White Sage and Wild Mint

Backlogging this refreshing cup! Actually…I had two…see other notes :)

This is very nice. The overall taste is very minty and crisp, but I also taste a hint of peppery warmth … not super spicy or anything, but just a hint of kick toward the tail. The sage gives a nice earthy tone to the cup. Very nice to curl up to as I am preparing to head to bed … it’s SO late! What am I doing up?

OH MY what a night I had last night! My coworker gave me some of this tea, and my husband and I had it last night. As I sipped the herbaceous and slightly menthol tisane, I grew very sleepy. I instantly fell asleep once I went to bed, and had the most vivid, intense, insane, technicolor dreams of my life!!!!!!!! I actually shot up in the middle of the night, woke my husband, and asked him if he was having the dreams of the century! He said, “No.” and went back to sleep! I followed him, and continued to dream, dream, dream!

When I woke up I looked in my herb books, but none of them recommended sage for dreaming. I guess I am my own special snowflake in this regard, because I never experienced anything like this! It did say that it was good for headaches – my husband had one last night, and I asked him if it felt better, and he said that it did!

I had one bag left over, and gave it to my other coworker! I am in no rush to go through that again!

Bagged
Aroma when Dry: spicy, cool, earthy, herby
After water is first poured: spicy sweet sage, hints of mint
At end of first steep: bright sage notes, laced with mint
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: woody brown
Staple? Yes medicinally
Preferred time of day: as needed medicinally
Taste:
At first?: earthy,creamy,crisp, spicy sage woody notes, mint in close
As it cools?: notes open, layer, get thicker, creamier
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? yes, mostly the earthy, silky sage notes

Second Steep (5 min)
At first: Earthy herbal water
As it cools: sage notes thicken into tea again

Third Steep (8min)
Earthy herbal water
Fourth Steep
Earthy herbal water

This is a really soothing, nicely fragrant tea. It comes in tea bags, which I rarely use, but they don’t seem to detract at all from this tea. The mint is strong, but balanced with the sage. Naturally caffeine-free, it’s the perfect tea for evening relaxation.

Yesterday I just happened to drink three different teas from TheLastDodo that I received a while ago.  This is a special one I haven’t written a note for yet.  Earlier on this was STRONG.  At times almost seemingly unnaturally strong for what should be a wild/organic tea. Yowzas, but it seems to be taming down at this point.  I’ve enjoyed a few of these over the years though I can never notice the sage.  It’s just EXTREMELY mint.  Mint mint mint so not much to say. But it was time to say something! I’m intrigued that it’s wild.  And for a wild organic tea, this is holding up in freshness very very well.  Always good for the headaches.  The second cup has almost a creamier element to it, which is unexpected.
Steep #1 // 1 teabag // 16 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // many minute steep
2020 Sipdowns: 38 (one of Teavivre’s – Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Ancient Wild Tree Black + Anne’s 52Teas – Blackberries & Cream Shou Mei  + Frank’s 52Teas -Lemon Meringue Chai (one pouch left!)

Oh well, another “escaped” tasting note.
Anyway, second and last tea bag from derk of this blend from Juniper Ridge. Thank you for picking all 3 for me – this one is really aromatic. It filled my room with mint and sage (how unexpected)

Anyway, I had awful day today. I was doing geometry for 6-7 hours, I did not make everything I should. Friend was not really helpful too! He prefered to sleep. And he did not know anyway. And when coming home, I regret that I did not bring my camera with me and going home about hour earlier. The light was amazing!

Stop complaining Martin and focus on tea. Yeah, this tea. I like the comforting aroma of sage. I think I need it even for herbal effects – I had sore throat back few days, nothing major, but it was there. Now I am have starting headache. Probably I was working too hard and forgot to drink (anything).

It is really nice in matter of aromas. It smells like sage and mint. Yeah it is not really surprising I know. But it is those two, nothing else. Maybe it can remind somebody a toothpaste a bit, but I think there is it far too artificial.

Visual of this tea is amazing as well. Golden; clear with no dust. Actually the pieces in tea bag are quite big which I like very much. I haven´t torn the bag though. If it is loose leaf, I think I can dip whole my body in it. It is just so nice. Not just visual and… already described scents.

Taste…
this is not a surprise. It tastes really herbal – minty and sagey. But it is so smoooth! Like a warm honey into a throat. It is mild; soothing with cooling effect of mint. It is just a perfect herbal for today evening. And another evenings too.

JUNIPER RIDGE rocks! One of the best herbal teas I ever had. Close behind are Swiss teas I am drinking now. I wonder what are Czech producers doing wrong? Using old plants, overdried plants or what is making it so bland? Maybe not interesting blends? Maybe mixing too much different flowers and making it just weird herbal mix? I do not know and I am too afraid to ask.

Derk, thank you once more – another thanks are coming soon with finishing all three, eh – two, Juniper Ridge teas.

Steep time: around 10 minutes (-3+5), I am not really sure. But I think it does change anything.

Last month, I took a road trip to visit some old coworkers and had a cup of Juniper Ridge’s Douglas Fir Spring Tips while I was there. I really enjoyed the tea so I perused their website, ordered the 3 teas they had available and came across a job posting on their website for a Production Line Supervisor in Oakland, CA. If anybody is interested, the posting is still up: https://juniperridge.com/wp-content/uploads/PDF/181101_JRCareers_Wildcrafter.pdf

I would’ve applied at the time but I knew I’d be moving soon, so I passed the job posting on to the coworker who gave me a ride from the Bay Area down to Monterey. It seemed like a good fit for somebody with our habitat restoration experience.

Cue yesterday, about a month later, I got an email from a different coworker at our habitat restoration company that closed down last year. He got a new job working for a company that makes essential oils, perfumes, soaps and teas. They source their ingredients sustainably from various locations on the west coast. He’s looking for contacts with landowners and resource agencies so that the company can broaden their harvest-base. I’m sure you can guess, he’s working for Juniper Ridge but in a different role than the job posting I linked.

How strange and exciting.

I made a few mugs of this tonight for both myself and my housemate who is afflicted with the same two-week sickness that I finally recovered from this week. The other one developed bronchitis and the third, who actually lives in an RV out front, developed pneumonia.

Anyway, my housemate really enjoyed this as a hot beverage to soothe her sore throat, cough and burning lungs. The sage lends a good savory base but still has some ethereal qualities, while the mint is pretty strongly cooling and I can feel it with each inhale. Long after I’ve finished the mug, I notice a clean, sweet-tart aftertaste. This herbal tea is simple, refreshing and calming. The white sage and mint are incredibly fresh and despite steeping the bag many minutes past the recommended five, they are not stewy in the slightest.

I’ve tried 2 of the 3 teas available from Juniper Ridge and both have been of excellent quality. Now that I know my old coworker is working for them, I’m even more inclined to purchase their sustainably harvested herbal teas. This makes me happy :)

I’ve drank this tea once or twice and haven’t logged it yet. I am having it tonight as my first cup of tea this weekend…lol. And a tisane at that!

So onto the review. I don’t feel like doing a detailed one tonight as I want to get back into my book before bed, but this one is soo savory, I love it. If you like savory teas, you will enjoy. To me it smells like Christmas turkey and mint lol (from the sage). It’s more broth like than tea like. But it’s rejuvenating and soothing to me.

I saw some reviews saying this tea gave them odd dreams. I haven’t experienced that yet with this tea, but as it’s the first time I drink it before bed I guess we will see. I’ll have enough trouble sleeping with daylight saving time kicking in today (sleep time an hour earlier and I’m a night owl lol).

Anyways, this tea is tasty and caffeine free, which is just what I need right now. Very enjoyable for a bagged tea as well.

This is a very interesting tea. Oddly refreshing. Sweet and Savory all in the same sip. Thanks to thelastdodo letting me nab it in their last sales stash. Not sure how I feel about it so I’m not going to rate it, but I am glad I tried it.

Here are the rest of my ramblings:

http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/05/10/white-sage-wild-mint-tea-juniper-ridge/