Mountain Rose Herbs

Holy Dumbledore’s Lemon Drops, this tisane is delicious! Honestly and truly, with a squirt of honey, a Lemon Drop in a cup! Fresh and full of flavor. If you like “I Love Lemon” tisane you will adore this. It has 100000% more flavor. No, maybe 100000000000000% more flavor!!

I had this one last night because it is supposed to encourage calming. Calm is what I needed after our sump pump stopped working in the rain storm, and started backing up into our heating/cooling unit in the basement. We had to turn off the sump pump and, yeah. Flooded basement does not even begin to describe it.

We’ve drained the basement and gotten the sump pump fixed. Everything that was in the basement is now thrown away (sigh). I’ve mopped a bunch of times but there is still that musty flood smell. This is going to be a long process.

This minty chamomile concoction really helped last night. Even though I was exhausted my brain was going a mile a minute. I had a sweet, herbaceous cup of this and got so knocked out that I slept in my clothing! I couldn’t even get changed into jammies I was so knocked out. That’s pretty calm I’d say :) Highly recommended for Nervous Wrecks!

I’m one of the few people on Steepster that enjoy plain-ish rooibos. I do put a little sugar or honey and a splash of milk to make it more tea-like. The slightly tobacco-y vanilla flavor (which I enhanced with a cut up vanilla bean) is a comforting evening cuppa. I always turn to this one when I’m in the mood for a plain cup of tea, but can’t have any because it’s too late in the day.

This tisane, to which I added some cut vanilla bean, is an extremely satisfying tea substitute for the evenings. I fixed it with milk and sugar and it felt very much like I was drinking black tea! The vanilla is present but understated, and very natural and delicious tasting. Although I haven’t logged this one much, I am almost out of the 4 oz I purchased in the spring! I will repurchase this in a heartbeat, and cut vanilla bean into it just like I did for this batch.

I had cut a vanilla bean into my tin of this, and finally got to sample it last night. Oh la la! I am firmly convinced you can cut a vanilla bean into almost anything, and I will think it tastes like the most amazing thing on earth!!!! Ahem!

The rooibos gave it some heft, but what you really tasted was true vanilla bean. Even more than with a black tea, because the black tea is stronger and shares the spotlight with the vanilla. Here, the vanilla was center stage. It was intoxicating! I said to my husband, “Wait until you taste THIS!” and he said “WOoOoooW!” It was that powerful. :)

If any of you like vanilla rooibos, I highly recommend this. With a scissors, cut one vanilla bean into little slices into 4oz roobois. Wait three weeks to sample. You will swoon.

This reminds me, I finished all of my self made Vanilla Black, and should really get another tin going.

I placed a big order to Mountain Rose Herbs for essential oils, herbs, spices, etc. and couldn’t help choosing a few teas to try, too :) I am one of those people who love a nice simple rooibos, and thought one with a little vanilla added would be right up my alley.

This one is truly delicious – fresh tasting and very rich. The vanilla is subtle, and I’m thinking of cutting a vanilla bean into it to enhance the vanilla flavor (I also got a bunch of them from Mountain Rose!).

I really like the idea that it’s so full in Good Things. As the Mountain Rose site states: A gentle and effective tea full of anti-oxidants, Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Sodium, Copper, and Manganese. I think this sounds much better for a person than the processes they use to make decaf tea :) I still love my Vanilla Comoro 4ever & ever xoxoxoxo, but I think I’m going to give up on my searching for decaf teas, and enjoy these naturally caffeine free tisanes that have some nice benefits.

P.S. Finally got the Tea tote I’ve been coveting from Mountain Rose Herbs for the last year!

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Herbal tea at its best. There are many layers of flavor mingling within this blend, and this complexity somehow is still able to produce a naturally sweet, mellow tea that always helps me relax (read: it’s awesome before bed).

I added whole jasmine flowers to this to enhance the flavor. It’s one of my go-to greens simply because I have a great deal of it. It’s very pretty, and it unfurls nicely. This was one of my stepping-stones into the world of delicious green teas.

After months of wondering about the infamous lapsang souchong, I finally got to try one this morning. I was visiting some friends who are also massive tea drinkers (although their tastes differ from mine a bit), and they let me look through their stash. I pulled this one out and expressed my keen interest, and we all agreed to try it since none of us had ever had it before.

The smell of the leaves is something else! I thought campfire; one friend thought brisket; more than one of us seemed to think bad. Indeed, it was smoky in the way that’s a few shades past a good smell, to that dark headiness that just causes a headache. Rather overpowering. The tea, however, was fine. The smokiness was much more subdued to the point of being pleasant, and it just had a nice, black tea-style headiness. I thought it was decent; the other friend visiting the house seemed to like it; the husband who was hosting loved it; his wife was quite “meh.” That’s the fun of wild-ass teas like lapsang souchong, though – you never know what kind of reaction you’re going to have!

I feel like I walked out in to my backyard and picked these myself! Well, not quite, but it’s very herbally and earthy to the eye! I was especially surprised by the Red Clover Buds/Blossoms! I don’t know if I have ever had a tea/tisane that features this ingredient!

It smells herbally and soupy. It looks, smells, and almost tastes like a broth.

As far as this being a full-out herbal tisane – this tastes quite good – in a more neutral type way, that is, it’s not overly herbally but it still serves a purpose. This really surprised me, actually. It’s pretty decent!

A review of Vita Blend Tea by Mountain Rose Herbs

Company: Mountain Rose Herbs
Tea Name: Vita Blend
Tea Type/Varietal: herbal
Region: China
Steeping Vessel/Amt Leaf:
Liquor Color: reddish amber
Leaf Characteristic: tea is very brightly colored

1st Steeping:
Water Temp: 200
Time: 5 minutes

I reached for this Vital Blend tea, today, because I am feeling very tired and weak; I need a since of well-being and some energy to boost. This is one of the teas that I purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs last year and I have yet to try it until now. The herbal mixture is confined in this clear plastic bag and when I peel back the tape and opened the tea bag it richly smells of hibiscus and other herbs.

I take one heaping teaspoon of the herbs and put this in the strainer which is over my tea mug and I pour in the boiled water over the strainer, I pour the water in a circle, motioning it over my cup to make sure the entire herb is moistened.

The tea’s aroma fills the air with hibiscus, peppermint and lemongrass; it is a very sweet and pungent aroma. After about five minutes have passed, I remove the strainer from my cup. As I observe the tea’s color, which is very bright like amber and at times darkening to a green herbal mixture.

The tea is very hot, so I take hold of the cup and begin to sip of tea slowly, more-so to just enjoy the aroma against my nostrils since my nose is inches nearest the cup as I am sipping of tea.

The tea is a sweeten mixture of herbs and is delicious. I taste and enjoy the lemon grassiness of the cup which gives it that ginger zingers. I mean it is a lively cup of tea.

2nd Steeping:
Water Temp: 200
Time: 3 minutes
This second steep is shorter and the tea’s aroma is not as pungent as 1st cup of tea. It smells sweetly of herbals. I sip of the tea and I can taste the lemongrass and hibiscus which gives it that slight saltiness in the cup.

Overall tasting notes: This is a delicious tea; well blended with herbs like hibiscus flowers, lemongrass and peppermint. The flavor is crisp with slight peppery notes and a grassy clean finish. Yum!

Classification: Year, and region of production; wild crafted tea from Oregon

Cup’s characteristic: heady herbal mixture of lemongrass and hibiscus; making for a cup of lemon zest herbal tea.

Liquor color: bright amber and at times it is a darkly green herbal tea

Taste: sweet with hibiscus and lemongrass with slight hint of peppermint.

A review of Green Rooibos Tea by Mountain Rose Herbs

Company: Mountain Rose Herbs
Tea Name: Green Rooibos
Tea Type/Varietal: green
Region: China
Steeping Vessel/Amt Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Liquor Color: amber
Leaf Characteristic: the leaves are finely cut…tiny little shreds or pulps with hints of green tea and of the rooibos strewn in.

1st Steeping:
Water Temp: 190
Time: 3 minutes

I wanted to fix for myself a cup of this tea today and so I reopened the tea box and take one heaping teaspoon of the tea and put this in my strainer which is placed over my tea mug and I then pour the hot water over the tea.

It is a mild aroma with nothing in particular jumping at you and when I remove the strainer from my mug, the tea’s color is that golden amber with reddish hues. As I sip of the tea it is both sweetly and woodsy in an herbal sort of way. I mean it is a little grassy in the taste which is sweetened by the rooibos blend.

I like this tea as it is a satisfying cup of freshly made hand crafted tea that I did not create but instead fixing a cup of this tea for myself, I can envision the fresh herbs as the fragrant mixes in the air to tantalize my senses and palette.

2nd Steeping:
Water Temp: 200
Time: 5 minutes

I infused the second cup of tea for longer with freshly boiled water which makes for this cup of tea to be hotter than previous cup. I like my tea very hot so that I have to sip at it slowly. There is no astringency in this tea and it is not as sweet but there is still plenty of rooibos in this cup of tea.

Overall tasting notes: A smooth cup of Rooibos tea with a subtle herb flavor that is high in antioxidants and it is less sweet than a regular cup of Rooibos tea.

Classification: Year, and region of production; Product of China

Cup’s characteristic: rich in antioxidant and good for you

Liquor color: amber-hued brew

Taste: is sweetly with a mild grassy/woodsy note

found out about this tea from http://getcurvynow.com/reviews/breast-actives/breast-actives-review/

This is one of the best black teas i have had. Use it alot in my blends and it makes an excellent iced tea as well.

I absolutley love this tea. I mixes very well with other teas and is awesome in a Chia tea mix.

This is one of my favorites and even my girls like it. It brews to a beautiful amber color, smooth and easy to drink, I enjoy it with raw honey.

I generally use this as my primary iced tea, has that classic iced tea flavor.

One of my favorite herbs/flowers. When I first wanted to buy Jasmine Flowers Years ago, I still believed that the scent would be as strong and apparent as the one from Lavender flowers. I was surprised at how ‘distant’ the scent from dried Jasmine is to that of the freshly picked one. It took me a bit to get used to, but one learns along the way.

The tea from the flower by itself is very gentle and subtle, yet it wields a somewhat hidden complexity. I would never imagine Jasmine being naturally sweet after having tried it as a very perfumy flower. The tea resembles a very volatile vanilla that is playful and seems to fade but constantly re-appears. There are subtle ghosts of the perfumy nature of Jasmine as you drink and sniff the tea, but is everything but overwhelming. The tea is soothing and calming, a very nice night-night tisane. This tea really help in stressful nights and when you feel tense for almost no reason.

Quick Notes I’ve been sick lately. So even though I always make my herbal blends at home an enjoy them, I’ve been drinking them a LOT more instead of tea.

I like this lemon grass, Its not the MOST flavorful I’ve had but deserves the best score for what matters CONSISTENCY. It is almost impossible to find these days. I’ve had ‘better’ tasting from other companies to only have the next badge be weak and old almost stale tasting not a few months after when I re-ordered.

The price is excellent and I haven’t had any problems when drinking in blends or by itself. The color is beautiful still and looks fresh. Honestly, I use it to cook and to make Lemon Grass Martinis (just Brew a stronger tea, let it cool, mix with gingered simple syrup and you have your base flavor).

This is a lovely Yunnan … smoky, rich, earthy and sweet. Lovely malt tones. Even though the description depicts an Oolong by saying it’s partially fermented … it tastes much more like a black tea than either an Oolong or a green. I do taste a lightness to this, hay-like and sweet, but, I still find it leaning more toward the black tea type.

It’s good, a fairly strong amount of astringency toward the tail. Enjoyable. Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a bit of this.

Between working a somewhat ‘normal’ shift at work, and doing some crazy house cleaning/reorganizing for Missy’s visiting brothers, I haven’t been updating much lately.

I’m not entirely sure what my mental block is against working the standard business hours of 8-5. Well, traffic is a big part of it, commuting is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be. I digress. Working 8-5 makes me tired, and my tiredness prevents me from writing interesting and witty things in a tea review. This should probably be etched in my mind for those silly times where I think “Hey, I should write a blog, and make witty and interesting posts several times a week!”. It is unlikely to happen.

So this? This was kind of a random herb I threw into my Mountain Rose order just to give it a shot as a tea. I had a somewhat vague idea of what Fennel was, because I know it’s in some Mediterranean food, and it’s rumored to kind of taste like black licorice. I like black licorice, and things that resemble the taste of black licorice, so I’m interested in what it could mix with.

The liquid itself has a light yellow color, and gives off an inviting smell of… well, like an Indian restaurant. It’s not as sweet as what I think of the smell of black licorice being, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that I don’t have any sugar in this cup. Just fennel, all day long.

The taste follows suit with the smell. It is very reminiscent of black licorice, but with a more savory, almost salty flavor to it. A little sweet, almost imperceptibly salty, and with a teensy woodsiness at the end.

I had Missy try a little sip of this (she made it for me, after all). Her review is something along the lines of “It tastes like salty black licorice, and I can’t stand it”. Though, in my experience, I haven’t met many women who enjoy the flavor of black licorice. Not sure why, but it seems to be a trend.

So yeah, this isn’t necessarily something I’d ever want to drink on it’s own, but it could definitely add an interesting background flavor to some blends. It would probably go well in the background of a Tulsi blend.