Mountain Rose Herbs

I had this with breakfast yesterday. While this tea is perhaps not the most lofty of blacks, it certainly is full-bodied and delicious. Unlike Irish or English Breakfast, this tea, rather than complementing the cream/milk/half n half, seems to merge with it completely. The smell, both of the dry leaf and the brew, is so comforting and enjoyable, I keep going back to it again and again. As I’m searching my tea shelf for what I’m “in the mood for,” this one continues to catch my eye. I wouldn’t change a thing. :)

Quite like this. It has a deep earthiness that somehow still manages to be light. Very nice.

I have so many herbs in my cupboard and drink them all the time, so I might as well write about them. People consume herbs like peppermint and chamomile for taste purely all the time, so why not something like nettle? So here begins my review into my collection of herbal treasures.

Nettle is the epitome of an earthy taste to me. There is nothing that smells, tastes, and resembles the fragrant dirt that lines the earth more than nettle. With every sip you literally imbibing the potent fibers of the ground. For some that may be off putting, but perhaps if you’re into pu-erh, this could be just the herb for you.

Imagine that after a rainstorm the rain has penetrated the ground and fallen leaves. Now imagine making an infusion out of said leaf- there’s the taste of nettle- the taste of earth itself.

Whilst in my week-long maelstrom of creative endeavering (and procrastinating), I put a whole saucepan of water on the stove and left it to simmer with these sweet stems. I added a dollop of Wild Branch Botanicals’ Chaga in Maple Syrup, so healing and energizing that it feels like a big hug from a beautiful old tree, and tastes like hugs too! The combination sweetened my temper, turned the storm into a free dance of raindrops. Yes for comfort teas. And it’s macrobiotic, too.

I love this tea. There is depth to the flavor. And I love how the marshmallow settles in after you have taken a sip

Ancient Forest. That sounds interesting. The name alone sounds appealing to me. Something that sparks the imagination. I like that. Apparently this is a Yunnan tea, so I’m curious if it will taste similar to the Yunnans I’m familiar with. Sort of pepper-y/smoky and with spicyness and sweet hay notes underneath.

The aroma is certainly similar. It’s sweet and haylike, with some prickly spicyness teasing the nose. But it’s also different. It’s a lot more grainy and rye bread-y than what I expect in a Yunnan tea. It’s actually so much so that I’m reminded more of the beloved Tan Yang than straight up Yunnan.

That’s really interesting. If one was to blend Tan Yang and your average Golden Yunnan 1:1, I wonder if the result would be something that smelled something like this.

But that’s really where the Tan Yang similarity stop. The flavour is very Yunnan-y, and the grainy aspect is not as prominent here. It’s still there, but it has retreated to the background, making place for that sweet hay and spice that is typical to the region.

It’s quite smooth and only a little prickly on the swallow, but what you find here is a very definite note of pepper. I have previously been unable to decide whether I experienced that particular note in Yunnans as more pepper-like or more pseudo-smoky, and I vascilated back and forth between the two with each Yunnan I drank and sometimes with each sip from the same cup. Here, it is very definitely pepper and there’s absolutely no doubt about that.

It’s very definitely a tea with all the typical Yunnan characteristics, but it’s utilising them in a way that just feels different. Older. More experienced. This is like the wise old grandmother, where the Golden Yunnans are the more adventurous and sometimes rash youths.

So far, I believe this is the Yunnan I have liked the best so far. It’s a hearty and full-bodied tea, and it’s just interesting. Even after having attempted to analyse the flavour profile, it’s still like I can’t get quite finished tasting it.

This Organic Gun Powder tea is wonderful. It’s my old standby for a great cup of tea. I like the back sides of the tongue bitters you get from it. Don’t over steep it cause it will be super bitter. Maybe good for some folks stomachs… but not my taste buds! It’s also a really good price. Under $20 for a pound. Get some!

This is one of my new favorite teas. I love it. I like all sorts of different teas, but I’ll pull this one out if I see it first. The smooth flavor and “forest” like feeling you get from it makes you want to sit on a big redwood tree limb and enjoy a cup with a hobbit.

Nothing high end or fussy about this, it is nonetheless tasty and roasted, thus mellow. While it thrives in warmer water, it puts up with my office’s auto-heated water tap stuff and still offers just a little caffeine to get me through the day without napping at my desk.

A perfectly blend-able background for creative additions. It’s affordable, and the company has a staunch reputation as a fair trade and organic supplier.

This is soothing. Can be somewhat complex, if prepared in a gaiwan and not over-steeped. Many small cups may be prepared from the leaves. It’s better than average.

I had a recent volunteer gig in a hot and humid spot. I knew I’d be on my feet a lot, so I brewed up a batch of two parts of this tea, and then added 1 part each spearmint and peppermint to the liquor, and steeped that overnight in the fridge. Added a little agave, ice, and lemon; and had an all-day pick-me-up that saw me through some challenging work.

On a hot night, I like nothing better than iced tea while I’m winding down. But most keep me up all night. With a very low caffeine level, I’m using this in the evenings. I make large batches every few days, and fridge in some canning jars I had laying around.

I love this tea with nothing added. The roasted-twiggy goodness really satisfies.

Yummy – and not much work.

I know I spend a lot of time with some teas, making sure they are ready just as we drink them, and appreciating the brewing method, the subtle nuances in each carefully timed brew, the water, the …..you get it. This can be prepared this way, however, I prefer to use it as an anti-sipping tea.

This is a background to your day. A delightful backdrop for low-caffiene chai, enjoyed iced with fruit juice, etc. It’s great with many kinds of foods, and lends itself well to a low temp simmer on the stove, through coversations with friends.

This is another chewy type tea and I like it. nomnomnom.

Semi-earthy, semi-cakey

I love the effect of drinking Tulsi- it really makes you feel great after a long hard day. I prefer to steep it using a 4 part Tulsi/2 part Peppermint(any mint in a pinch)/1 part Stevia leaf. NEVER the stevia extract or the current lines of commercial stevia sweeteners. Slight licorice flavor with earthy undertones for the Tulsi- proven adaptogen that balances you out. They still don’t know how adaptogens work, only that they do; gotta love that.

The calendula and chamomile lend the fruity notes, I think, with lavender leading the floral ones. Underlying these is a mild straw-green base with a slight mint finish. A very pleasant drink, one which did seem to settle me a bit, both tummy and nerves. All organic, all pretty darn good for me, and I enjoyed it all, just as-is! If an infusion can be said to be reassuring, then Mountain Rose’s Fairytale Tea provided me a reassuring cup!

Their description describes this tea perfectly. It is a staple for me.

Love this tea anytime of the day to relax. Wonderful flavor.