Ginger Sage Winter Spa Blend

Remember a few days ago when I said I was working on a flash diffuser for my camera? Well today’s photos are the product of my trial and error! In case you didn’t know, my photography expertise is nature themed, put me inside and I am far from the best at it, especially when the lighting on the inside is awful. I wanted to improve the photos I take and my options were make a lightbox (which I really did not have the desk space for) or make a flash diffuser, and I chose the option that would not take up a ton of space. This means I can use my flash without having the really unpleasant ‘flash’ effect, it diffuses the light giving it more of a natural feel. Sadly I cannot re-photograph all my old teas, since some of them were one serving samples and I have since run out, but I will be able to get new and exciting photos as I can!

Today’s tea is a colorful herbal blend from Verdant Tea, Ginger Sage Winter Spa Blend, a blend of Sage, Goji Berries, Rose Petals, Ginger, Lemon Peel, Burdock Root, Elderberries, Rhodiola, and Tulsi. I originally picked up this blend because it has a few of my favorite ingredients in it (goji berries, roses and ginger) but I found myself intrigued by the other ingredients purported ability to assist in colds and sniffles. The aroma of this tea is a little strange, mixing roses, ginger, sage, mint, and a sharp mix of citrus and berry note. It is a blend of floral, fruity, and herbal, it is savory and sweet. When I say the aroma is odd, it is not unpleasant, just an unexpected combination.

Once I steep the herbal blend the aroma fills the room and takes on a very nostalgic quality, specifically it reminds me of the way my grandparent’s house smelled back when they lived in Augusta. The smell of roses and herbs, lemons and earthy roots, and a finish of spice and berries. I find myself sniffing the wet leaves and getting lost in my memories, and that makes me happy. The liquid on its own is mild and unassuming, blending sage and rose with a hint of citrus.

The first thing I notice on my initial sip is the warm, tingly, mouthfeel from the ginger. The taste is both sweet and mellow, blending floral rose, citrus tones from the lemon peel and berries, herbaceous sage and tulsi, and a hint of earthiness from the burdock. The aftertaste is primarily elderberries. As the tea cools it becomes more herbaceous and savory and less sweet. This tea did not make a difference one way or another for cold season, but it was a bit of a lifesaver when my stomach ulcer acts up, turns out it is the only herbal blend that not only doesn’t hurt but actually soothes. Thanks to its stomach soothing and pleasant taste, it has become a staple in my tea collection.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/03/verdant-tea-ginger-sage-winter-spa.html

Tonight I’m cracking into my Verdant herbal blends to see if I want to add any to my next order. The dry leaf for this one is so pretty! Little flakes of green sprinkled with pink rose petals, and pieces of ginger & lemon zest poking through here and there.

4 minutes is probably too long for the size of the cup I used, though it did seem a little weak at 3 minutes. The ginger is pretty mild but strong enough to make my tongue tingle. Unsweetened, there were some bitter & earthy flavors I couldn’t put my finger on (can’t say I have any idea what burdock or rhodiola are supposed to taste like), though after adding some agave nectar it tasted quite a bit like ginger ale. I’ll let you guess which way I liked it better.

Hmm. I think I like this one, but I’ll have to try it again to be sure.

What a lovely after pre-bedtime, calming, settling tea. Something about sage is so neutral yet comforting, and the slight spiciness settles the belly.

1.5 tbsp used for 375 ml

Very nice blend of flavours. Savory notes are present. Spice (from the ginger), mint and peppery notes. I can’t taste any of the goji berries or rose. Overall, the flavour is quite bland – there is no one flavour that sticks out which the others compliment. I can see how this would be a nice mixed with a plain tea, as is recommended on the Verdant Tea website. I love the mix of traditional herbs and learning the history behind each of their uses (also found on the Verdant Tea website).

I only got a sample of this one, and I wish I had more! I tried it twice and it tasted completely different both times. I’m not sure if that’s because I didn’t get a good distribution of the blend in each cup, or my mind is playing tricks on me.

The first time I made a big pot of this tea and it smelled amazing. Ginger and sage and a hint of flowers and citrus. The tea had a strong ginger kick and a background of sage. I can see how it’s used for when people have a cold, but it doesn’t taste medicinal at all, just soothing. The second time I tried it (new tea, not re-steeped) I couldn’t taste ginger at all. It smelled and tasted of paan, a betel leaf, slightly sweet and woodsy. Might have been a little bit of sage in the background. I liked both versions, but definitely prefer the first.