100% Organic Tulsi Signature Blend

I don’t have a whole lot of experience with tulsi, it’s one of the many things I’d like to try a whole bunch of but I don’t exactly have money to throw around on 20 different tulsi blends! Or the cupboard space. I think this actually might be my first tulsi, but I’m not sure, I feel like I’ve had it in another blend before. Probably just because the flavors are familiar! Honestly, part of me was expecting it to taste like Thai basil, which would actually be pretty cool. I wonder if there are any blends that use it as an ingredient?

The other herbs are what come through most for me, it’s very minty to the point where when I sniff it, I’d swear it was a pure peppermint blend. But when you drink it there’s a nice bright hint of lemon, warmth from the cinnamon, and a little kick from the pepper and ginger. I’m not sure if the spices are complimenting or masking the tusli, but lemon/citrus isn’t actually an ingredient so I suppose that’s where it is peeking through. This reminds me a bit of Sleepytime, very calming and soothing. I’d probably be amazing for sick, lazy days!

I just received a sample of each of the six tisanes of Davidson’s Tulsi herbal line. Tulsi, or holy basil, is highlighted in each and is accompanied by a different group of complimentary herbs.

Signature Blend smells strongly of ginger and mint out of the package, but once steeped, lemon from the myrtle becomes prominent. The flavor is really interesting. Up front, there’s a bit of a battle between the mint and the lemon. The finish is warm from the ginger and cinnamon with a final burst from the black pepper. This is another great one for fighting cold; either outside or in your own head.

I don’t have a lot of experience with holy basil so I can’t speak to the quality. I’m hoping that I’ll come to recognize this component more as I work my way through the rest of the samples.

At first I thought this was somewhat relaxing but it does have a kick of spice to it…followed up with a subtle minty finish. After really trying to pick out the individual ingredients I could taste the Tulsi, Pepper, Ginger, and Peppermint but they worked well together. This signature Tulsi Blend seems to make my mouth water – a nice characteristic considering the ingredient combo! Thumbs up!

Thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for this one!
When I first got into loose leaf I didn’t think I would ever appreciate tea bags again! But, they do have their place. I don’t like brewing up my favorite loose leaf when I’m heading out the door, for example, because then I forget to put the leaves in the fridge to brew later. And that’s very sad. That’s where tea bags come in!
I’ve never had tulsi before and I’m really enjoying this blend. It starts out minty, then lemony, then gingery, and then finishes off with cinnamon and pepper. I am a big fan of cinnamon! And pepper. This would be the perfect beverage for a sore throat or stuffy nose. It’s rainy here today, which is welcome relief from the heat, and it’s perfect tea weather. Mmmmmmm. I think in the future I would like to try more tulsi!

I went into this with a single change to brew it and having no idea what to expect as this is a lone teabag that my girlfriend got with junk mail. Overall my impression of this tea is that it is a spicy mint blend.

I love the balance, stress relief, and general sense of well being I get when I drink tulsi. While tulsi’s smooth minty-clovey herbal flavor is vert agreeable by itself, it’s not flat-out delicious. However, it lends itself exceptionally well to blending with other herbs or teas.

While at home I prefer to mix up my own tulsi blends, I actually bought a bunch of this particular “signature blend” to have some tulsi on hand when I’m over at my boyfriend’s place. I’m happy with my choice. He likes this tisane too, though to him it just tastes like tea. :)

The tulsi is still at the heart of the “signature” blend, but it’s blended with a cooling dose of mint, brightened up front by the lemony taste of lemon myrtle, and deepened in the lower register by a warming spicy flavor, mostly the ginger with a lingering bite of pepper especially prominent in the aftertaste. The contrast of the warm spice with the cooling mint might sound a bit odd, but it makes perfect sense tied together by the tulsi and lemon!

I received a sample bag with the catalog from Davidson’s and I’d never heard of it before. It was very interesting and unique, a nice undertone of mint though the other flavors were a little difficult to describe. It’s not quite my cup of tea as it were.