Basil's Brew

I finally got around to trying this after getting it in the mail on Christmas Eve.

I’m going to start by saying that the description is, unfortunately, incorrect. This is in fact an herbal white tea, not a pure herbal… and what a lovely herbal white tea it is.

I’ve been sampling white teas mostly as of late and this one is actually like the love child of several of my favorite teas, White Symphony and Silver Needle. It has this lingering and faint complexity brought on presumably by the Peony and a sort of light and sweet, vegetal, grassiness that is a trait of Silver Needle.

Over this base is the mint which is sharp and the most noticeable element of this tea.

Now what made me curious to try this blend in the first place was the Chrysanthemum blossoms. I managed to get two (rather large) Chrysanthemum blossoms in this steep, but I’m not sure what to look for because I’ve never tried pure Chrysanthemum. It might be that buttery flavor in the background, but I’m not sure…

All in all, it’s a very nice tea, and I’m glad I got the chance to try it as it has been out of stock in the Asylum Emporium for a very long time. In my hunt for my preferred white tea it’s up there, right next to pure Silver Needle and White Symphony (and as previously mentioned, it’s almost like a mix of both, with mint and the buttery taste of the Chrysanthemum blossoms). I’m going to use it sparingly and for special occasions, because I don’t know when I’ll be able to purchase it again…

Well done, EA.

Emilie Autumn definitely knows tea! This light herbal tea she concocted unlike anything I have ever tasted. Perfect for evening bubblebaths, and the peppermint is cool, soothing, and not overwhelming. Also possesses an extremely pleasant scent. Original and addictive; make it part of your daily ritual! Also loose leaf and organic.

So yummy! Bought this at her show in Michigan, and fell in love with the smell. Didn’t know what to expect at first…but wow. So light yet flavorful. Not too strong though, which is nice. :] Highly recommend!

This is a very light tea. I would recommend it! It’s nice for when you just want to relax.

Slight hint of mint makes this tea less “tea-ish” and more of a herbal infusion. That being said, the white tea base is still awesome.

This is a very refeshing cup of tea, mint is light and then the white tea and flower hits you softly, I love it!! Any Ratty or cellmate would enjoy this, heck, even any tea addict.

Since the description included with the tea did not recommend a steeping time, I went with my standard infusion time for white teas, (two minutes and thirty seconds) and kept the water at 160 (just in case)

Unlike the previous blends I’ve had from the Asylum Emporium, this tea is rather delicate on the palate. I’m not very fond of white teas in general, but this blend surprised me.

The peppermint is the more dominant flavor of the blend, and initially overpowers the chrysanthemum and silver needle. But the added chrysanthemums help smooth out the sharpness of the peppermint. The silver needle base adds a very subtle, buttery quality to the tea, which pleasantly lingers after each sip.

Overall, this is a delightful blend.
I would recommend sipping to wind down after a stressful day.

(the other good news is that, while the tea is a bit pricey, it re-steeps quite well)