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Shanti Tea’s Rest and Digest

Rest and Digest by Shanti Tea
Herbal Infusion / Flavoured
$12.75 for 33g (15 sachets, 2.2g/sachet)

Mint and Honey has provided me with Shanti Tea’s Rest and Digest for the purposes of providing an honest review.

First Impressions

I received a sample package of Rest and Digest by Shanti Tea from Mint and Honey. The pyramid tea sachets came to me in a resealable kraft paper pouch. The aroma from the herbal infusion blend is primarily that of mint, although I can definitely see other ingredients in the blend – including the chamomile.

Rest and Digest does contain more than mint and chamomile though, this herbal blend consists of: chamomile, anise, fennel, lemon balm, ginger root, peppermint and safflower – all organic ingredients. Surprisingly, the ginger isn’t the most aromatic ingredient in this blend, I’m quite used to ginger being very much in the forefront of herbal blends when it’s in there, but this one is more subdued. I really have to concentrate in order to pick it out.

Preparation

Shanti Tea recommends steeping Rest and Digest in 100°C (212°F) water for 5 to 10 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep of 7 minutes.

First Taste

Rest and Digest steeps to a bright, golden yellow colour. The aroma from this herbal infusion is mostly that of the mint. The flavour from the tisane is that of mint, with a slight heat from the ginger. There’s some light floral notes in it as well, with a nice sweetness to it, but I do find myself wishing that the chamomile was more present. There’s some cooling refreshness at the tail end of each sip from the mint with some warming sensation from the ginger.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Rest and Digest once, I found that flavour was okay. It was bit diluted compared to the initial steep, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as the initial steep. The warming flavours from the ginger weren’t just as present.

My Overall Impression

I liked Shanti Tea’s Rest and Digest. I really enjoyed the blend of flavours – the mint, ginger, and chamomile play off nicely together. I found that the initial steep of Rest and Digest was quite tasty and found the contrasting warming and cooling sensations in the flavour profile to be really enjoyable. I do wish it had done a bit better with being resteeped, but it is an herbal tisane so I’m not too surprised that it didn’t do well.

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Grand Tea’s Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea

Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea by Grand Tea
Green Tea / Flavoured
$40.00HKD for 25g

Grand Tea has provided me with Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea for the purposes of providing an honest review.

First Impressions

Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea came to me in a gold sample packet with enough tea to have three pots of tea. The tea leaves are beautiful with each leaf curled, with varying colours of dark olive green and a pale, cream colour. The lighter part of each leaf has visible downy feathers on it. The aroma from the dry leaf is primarily that of the jasmine – the dry tea is bright and floral.

Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea is a Chinese green tea that has been scented with jasmine flowers and is from the Yunnan Province. I’m really quite fascinated by how the tea leaves look, since the colours have such a high contrast which makes them beautiful to look at.

Preparation

I couldn’t find any steeping instructions for Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea. My initial steep of this green tea was in 79°C (175°F) water for 90 seconds.

First Taste

Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea steeps to a light yellow with a very floral aroma. It smells almost sweet with the strong jasmine fragrance. The taste of this tea carries a light sweetness, there’s the jasmine/floral notes with a slight creamy flavour to it – almost buttery. I found that the tea was smooth with zero bitterness or astringency at the temperature that I steeped it for.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea six times (seven steeps total with the same leaves), and I added an additional 30 seconds for each steep. I found that the flavour profile stayed fairly consistent throughout, although it did become less sweet despite the floral notes remaining strong. The flavour began to decline by the fourth resteep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Grand Tea’s Bai Yu Luo Jasmine Tea. I found that this tea was both beautiful in the dry leaf and in the flavour of the steeped tea. I really enjoyed the floral sweetness that I found in the initial steep, and the creaminess I found in this green tea was a pleasant surprise. I think that this tea did beautifully when resteeped and would really recommend resteeping it to get all of the flavour out of the leaves.

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DavidsTea’s Rhubarb Cream Soda

Rhubarb Cream Soda by DavidsTea
Fruit Infusion / Flavoured
$8.98 for 50g

First Impressions

I was a little bit confused when I first read the name Rhubarb Cream Soda because a rhubarb-flavoured cream soda is just not a thing that exists in my world. This was another of DavidsTea’s new releases that I first sniffed in store and got a small sample back to try out at home. The aroma of Rhubarb Cream Soda is mostly fruity – I can definitely make out the apple and mango, there’s also something that reminds me a little bit of coconut but I’m not sure what’s that from.

Rhubarb Cream Soda consists of: apple, rosehip shells, mango, pineapple, hibiscus, red currants, rhubarb, and natural flavouring. Perhaps the natural flavouring is where the coconut aroma is coming from?

Preparation

DavidsTea’s recommended steeping temperature is “near-boiling” for 4 to 7 minutes. I did an initial steep of Rhubarb Cream Soda for 5 minutes in 93°C (200°F) water.

First Taste

Rhubarb Cream Soda steeps to a very cheerful bright pink – I attribute the pink to the rosehips, hibiscus, red currants, and rhubarb. The aroma is sweet and fruity, I can still smell the apple and mango, but there’s also another depth of layer in the fragrance that reminds me of cream soda. There was quite a bit of an oil slick across the surface of this infusion when I poured it into my tea cup. I’m not sure which ingredient it’s from, I think some of the natural flavouring might have been in the form of oils and that’s why it’s there.

The taste of this fruit infusion is actually really surprising. It actually tastes like cream soda! I’m not sure which of the ingredients is the reason for this, but I’m not complaining. The rhubarb and hibiscus are both definitely present – there’s just a touch of tartness with this fruity infusion. There’s some natural sweetness from the fruit, and the (magical) cream soda flavour that is quite strong.

I would honestly recommend having Rhubarb Cream Soda mixed with some soda water to add some bubbly to make it more like a cream soda. I would also recommend having this one iced.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Rhubarb Cream Soda and found that it was a no-go. The flavour just wasn’t there the second time around.

My Overall Impression

I liked DavidsTea’s Rhubarb Cream Soda. The flavour was pleasantly just like the name suggested, which is always a big bonus when it comes to fruit infusions. I really enjoyed the flavour of Rhubarb Cream Soda, and wish that it was something that resteeped a little bit better. Because this is a fruit-heavy tisane, I found that I didn’t get a lot in my bag because it’s a heavy/bulky blend – which means it makes for an expensive cup. I bought 28g of Rhubarb Cream Soda and probably used a quarter of the bag just for one cup. That said, Rhubarb Cream Soda is a fruit infusion that tastes like its name suggests, so it’s worth giving it a try!

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