and sweet and juicy – like that crisp POP that you’d get if you were to pop a fresh, uncooked corn kernel with some gentle pressure from your fingertip.  That is what happens near the finish of this tea – a BURST of fresh, sweet, delicious flavor that is not unlike the POP of a kernel on an ear of fresh corn.

The vegetative tones here are very soft … delicate.  It hints at notes of freshly steamed vegetables with just a touch of butter.  The peach notes are especially noticeable right at the start of the sip, with the vegetative notes coming in about mid-sip… and the finish brings back the sweetness of peach.  There is very little noticeable astringency here, and absolutely no bitterness.  Just amazingly sweet, delicious flavor that seems to celebrate the joy of spring in every sip.

I don’t know how Butiki Teas has managed to find all these amazing teas – I continue to be impressed by the quality and fine taste of each tea that I try from them.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Green Tea

White Twist from Tea Horse

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Tea Horse

Tea Description:

An antioxidant rich white tea blended with herbs for a citrusy immune boost.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I am not a big fan of Echinacea, but I realize that it is a helpful herb, especially when feeling under the weather.  So, I like to find teas with Echinacea that I can drink and actually enjoy.  Something that doesn’t taste overly herbaceous or medicinal, something that isn’t off-putting.

This tea fills the bill!  I don’t know if it’s because there isn’t very much of the Echinacea or if it’s because the combination of the ingredients melds together in a very pleasing way, but I’m inclined to believe that it’s because of the combination of ingredients.  The lemongrass and lemon verbena offer a soft, smooth lemon-y taste that is sweet with a slight tingly tart note.  Together with the white tea, it tastes creamy and is a bit reminiscent of the flavor of a lemon curd.

Overall, I find the cup to be a very pleasant experience – soft, sweet goodness, hints of spice (think white pepper), with prominent citrus and creamy, buttery notes.  A deliciously different tea that helps support a healthy immune system.  Sounds great to me!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in White Tea

PRODUCT REVIEW: Green Tea Ginger Twist from Argo Tea

by liberteas

Product Description:

Ready to Drink Tisane from Argo Tea.

Ingredients:  fresh brewed green tea (water, green tea), pure cane sugar, ginger root, lemon juice concentrate, natural vanilla flavor. 

Learn more about this product here.

Taster’s Review:

After not being completely disappointed with my sampling of Mojitea, I decided to give another Ready-to-Drink tea beverage from Argo Tea a try.  This time, though, I made sure that there was actual Camellia Sinensis in the blend!

And I have to say that I like this quite a bit better than the aforementioned Mojitea.  There is a lot of ginger in this one though, so if you’re not keen on ginger, this is not the tea for you.

I can also taste the lemon in this, it isn’t an abundant flavor, but, it adds a nice touch of acidic taste to offset the peppery taste of the ginger.  The green tea seems a little lost in the blend, but, I can taste it back there … somewhere!   It would be nice to have a little more green tea flavor, but on the plus side, I like that this isn’t overwhelmingly sweet.  In fact, I find that the sweetness is balanced nicely with the spicy note from the ginger and the bit of lemon flavor.

There is also just a hint of vanilla to this, and I notice that particularly in the aftertaste which is a little sweet and creamy tasting.

Quite nice for a RTD.  I would definitely be happy to drink this one again.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Green Tea, Tea Products and Accessories

Chocolate Vanilla Twist from Big Tea House

by liberteas

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Yerba Maté

Where to Buy:  Big Tea House

Tisane Description:

Get the best of both delicious worlds of chocolate and vanilla in a special Yerba Mate tea fusion. This rich creation is perfect for treating yourself to a little cup of decadence with a burst of energy!

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

Chocolate and vanilla?  Yes please!

This is really a delicious, energizing tisane.  The yerba maté provides a rich base that is not quite as earthy as I had expected from a yerba maté blend – a nice surprise!  There is some earthiness to it, and a little bit of vegetative taste, but mostly, it tastes rich and roasted, with a hint of nutty flavor that compliments the chocolate flavor very well.

Yes, I would like there to be more chocolate (that’s no surprise, right?) however, it is still quite delicious.  The vanilla has a silky creaminess to it, and gives the cup a very smooth flavor.

The combination of the vanilla and chocolate together give it a truffle-y, ganache kind of taste, and the flavor develops as I continue to sip.  It’s as if someone dropped a chocolate truffle in my cup of yerba maté, and it is slowly melting, and it gets more delicious with each sip.

I do recommend drinking this hot as I find that the flavors mute a bit as it cools.  I also recommend adding just a pinch of sugar to the cup to bring out the flavors a bit.  It tastes a bit more like unadulterated yerba maté without the sugar, but with it, it tastes chocolate-y and rich!  YUM!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Yerba Maté