Samova

This was the last sample bag of Samova tea I grabbed recently, and the one that seems to have the longest ingredient list, including lots of different types of fruit and herbs. I was a bit wary to see that hibiscus is in this, for although I like that flavor straight, especially iced with lots of sugar, I also know it can overpower other players in a blend.

They recommend 8 minutes of steeping and after doing that I was surprised by how mellow the drink still was. It’s a nice medium-pink color, with a mild generically fruity aroma. I definitely get the tartness of hibiscus, but there are other well-developed flavors in there as well, including sweetness which is probably from both the apple and the licorice, and berry juiciness from the strawberry. Although it’s fine hot, I think I’d prefer it steeped up strong, sweetened and then iced.

Another Samova teabag I picked up on a recent trip – this sounded like a nice blend of black and herbal flavors, with mint predominating but ginger, coriander and others also in the mix.

The suggested steeping time is four minutes, but we’re there now and the liquor is looking a bit timid, so we’ll leave it in for another minute.

That’s better. It’s medium greenish-brown now and has a really nice scent to it, mixing mint with a floral/fruity note. On first sip I can taste the hibiscus that also plays a role, so I’ll put in a little sugar to take the edge off the tartness. Mmm, even better now – though I can’t really taste any of the black tea that’s in there, I do feel like it gives the drink a more robust character than it would have with just the herbs. There are some nice flavors in there, the mint pairing nicely with the cardamom. Not a bad one at all.

I was in transit via Frankfurt, Germany recently and saw that this company’s teas were featured in the airport lounge, so I picked up a few different bags to take with me. The name threw me at first – Samova, not Samovar? Huh? When I got home I looked them up and sure enough, there’s a German tea company named Samova that gives all its varieties cute names – how could I resist Scuba Garden? And then I saw that this particular one included spirulina algae, which I’ve never seen included in a tea or tisane before. The plot thickens!

So, this is a blend of green rooibos, spirulina, cranberry and orange, caffeine free. After four minutes of steeping time I’ve got a clear orange liquor with a hint of brown, and an aroma of orange. The flavor is strongly of orange, but the rooibos gives it a nice natural sweetness. I don’t detect any trace of cranberry or spirulina, but maybe that’s a good thing? It’s a pleasant enough tisane that was definitely worth trying for the name alone.