This is the second of the samples I received from Laurent of Nina’s. Since I tend to bounce off the walls half the night if I have too much caffeine, I’m always interested in new caffeine-free alternatives.
This packet was labeled “Bélier”, and when I couldn’t find that on the website I emailed Laurent, who told me it was this blend. I was a little surprised, because it smells more like a fruity caramel to me and lacks the colorful petals, but that may be due to the small sample size.
I used two teaspoons of tea in my 16oz infuser mug and added my usual tablespoon of raw sugar. I wanted to make sure I didn’t over-steep, so I paused at six minutes. It was still a little light, so I went the full eight.
Now that it’s steeped, I’m having an easier time picking out the cherry. I guess I was expecting something more… potent, since the last cherry tea I tried tasted like cough syrup. This is wonderfully light and fresh. It’s just slightly woodsy and pleasantly sweet, and it makes me think about the tiny chips of wood that would fall from grandpa’s carving knife, and how wonderful it was when he taught me to whittle too.
Overall, this was pretty enjoyable – and even more so because I can have it without going into super-hyper mode!
