Masculin

Having been a tea drinker for some time, I am now fully aware of my love for oolong and aversion to herbal teas (except peppermint). Knowing that this tea is a blend of ginseng, ginger, cinnamon and mysterious maca, I prepared myself for the worst (it couldn’t be worst than rosehip and hibiscus, could it?) before taking a sip – and was pleasantly surprised. It’s rather hard to describe the taste but cinnamon was the more dominant flavour. Although many of the ingredients could taste quite strong, apparently they had neutralized one another. The result was a mellow, calming, warming potion that was slightly sweet. Nothing too grassy or spicy, and no weird sweetness (i.e. you know, the kind of sweetness imparted by licorice and marshmallow roots). Lupicia markets it as a “power booster” but I think it makes a great beverage before bedtime.

It was pouring earlier this afternoon but felt myself feeling in the need of a pick me up. However, having consumed both matcha and coffee earlier in the morning, I was looking for something warm and non caffeinated to give me a little boost.

I rifled through my Book of Tea samples and came across Masculin which seemed to fit the bill. However, upon reading that it was an herbal blend with Roobios, I expected the worst. The strong fragrance that wafted from the teabag wasn’t promising either. But I had been pleasantly surprised before, so I went for it. I set my pot to boil and steeped as instructed in 5 oz of water for 2 minutes.

The flavor is unique. There’s a zing and heat from the ginger, ginseng and cinnamon but it didn’t taste medicinal, in fact it was a tad sweet. I actually would not recommend steeping for more than 3 minutes (in a 1/2 cup of water). It would be far too strong at that point. There is a tiny energy boost but it’s mostly a sensory reaction. My taste buds are energized but I can still feel my eyes drooping and my body is still longing for a nap.

Overall I’d give this 3.5 out of 5 stars. I’d welcome receiving it as a sample again, but don’t enjoy it enough to spend money on it.

With a name like MASCULIN I’m sure no one knew quite what to expect with this one. To be honest I really thought it was going to be a Lapsang Souchong. Either way I don’t like this one or the later mentioned tea. But I’m going to drink it all because we could all use a bit more vitality in our lives. If tea were a man this would be him. Mix him with Lapsang Souchong and you’d get a real outdoors gentleman. For once the rooibos isn’t the star of the show. Generally, rooibos takes over whatever is put in the tea bag with it. Even the ginseng is somewhat undertoned by this woody flavor. I’m assuming it must be the maca.

GCTTB V2

Picked this one ’cause of the name. I had to see/try this tea marketed for the manliest of men. Typically, I hate “gendered” tea or really drinks in general. What makes this “man” tea specifically? Will it literally put hair on my chest? Is my voice going to drop a few octaves? …Is my vagina going to become an outie?

I was disappointed when I opened the package though, ‘cause I was tasting this blend blindly and the aroma of the dry tea was overwhelmingly ginger. Yuck! Steeped up it’s not the worst thing in the world though. I mean, yeah it tastes quite strongly of ginger but there’s enough cinnamon in the blend that I’m not left with the sole flavour of a thing I really dislike…

However, I must report that upon consuming this cup of liquid masculinity I feel no different. I’ve still got an “innie” and my chest continues to be hairless.

Oh my goodness, I don’t quite know how to describe this tea. The cinnamon smell is strong. Its definitely an unusual taste to me, I did not like it at all. I gave it to my dad who insists that it tastes good and he likes it. I dunno, just not to my taste.