66
drank Sage Cretan Tea by VIOS
1622 tasting notes

A final herbal tea to transition out of a stressful day.

I had never drank pure sage tea before because I suspected I might be allergic to it. Being near smoldering sage sends me into sneezing fits and makes me feel ill for hours. However, I seem to be able to ingest it in small amounts in cooking without issue and in tea blends.

I was hesitant to try pure sage in tea form but I drank it with no adverse reaction and quite enjoyed it. It was a little sweet and obviously tasted of sage, a bit woody and earthy. There was some scratchiness in my throat and also a cooling quality in my mouth that was light and maybe different from the usual menthol encountered in other herbs.

The tea had an ethereal quality and produced the senses of heady elevation and cleansing for which sage smudge sticks are known. As I said before, burning sage sickens me, so I’m glad I was able to experience the pure herb in tea form. I suppose this one is a little special since it comes from my uncle’s land of Crete.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 10 OZ / 295 ML
Mastress Alita

I’ve never had a plain sage tea… I have a big bag of sage that I use to make a hair rinse, and the smell is so strong when I’m steeping it and disposing of the leaves that it is staggering, so I don’t think I’d be able to handle drinking it. I have found I like it mixed into blends though, since I had a blend with a rather generous amount of fenugreek and sage recently and I quite liked the taste of that.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

People who liked this

Comments

Mastress Alita

I’ve never had a plain sage tea… I have a big bag of sage that I use to make a hair rinse, and the smell is so strong when I’m steeping it and disposing of the leaves that it is staggering, so I don’t think I’d be able to handle drinking it. I have found I like it mixed into blends though, since I had a blend with a rather generous amount of fenugreek and sage recently and I quite liked the taste of that.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

bicycle bicycle bicycle

Location

Sonoma County, California, USA

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer