Just received this tisane today and have been eager to try it! Have been looking for some chamomile and fruity blends. Steeped a heaping teaspoon of leaf in 8 oz. 95°C alpine spring water for 4 min., as directed by Tealyra, western style using a stainless infusion basket.
The aroma is pungently pleasant, of fruit salad, with discernible chamomile and citrus and a touch of ginger and hibiscus. The flavors are wonderfully proportioned. The chamomile was there without dominating, and the tangerine & orange oils gave a great citrus accent and sweetness, while the bite of ginger announced itself as well. I was glad to find the hibiscus was tame, and present at just the right level to round out the flavors on the tongue., without being overly tart. Probably residual sugars in the schizandra berries and the licorice root helped keep the ginger, hibiscus, and rose hips from being too sharp, though I had difficulty identifying the flavor elements of the berry, which is new to me. I’ll have to pick out a few of the dry berries and chew on them a bit to see what they have to offer. The licorice root was undetectable to me, even in the finish, and that was my only disappointment. Nor did I taste anything rose-y, though the hips may have added to the floral aroma.
I did not sweeten this cup, though I sometimes do add splenda or raw sugar to herbals like this, and I’m sure it would be nice too. The aroma and the lingering finish are the winners with this concoction, which will be nice on cold, snowy winter evenings to come!
Flavors: Chamomile, Ginger, Hibiscus, Orange, Tangerine
