And I was right – this tea has a strong, sinus-clearing aroma & when brewed, the taste also delivers.
The peppermint/menthol/camphor taste is due to the Teatree’s close relationship to gum trees and will be recognised as similar to eucalyptus by most Aussie sippers.
The camomile & cassia are subtle base notes which round out the flavour. Without them, the “cleaning product” notes would perhaps be too overpowering. They ground it and give an earthy undertone which I really liked.
I find it refreshing & invigorating (even with the camomile!) but can see how some could find it weird. Be careful not to overbrew (3-5 mins is good) as it quickly becomes paint-strippingly astringent.
It also leaves you with a very clean mouthfeel (more so than my favourite peppermint), as though you’ve just cleaned your teeth – so could be useful as an after-dinner sip for this reason.
NOTE – Although this tisane is listed & marketed as G’Day Melaleuca Herbal Tea in the USA it is sold by Melaleuca.Com as just Melaleuca Herbal Tea & in different packaging in Australia. (They must have figured the “G’Day” would be culturally cringeworthy here. I can also find no connection to Australia in the ownership or product of this product, although IT IS an Australian native tree.) So I have posted this review under both names.
Conclusion – pretty good, but in the past I remember some local Teatree teas which were better, so I might have to revisit them. If my expectations aren’t matched by the reality, I’ll come back to this one…
Flavors: Camphor, Cinnamon, Earth, Eucalyptus, Grass, Menthol
