Celestial Seasonings
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Backlogging.
On Wednesday night, I tried another tea from the Celestial Seasoning sampler Barbara gave me. I went for the True Blueberry this time. There were four bags instead of the three there were supposed to be in the sample packet. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me in a Celestial Seasoning sampler. I even got five bags once.
Since these fruit herbals have steeped quite strong at their recommended four to six minute, I steeped this one at only 3 minutes. I had hoped to maybe get another steep out of the bag but I didn’t – too watery. The blueberry flavor was light, smooth, and only a little tart at the end. It was easy to drink. I do think I’ll try steeping this longer next time.
Preparation
I bought some Adagio’s Berry Blast for a large tea party this past weekend. Although I liked the flavor, I was afraid that others would find it too tart. I decided to blend it with Celestial Seasoning’s True Blue Berry & Tazo’s Wild Sweet Orange to soften the blow! It turned out so amazing! But I also love this tea all by itself, it’s my favorite right-off-the-grocery-store-shelf fruit tea! M-m-m-m, Blueberry.
Sounds interesting. I just happen to have some Wild Sweet Orange on hand too…
This is…ok. I’m not a fan of herbals in general, but I can’t do caffeine at bedtime and I do love vanilla. As far as I can tell, they literally took the basic Sleepytime blend (chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass primarily) and added fake “French Vanilla” flavor. It smells strongly of the fake vanilla, but (fortunately) tastes milder – more of a gentle vanilla/mint. It’s a bit tastier than the classic Sleepytime, but I think I’ll keep looking for a well-flavored honeybush or rooibos for bedtime.
Preparation
I bought this one out of sheer curiousity (a cookie flavored tea? and caffeine free?) and because I had a big coupon. I was dubious, to tell the truth. After finishing half of the box, I’ll admit that it’s not a bad tea, and definitely a good dessert substitute. It’s not as sweet as I expected, although the teabags do smell just like a sugar cookie. I let it steep for 5 minutes, and don’t add anything to it. SCSR is not like any other tea I’ve ever tried, and oddly not as disgusting as ‘warm liquid cookie’ sounds to me. It’s just a bit sweet and a bit citrusy. If you’ve ever enjoyed sugar in your tea, it’s actually worth a try.
Preparation
I know most people don’t seem to like this tea, but I love it. It is a great afternoon herbal tea. It smells and tastes like a vanilla wafer. Brew it for a long time (5-6 minutes) and then give it a good stir before removing the tea bag. Add minimal sugar or a tiny dash of agave nectar. I’m going to be sad when this one runs out. I am on my second box of it and I had to order it off the internet.
Preparation
I have a box in my house right now too! I like it :) Our Whole Foods still has a big surplus though.
I usually get tired of tea long before I finish the box or bag… but I am on my second box of this and still like it.
I just looked and I can still get it from LuckyVitamin.com if I decide I need more. I’m hoping that new order from SpecialTeas will hold me for a while!
I love this tea too! Every place around me is out of it (of course). I know Celestial Seasoning’s website still has it available for sale but the shipping is so high. Thanks for the heads up about LuckyVitamin!
Oh man… I didn’t mean to tell everyone about my secret stash, lol. LuckyVitamin shipping isn’t too bad if you order a couple of boxes of things because the tea is cheaper (if that makes any sense).
Last night I was heading into my bed to read before sleeping, when I absolutely had to have a cup of tea to take with me. Now, sometimes I thinking about it before hand and make a cup of tea to drink while I read while I’m getting ready to shut down for the night and head into the bedroom. But no, last night I already had the lights off, the heat lowered, the computers sleeping, book, cel phone, and water in hand, heading into the bedroom, when I realized I had to have tea, that I would be preoccupied wanting tea while I read if I did not make some. So I put down my stuff and headed back into the kitchen, prepared to out of bed a bit longer while I made tea.
This brings me to a problem I keeping meaning to query my fellow Steepsterians about. What do you drink when you want tea late at night?
I’m talking 9/10pm when you’ll likely only drink a cup or two. I don’t want to drink a black tea because even though I’ll occasionally have one while making dinner, with dinner, or right after dinner, it’s just too late to have one that late. I don’t want a green or white tea because I’m likely to drink only one cup and feel like I’m wasting the multiple steeps I could have had from those leaves and I personally am not comfortable leaving wet tea leaves over night. Which leaves me with herbals. I like rooibos but I’m low on it and often don’t feel like it that late at night. I tend not to like chamomile straight or in blends where it’s a dominate taste, but I don’t mind being able to taste it in blends so long as it isn’t the strongest flavor. I don’t mind hibiscus cause I like tart things so I wouldn’t avoid it but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find it either. So far I’ve had a hard time finding non-rooibos herbals that I like and want to drink, not just this is okay and I can finish the box/tin ones.
So part two of my query, Steepsterians, is to ask for your herbal recommendations. I will also take good rooibos recommendations, since not many of you drink it, and I’m open to them, but I’m looking for mainly herbals to consider.
Now back to my regularly scheduled late night tea story. Barbara, my mom, brought back a ton of teas from the Celestrial Seasonings plant in Denver, CO, when my dad, my sister, and she were visiting my sister’s boyfriend who was stationed there with the Air Force. One box that she gave me was a sampler of their fruity herbals.
As someone who also readings “junk food” romances, I’m also embarrassed to admit that I kind of like these teas. I enjoy fruity teas and herbals, when I’m in the mood for one. And while these aren’t as good as others I’ve had, they are decent and I don’t mind the tartness from the hibiscus.
I did steep this tea less than the recommended four to six minutes and with water below boiling. It could probably be steeped less time and with cooler water. It was still a dark purple-red. It tasted fruity and tart with a general berryness. It filled my late night need for tea.
Preparation
Question 1: I just take whatever. I typically don’t pay attention to caffeine content and the like so I just take whatever I’m in the mood for. I haven’t even developed any specific habits about preferrring a particular type at a particular time of day. Lately I’ve had difficulties getting to bed at a proper time which is a bad thing when you have to be out of the door by 6.10 in the morning, so I’ve tried to teach myself that tea is off limits after 8. Not going so well, though.
I’ll skip question 2, because I don’t drink herbals at all unless I’m ill. I’m just not that interested in them at all.
…How’s that for unhelpful answers?
1. I’m in an experimental tea period so I don’t have a particular night tea
however, 2. I find that I like Harney & son’s Lemon Herbal but at the risk of sounding redundant, you do have to like lemons. I’ve not had the chance to try many other herbals & tisanes, yet.
I like Strawberry Lemonade from Teavana – it’s a nice tisane with no caffiene. As far rooibos – I’m only a fan if it’s a background flavor, because I don’t like the woody-ness of it in the foreground. And two that I like are Carrot Cake by Tea Guys and the much vaunted Caramelized Pear by Art of Tea. both of these don’t have the rooibos coming out and grabbing you – which I consider a bonus.
I also like Sleepytime Vanilla by CC- because I don’t like chamomile, and the vanilla in that cuts it down and makes it creamy and smooth.
I have some of the same concerns as you!! I’ve been enjoying this late at night:
http://steepster.com/teas/tazo/1926-vanilla-rooibos
It’s not super rooibos-y – the rooibos just lends it some depth. I think it tastes like an herbal apple pie :)
…but I would like some variety so I’ll be watching the answers you get closely :)
I tend to go for herbals, or at least try to. I’m working on expanding that section of my tea collection so I have more choice. Right now I have green rooibos (which I enjoy) and a decaf muscat black tea (also good), both from Lupicia. It’s hard for me to find good herbals that I like, so I am still on the hunt. The MF Rouge Ruschka I had at lunch I think is a good one, too.
I know teaplz is conscious of caffeine consumption so maybe she’ll chime in with some good ideas.
(I would just like to clarify that I mean Mariage Freres Rouge Ruschka…)
1) I don’t do anything with caffeine after dinner, so I’m limited to herbals.
2) The ones I reach for most often are Adagio’s Chamomile (sorry, can’t be a help there!), Celestial Seasonings’ Sweet Apple Chamomile and Tension Tamer, and herb + ginger’s Bollywood Star. I also echo wombatgirl on Teavana’s Strawberry Lemonade, and I hate rooibos but Rishi’s Blueberry Rooibos is AWESOME.
1) I’ve been trying to stick to greens and herbals after dinner, but with all the new black flavored teas I’ve been picking up I don’t always follow this.
2) I love orange herbals at night. Two I’ve tried lately are both from Teavana (only store near me that has loose leaf): Tarocco Ruby Orange and Wild Orange Blossom. The tarocco Ruby Orange is more hibiscus-y and has a bit more bite to it, where the blossom is calm and less tangy. I don’t enjoy chamomile either, unless I’m really sick but then I’d rather grab mint tea.
1. after 6 pm i switch to herbal or red 2. Azteca Fire-Teavana, Passion-Tazo, Vanilla Rooibos-Tazo,
I’m usually up late anyway doing homework, so I tend to drink just about anything. I don’t have many herbal teas on hand, so if I really want to get some sleep, I just have to sit through my tea cravings. Sad.
However, I do have one herbal tea that I love and is perfect before sleeping…Comforting Tea by Aveda. Ohmahgaw, so yummy.
Whoa! Comments! The Steepsterians have come through.
Angrboda ~ Suitably unhelpful.
Lauren ~ I do like lemons. I’ve noted it on my Shopping List.
wombatgirl ~ Strawberry Lemonade and Carrot Cake noted on the Shopping List. Carmelized Pear was already on there. Lemonade I have to be in the mood for. The husband is a big fan though. I like carrot cake but have a hard time imagining how it translates into a tea. Barbara also brought back Extra Vanilla Sleepytime from the Celestial Seasonings plant so I’ve had it at her place in the evening. Good enough, but not anything I’d crave drinking.
JacquelineM ~ I guess I’m not the only one. =) I’ve had a Tazo sampler pack but I can’t remember the Vanilla Rooibos though I’ve had vanilla rooibos from other companies and enjoyed them.
Auggy ~ I’ll be keeping a closer eye on your tealogs for herbals. The Rouge Ruschka sounds yum and has also been Shopping Listed.
teaplz, please chime in with your herbally knowledge!
Bethany ~ Barbara also gave me an apple chamomile tea recently, I think it’s Twinings though. Neither the husband or I liked it but I will give it one more try. Then it’s going back to Barbara’s. Not sure about the Tension Tamer, lots of ingredients, including catnip! Might also prove too irresistible to the cats. I can’t imagine what the Bollywood Star would taste like from the ingredient list but I added it to the Shopping List cause I liked the company’s name. I love blueberries so you know that one got added!
Meghann ~ I used to love Wild Orange Blossom, back before I drank mostly loose teas. I remember taking a box of it to leave at the husband’s when we were dating long distance. Good nostalgia, thanks. Ruby Orange went right on the Shopping List cause I love oranges too. Oddly chamomile can sometimes make my stomach feel sick, not better. Mint teas are growing on me, I used to hate them.
Amazon ~ I remember liking Passion too. I’m going to say that I don’t think the Azteca Fire sounds like my cup of tea.
Shanti ~ As in Aveda, of Rosemary Mint shampoo fame? Neat. It is! I can tell from the labeling. On to the Shopping List.
Okay, that was totally fun browsing all the teas you guys suggested. I should add that I use my Shopping List more of as a ‘hmm, that one sounds good, I’d consider trying it’ then a literal To Buy list.
Crap @ no edit. I meant to bold.
That may have just won the record for longest comment on a log ever. Well done!
Late to this party, but my current night herbal/rooibos rotation includes:
Samovar | Ocean of Wisdom, Orange Ginger, Wei Chi Cha and Cinnamon Stonefruit [the last two contain hibiscus, though you did mention you don’t mind it]
Art of Tea | Caramelized Pear
And I do enjoy Rishi’s Blueberry Rooibos every now and then, though it’s very heavy on the blueberry and I can’t drink it too often because of that. I may be forgetting some, but those are what come to mind.
Yeah. lol It is long. I commented as I browse the teas. Yours will be short. =)
Ocean on Wisdom – already on SL. Orange Ginger – added to SL. Wei Chi Cha – not sure about that one. Cinnamon Stonefruit – added to SL.
See? Short. But special. =) (Or I’m loopy at night.)
I honestly like black teas late into my evening. I am a sort of night owl when at home dreading that the night will end and I am forced to face my job at the end of a cold pier… all good coffee and tea a fond memory. LOL
Served with this: http://www.bingenyc.com/2009/08/ina-gartens-lemon-curd-tart/
A good match.
Preparation
This one’s a bit of an odd duck. Like others have mentioned, the spice is the star of the show here. I only get a small taste of apple, and it’s a bit …off. I’m actually giving it a decent score, because I’ve bought more than one box. It’s a bit different than you’d expect, it’s a bit peculiar, but in the end, I still seek out a cup every now and then. I guess it grows on you.
This tea really caught me off guard! I’ve had some pretty awful holiday-themed drinks, but they actually put some thought into this one! It’s incredibly complex, you get a little orange coming through, cinnamon, mint of course, but also vanilla and some other unique flavors that really make for a great wintery drink! You’ve got to try this one.
This has become one of my all time favorite hot drinks. I’d call it tea, but it really isn’t. It’s a cinnamon-spicy drink that has a lot of bite to it, and makes your house smell awesome as well. I don’t bother taking the tea bag out, by the time you get to the bottom, you can literally feel the hot tingle of cinnamon on your tongue. I know there are plenty that are too snobby for tea bags, especially inexpensive ones, but this is such a fun drink. It starts out sweet and spicy (this tea already tastes very sweet, I see no reason to add sweetener) and ends with a spicy punch. After drinking it in the morning, I can feel the spice all the way to work. I absolutely love it.
