Shoti Maa

Another sample from my recent Tarotpuoti order. A lemon, apple, and ginger blend sounded just the thing for a dull chilly day like today. In practice it’s mostly apple, which is a pleasant surprise. It reminds me of the apple filling in a pie or crumble; soft, mushy, perhaps a bit overcooked. Definitely not crisp, fresh apple. There’s just a hint of ginger in the background, along with a twist of lemon. This one isn’t bad, got to say.

A freebie with a recent order from Tarotpuoti. Hibiscus teas aren’t generally my favourite, but paired with mint here it’s not too bad. It’s very, very sweet, presumably from liquorice root. I do enjoy the name, but I doubt it’s going to give me the promised emotional clarity. That feels like a bit too much to expect from a routine bagged tea! A pleasant enough late morning cup anyway, but probably not one I’d actively seek out to revisit.

Backlog:

According to the Hari Tea/Shoti Maa Tea website, hibiscus is supposed to be a aphrodisiac. Not something I knew about the herb, it doesn’t make me like it any better.

There is a lot of hibiscus in this blend, and that is immediately off-putting for me. This wasn’t a horrible blend, but, it certainly wasn’t my favorite and not one I’d select for myself. I wish there was more of a licorice-y taste to this and less hibiscus.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/07/09/in-the-mood-herbal-tisane-from-hari-tea-shoti-maa/

I thought this would be unappealing because a lot of ayurvedic products I’ve had in the past have tasted yucky. It wasn’t bad, though, especially for a tea with fennel. It needed sweetener. The flavour is predominantly fennel, with a bit of orange, and maybe a tiny quantity of cardamom.

Hmm… well, I can definitely smell the licorice, to e honest, I was really hoping to smell more of the lavender, but, I can barely discern it at all from the scent … in either the dry leaf or the brewed tisane. I can smell the cardamom, an hint of mint, and the licorice.

The flavor is very herbal. As in medicinal. It has a sort of medicine-y taste. It’s not a horrible taste, but not something I’d want to drink on a regular basis either.

And I LOVE licorice, but, here, combined with the other herbs, in a sort of weird combination, it just isn’t working for me as well as I had hoped it would. It’s alright, but, nothing I’m all giddy or excited over. I can finish the cup, but, I don’t know that this is something I’d buy. It might be good for occasions when I was feeling under the weather, because a nice side affect is that I feel my throat feeling very soothed as a result of sipping this.

It’s not bad … it’s just not my favorite. I think this would be better if it were lighter on the licorice, and maybe heavier on the lavender or perhaps the mint. Which is weird for me to say because I like licorice… but in this particular combination, it’s just not working out for me all that well.

I’m not overly fond of this aroma, I must say. It gives off that obvious herbal infusion scent. Getting past that…I’m drinking this to try and sooth my stomach at the moment.

First and foremost I taste various herbs. After the initial flavor of herbs there is a IN YO FACE Licorice flavor that overpower it and lingers well on to the aftertaste. It’s strange but of all the ‘spices’ I can taste the cardamom infront of the others. Eventho the ingredient that shows up the most in this combo of ingredients is the peppermint at 31% I can’t taste is all that much.

I don’t really care for the flavor of this but I’m trying to look at it from an herbal tisane stand point and based on the ingredients and for that alone, it’s not unpleasant, just not something I would choose myself, I suppose.

I can appreciate the natural healing properties in this too.

I would have to say I would only see my self drinking this in cases where I am ailing/hurting…like I am now. It’s soothing and comforting, sure…but not a TEA. a herbal tisane, sure…

Perhaps I would like it with less licorice and more mint?