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Name: Japanese Sencha
Brand: Harney & Sons
Type: Green tea
Form: Silken pyramid bags
Review: I’ve always found Japanese tea to be a tricky brew: I love the mouth-filling qualities of a good Japanese green, but often manage to produce a bitter, disagreeable brew when I try to make it for myself. Fortunately, our friends at Harney & Sons have sourced a lovely Japanese Sencha that even I can make properly.
Harney & Sons sells this tea in several forms, including paper tea bags and as a loose leaf tea. (I chose the version in little individually wrapped pyramid sachets.) I gave the dry leaf a sniff, and appreciated its fresh, sweet, slightly vegetal nose. After preparing it with fairly cool water (check out my preparation tips below), the infused tea’s nose was more intensely vegetal, and its liquor was an (almost startlingly) bright yellow-green.
Because I infused this at a relatively low temperature, it was ready to drink right away. This tea has a medium-full body with some definite creamy notes. The taste was quite fresh, somewhat spinach-y, yet also remarkably soothing. While I detected a slight bitterness in the finish, it was not offensive, and gave the tea a bit of character.
Recommendation: If you are looking to get started with Japanese green teas, this may be a good one to start with. If I can brew it correctly, anyone can. Also, its pretty green color is most appealing, and it makes a very tasty and robust iced tea.
Preparation Tips: I advise using cool water to make this tea. I took the temperature to 140F, and steeped it for about a minute. This resulted in a very tasty cup. Keep in mind that Harney & Sons pyramid teabags are intended to infuse 12 ounces of water, rather than the 6 or 8 ounces that are standard for many teabags.
Name: Organic Green Tea with Citrus and Ginkgo
Brand: Harney & Sons
Type: Green tea, Chinese
Form: Silken pyramid tea bags, also available in paper tea bags, as a loose leaf tea, and in large “brew bags” for iced tea.
Review: Organic tea lovers unite! Harney & Sons is working hard, it seems, to source more and more USDA certified organic teas. Their organic line includes traditional Keemun and Assam blacks, as well as several flavored green and black flavored teas, including Earl Grey, mint flavored green tea, and a range of organic teas specially packaged for making iced tea.
Harney & Sons Organic Green Tea with Citrus and Ginkgo makes an excellent, and elegant, “summer” green tea. The dry leaf smells, not unexpectedly, of citrus, and infuses to a pale green liquor. Once infused, the crisp citrus dominates the light bodied tea, though without tasting fake or overly sweet. The ginkgo is less obvious, though I can detect a bit of its sweetness in the finish, and suspect that it gives the tea some structure. There is a refined quality to this tea that I like very much, and suspect that it may go well with summery foods such as hummus and pita or cucumber sandwiches.
Please resist the urge to sweeten this tea: While it may not taste particularly sweet at first sip, its sweetness emerges in the finish. If it really isn’t sweet enough for you, and you are drinking it as a hot tea, let it cool for a few minutes. The cooler this tea gets, the sweeter it tastes.
Preparation Tips: Keep the water temperature down to about 170F, and don’t infuse this tea for a very long time (a minute worked well for me). Excellent as an iced tea: Again, keep the steep time short, and just double up on the tea bags, tea leave, or use the special iced tea “brew bags”.
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I get a lot of questions from people asking whether a certain tea, or tisane, is “good” for treating a particular medical condition. While I always tell people that they should drink something because they like the way it tastes, not because it may, or may not, cure a health problem, I also think that people need to use caution when drinking herbal tisanes and teas blended with other herbs.
Chamomile
Most consumers don’t have problems drinking commercially-prepared tisanes and flavored teas. However, there are some people who need to avoid certain herbs due to allergies, side-effects, and drug interactions. Here are some tips for playing it safe with infused herbs:
- Always read up on an herb before drinking it. For example, chamomile and chrysanthemum are related to ragweed, a common allergen. If you suffer from hayfever, you might want to avoid drinking these herbs. (Incidentally, chamomile is a very popular ingredient in a lot of tisanes, particularly “nighttime” blends. Be sure to read labels before buying and drinking tisane/tea blends!)
- Tell your doctor about your use of herbs, even as tisanes or teas. Your doctor needs to know this information, particularly if you are using medications or are scheduled for surgery.
- Be skeptical of package claims. Just because a company advertises its tea or tisane as “good for” a certain condition does not mean that the product is a miracle cure.
Online Resources
Here are some online resources for researching herbs and herbal remedies:
- PollenLibrary.com: Contains articles on various plants and their ability to trigger allergies. A great resource for folks who are sensitive to certain plants.
- MedlinePlus.com: This website is sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (National Institutes of Health). MedlinePlus offers a database of common herbs with information on their usage, side effects, and any scientific evidence for claimed health benefits.
- MayoClinic.com: A good source of information on various herbs and dietary supplements.
Lainie’s blog, Lainie Sips, is an excellent source of information on tea. Make sure to check it out!
Name: Nonsuch Estate Nilgiri
Brand: English Tea Store
Type: Black tea, Indian
Form: Loose leaf
Review: While many people are familiar with Assam and Darjeeling teas, teas from the Nilgiri region are less well-known. This is a shame because while some Nilgiris are profoundly uninteresting, good Nilgiris are not only quite tasty, but quite versatile.
The dry leaf of Nonsuch Estate Nilgiri is somewhat broken and a medium chocolate brown. (The nose isn’t particularly strong, though I do get a hint of malt and perhaps some tobacco.) The tea infuses to a deep brown, and the malty-tobacco nose intensifies. On the palate, the tea is a bit more assertive than its nose would suggest: While some Nilgiri’s can be smooth to the point of being boring, this tea has a bit of an edge. Not enough to make me wish for milk and/or sugar (though I tried this tea with both–it stands up to them well), but enough to make it both interesting and palate cleansing. The tea also tastes remarkably fresh, which is always a good thing.
Because of its strength and palate cleansing qualities, I strongly recommend this as an alternative to traditional breakfast teas. It is smooth enough to go with a simple breakfast (such as a piece of toast or a plain egg), but can also mop up after a more substantial meal (bacon and peanut butter on toast, anyone?). It is also a great “compromise” tea for families in which individual members like their tea prepared differently: One pot will do for those who like their tea plain, those who like lemon, and those who want to go the milk and sugar route.
Good stuff.
Preparation Tips: This tea works steeps well in boiling or near-boiling water (208F-212F). Watch the steep time: 3 minutes is plenty, anything more than that, and you risk bitterness. By all means try this as an iced tea (Nilgiris are less likely to get cloudy when poured hot over ice, and go really well with fresh lemon.).
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Name: Rooibos Chai
Brand: Harney & Sons
Type: Herbal tisane, rooibos
Form: Silken tea sachet (loose leaf available)
Review: Spiced chai lovers often find themselves in a bind: Hot, spicy chai is a wonderfully soothing drink, but tea’s caffeine content can make it inappropriate for nighttime swigging. Harney & Sons’ Rooibos Chai blends traditional chai spices with caffeine-free rooibos, helping chai partisans to sidestep the threat of sleepless nights while still enjoying a hot cup of the comforting brew.
The dry leaf smells strongly of cardamom, while this tisane also includes cinnamon and clove, the cardamom definitely dominates the blend. It infuses to a dark red liquor, with the cardamom more pronounced than the other flavors. The flavor of this blend is somewhat austere: Harney & Sons apparently wants to leave the option of sweetening the chai up to the drinker. If you need or want your chai to be sweet, you will have to add honey, sugar, or another sweetener on your own. Of course, this also allows you to control how sweet your chai is: As I prefer my chai unsweetened, or at least barely sweetened, I count the lack of sweetness in this blend to be a plus.
Preparation Tips: Normally I would tell readers not to worry about oversteeping, as that just can’t happen with rooibos (the water gets cold before the tisane’s taste is negatively affected). But the cardamom content in this chai is plenty strong, and a too-long steep can result in a bitter and overly pungent brew. I’d suggest a steep time of 4-5 minutes, but don’t be afraid to tip a spoon in mid-steep to help determine when to pull the teabag. Try experimenting with both dairy and non-dairy milks in this chai. I have found that good-quality almond milk meshes really well with chai: The slight bitterness of the almonds pairs great with chai spices.
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Name: White Vanilla Grapefruit
Brand: Harney & Sons
Type: White tea, flavored
Form: Pyramid tea bags
Review: If there was ever a tea that qualified as a “dessert tea”, White Vanilla Grapefruit by Harney & Sons certainly is it. While it certainly is not for those who like subtly flavored teas, vanilla lovers will rejoice over this vanilla-infused white tea with a hint of citrus. Plus, everyone else who craves a very low-calorie, sweet drink will be happy with this blend. On the other hand, if you are considering this tea strictly because you are a grapefruit lover, you may want to look elsewhere: While the blend is vanilla and grapefruit, the vanilla definitely dominates. A sniff of the dry leaf leaves a very strong impression of vanilla, with only a hint of grapefruit. The tea infuses to a light-bodied gold and green liquor, with a distinct vanilla nose.
As I expected, the taste of this tea is primarily that of vanilla: White tea is notoriously delicate in flavor, and it seems to mainly exist in this blend to give the liquor some body and texture (despite its light body, the tea has a slightly creamy quality). The vanilla is strong, sweet and spicy, while the grapefruit remains in the background, only really making itself obvious in the finish. Still, that nice bit of tang at the end keeps the tea from being cloying in its sweetness.
Preparation Tips: This is a white tea, so don’t scorch it by pouring boiling water over the teabag, as this will result in a bitter and disagreeable brew. Try bringing the water temperature down to about 170F or so, and letting the tea steep for about two minutes. It also makes a very nice iced tea. Incidentally, this tea is sweet enough on its own, don’t even think about adding sugar.
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Name: Pomegranate Oolong
Brand: Harney & Sons
Type: Oolong, flavored
Form: Pyramid tea bags
Review: Pomegranate is currently a popular beverage flavor, and well it should be. It is slightly sweet, tangy, and robust, making it a refreshing thirst quencher indeed! The problem with using it as a tea flavoring is that it can overwhelm the taste of the tea. Fortunately, Harney & Sons wisely used a Ti Kuan Yin oolong as the base for this blend. Ti Kuan Yin, also known as Iron Goddess of Mercy, is a tea with enough flavor of its own to stand up to the pomegranate, and enough body to give the tea some body so that it doesn’t taste like watered-down Kool-Aid.
The tea infuses to a pretty greenish gold color and a medium body, and, as expected, the pomegranate does dominate in the nose. However, it does not dominate on the palate, but balances well with the oolong. The result is a floral, tangy and somewhat buttery tea. It is refreshing, but also heartening: It is the sort of tea that you could drink in both cold and hot weather. It also works as a sipping tea, but can pair well with food. I enjoyed a glass of iced Pomegranate Oolong with a chorizo scramble one hot morning, and it really hit the spot.
Preparation Tips: I’d recommend using water heated to 190F to make this as a hot tea. Ti Kuan Yin oolongs are long lasting, so don’t be afraid of multiple infusions. Pomegranate oolong also makes a lovely iced tea, but I suggest the hot brew method of tea making, rather than allowing to infuse overnight in the refrigerator. Cold brewing this tea results in the pomegranate flavor dominating the oolong, which is not the way things ought to be.
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Name: Decaffeinated Ceylon
Brand: Harney & Sons
Type: Black tea, decaffeinated
Form: Pyramid tea bags
Review: Decaffeinated tea is never going to be as good as its “natural” counterpart, but there are times when a decaffeinated option is necessary. While I do suggest that those who are trying to cut down on or avoid caffeine consumption consider herbal tisanes as an alternative to tea, sometimes one just craves the taste of true tea. A bit of decaf tea can also come in handy when entertaining guests. Harney & Sons Decaffeinated Ceylon is a good option for both these needs.
The tea brews up to the color of a copper penny, with a characteristically lemony-nose. The nose is slightly muted, but one can definitely tell this is Ceylon just by giving it a sniff. This is a relatively light-bodied tea, with a flavor of lemon and a hint of tobacco. It is not particularly astringent, but does have a bit of bitterness. You might want to be careful with the steep time in order to prevent the bitterness. On the other hand, the bitterness also gives it some robustness, so those who like additives in their tea don’t have to be afraid of overwhelming their cup.
The quality of Decaffeinated Ceylon is better than many decaffeinated teas that I’ve tried. It doesn’t have the “flat” quality that I associate with decaf tea, nor is it entirely one-dimensional. This is a good sipping tea that should work for casual tea drinkers as well as regular black tea drinkers who need a fix while also needing to cut back on caffeine.
Preparation Tips: This is a hardy tea, so don’t be afraid to use boiling or near-boiling water on it. Its slight bitterness allows it to stand up to milk and/or sugar, making it both a good breakfast and after-dinner tea.
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Name: Yellow & Blue
Brand: Harney & Sons
Type: Herbal Tisane
Form: Silken pyramid sachets/teabags
Review: Yellow & Blue is, as its name suggests, is a tisane (aka “herbal tea”) composed of chamomile, cornflowers and lavender. The blend is a beautiful one, as the blue/violet hues of the lavender and cornflower provide a wonderful contrast to the rich yellow chamomile. The nose is likewise lovely, with the chamomile dominating, but the lavender also providing a sweet floral quality.
This tisane brews up to a lovely yellow-gold, medium-full bodied liquor. Both the chamomile and lavender, admittedly rather fragrant blooms, compete to dominate the nose, and the end result is something quite inviting. The flavor of this tisane is definitely that of chamomile, which is quite buttery. The lavender and cornflower play second fiddle to the chamomile, though they do make their presence known as light, sweet/spicy floral notes.
I like the blend of flowers in this tisane. I love good chamomile, but its richness can become ponderous and boring at times. The lavender and cornflower make this tisane more refreshing than chamomile on its own. I’d recommend Yellow & Blue as a spring/summer alternative to straight chamomile. On the other hand, Yellow & Blue also retains all of the remarkable soothing properties of both chamomile and lavender: This is a great tisane to sip before bedtime, and great with snacks such as cookies or a piece of buttered toast.
Preparation Tips: As this is an herbal blend, it benefits from boiling water and a good long steep. The long steep not only brings out the flavors and gives the infusion more body, but a bit of cool-down time helps the flavors emerge. One teabag is good for at least three infusions, so don’t be afraid to keep adding water to your cup.
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Name: Get Lost
Brand: Republic of Tea, part of the “Be Well Red Tea” line of tisanes
Type: Herbal tisane, Rooibos
Form: Paper teabags, stringless
Review: The “Be Well Red Tea” line of tisanes from the Republic of Tea combine caffeine-free, antioxidant-rich rooibos with herbs reputed to address various wellness concerns. While the efficacy of herbal remedies is open to debate, these tisanes certainly are a lot of fun. Their packaging is clean and colorful, in handy, easy-to-transport tins. I also get a kick out of the copy written on the label.
I’ve been drinking “Get Lost“, the range’s “weight loss” tea, on and off for a few years now. When I originally tried this tisane, I wasn’t overly fond of it. It wasn’t bad so much as it was boring. Recently, its taste has much improved, and I now drink it on a daily, or almost daily, basis.
The tisane is a blend of rooibos (aka “red tea”), cinnamon, orange peel/flavor, carob, banaba leaf extract, and gymnema leaf. Cinnamon, banaba, and gymnema are all reputed to have an effect on blood sugar levels. Cinnamon, rooibos, carob, and orange are also naturally sweet, making this a good tisane for curbing sugar cravings.
Get Lost’s flavor is dominated mainly by the orange and cinnamon, though the rooibos’s honey notes provides some substance to the brew. I like drinking this tea first thing in the morning to ease into the day, and also find it to be a nifty nightcap.
As for its efficacy as a weight loss aid, I can only report the following: It is good for curbing my sweet cravings, and the tidy little teabags make it very convenient to brew up. Since this tisane is essentially calorie-free, I’ve found that a cup when I want something sweet usually takes care of the craving and leaves me satisfied. Whether this works for other people, I cannot say, but I think it is at least worth giving it a try.
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