Whole Leaf Organic Peppermint / Secret Forest Mint

Day 7 of the Kiani advent calendar. I wasn’t expecting these to be whole leaves – I know some places sell peppermint that way but I can’t remember the last time I bought loose leaf peppermint that wasn’t cut up into bits, even from nicer companies. So I was really excited when I saw the whole leaves and smelled that nice peppermint scent coming off them. Brewed up, the aroma and flavor is a sweet peppermint that’s slightly medicinal, but not in a bad way. I see “menthol” tagged as a flavor note on this page and I think that’s right, and the thing I’m connecting in my mind with “medicinal”. This is easily one of the finer peppermint teas I’ve had. I was careful not to oversteep because I’m hoping to get a second mug out of it and add some honey to that. Great for a rainy, exhausted night.

Adventaggedon Day 8: Tea 1/7

This is what I started my morning with today. It seemed like it would make for a nice soothing and gentle start to my day, while having enough of a cooling punch to not be too soothing since it was a work day. I was right, as well!

I made it in a ‘tea for one’ style teapot with all these cute whimsical Christmas stocking motifs on it, and I felt festive while drinking it – which was also nice. I was pleasantly surprised by how clean tasting and menthol forward/crisp this mint was. Typically European grown peppermint does tend to have a bit more of a “muddied” earthy kind of taste to it and doesn’t have the same clarity and intensity that North American mint has. I would imagine that, since Kiani is based in Europe, they’re probably using European mint? If that’s the case, this is even more impressive!

Kiani Tea Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 8

Enjoyed this one as an afternoon break from a long day full of work meetings.

I don’t consider myself a peppermint fan specifically, but these full-leaf versions are always so different from any other type. So light and airy, crisp and refreshing. There’s a lovely natural sweetness. And none of that musty wet rag sort of herbaceous flavor I often find in mint. I love the soft cooling sensation left over from the sip, and the chill when I inhale.

I’m planning on getting some peppermint for my cupboard (probably from Harts of America), but I’m trying to sip down some of my existing herbal tisanes first. The struggle is real!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXPPYU-usbW/