Nanny's Cupboard

A sample from Miss B! Liquorice kind of strikes fear into my heart, because it’s usually super-sweet and cloying and I just can’t enjoy it. Not the case with this one (I don’t think it actually contains liquorice root, so hallelujah!) It’s sweet, but gently so, and it reminds me most of blossom honey with maybe just an undertone of dark, sticky liquorice. It’s an interesting combination, and quite light in flavour so it’s also nice and refreshing on a hot day (and today is HOT – 34 degrees outside, and it’s usually 5 degrees or so hotter in our overcrowded, computer-stuffed office.) Heat like this is rare in the UK, and I’m glad for that because I’m finding I can’t actually function as a human being.

The other thing about this tea is how pretty it is. Little purple flowers (lavender, maybe? I could smell lavender while it was brewing), yellow lemongrass (or something like it) and then a whole lot of pale green, fairly finely shredded leaves. It looks like spring to me.

I enjoyed this one, totally unexpectedly. It’s a sweet, delicate cup and I’ll enjoy finishing up the rest of my sample!

Sipdown! I quite enjoyed the flavour of the licorice in this one. So smooth and not a lot of that weird sweetness you can get from the root. Thanks, MissB! This was so up my alley.

Mmm, tasty licorice tea thanks to the wonderful MissB. This apparently has oat straw in it, which I didn’t realize when I drank it, so I’ll have to pay attention to that with the second cup to see if I missed out on that flavour. This has a smooth, comforting licorice flavour. It’s not too harsh, or too sweet either. Why? Because it’s my wonderful star anise, which is my ideal licorice flavour.

Not sure anyone would drink this other than, well, if they’re under the weather. Which is when I did. Definitely felt better after, although I don’t remember it tasting like much, other than… herbal. A touch sweet.

Handmade in a really tiny tea house in Cranbrook, BC. No internet site, just a phone number, and a ton of awards from local country fairs for her teas and jams.