Starwest Botanicals

I want to thank LiberTEAS for sending this one my way! Thanks, girl!!! :)

This isn’t much for scent but the color is a nice medium-dark brown with reddish hues. This is a solid black tea. A great ‘go-to’ or one to have in anyone’s tea cabinet…if you like black tea.

It’s a good medium strength with a tad of a peppery taste trying to hide in there as well!

Thumbs up!

This is a very finely ground rooibos and spice blend – so finely ground, in fact, that it clogged up my smart brewing device. (I’d recommend using T-Sacs or something similar to brew this tisane)

I like the level of spices in this blend. It is nice and spicy.

What I don’t really care for though, is the addition of stevia to this blend. I would have preferred sweetening this myself with some honey or agave rather than having the stevia in it – I guess I’m kind of “old school” when it comes to chai because I feel like it should be sweetened with honey… I just like the way honey works with the spices in a chai.

This has a very smooth, sweet flavor. Light bodied, delicate, and refreshing. A nice way to enjoy the later evening.

This is a really good tea! I didn’t have any real heavy expectations when it came to this tea, I was just expecting it to be a “standard issue” black tea. But – this is really good!

Even though it is a pure black tea, there is an underlying note of spice. Not strong or overpowering, but, subtle. Almost peppery. Almost cumin-ish. Very mysterious and exotic. And very lovely.

Full-bodied, dark, and hearty, sans caffeine! The roasted chicory gives a bitter tinge and the spices add aromatics, making this a suitable substitute for coffee. Don’t add sweetening until you’ve tasted it. Makes a passable 2nd steep, too.

I’m losing weight (on purpose) and it was almost time for dinner, so I brewed a strong 4 oz of this tea, cooled it, and processed in blender with protein powder, flax oil, and frozen berries. Very satisfying!

My first experience with yerba maté, the plain un-roasted green version. 5 min in 205 F water gave me a pale green tisane. I was pleasantly surprised at the mild taste (grassy) and the noticable energy lift. No jitters, at least not from this single cup. Each caffeine-bearing plant has its own distinct alkaloid profile.