Wild Apple Sarsaparilla

Not long ago, I decided I really needed to stock up the pantry with some quick-and-easy teabag herbals, as I’ve been quickly using up my non-caffeinated loose leaf due to my “no caffeine after 6 pm” rule. I remember hearing about the limited “Forager’s Edition” teas exclusive to Target (four blends, each “inspired by” a different region of the US). When I went, Target was sold out of the Midwest blend, Wild Apple Sarsaparilla, so I went home with a box each of the other three.

Then, gmathis was kind enough to offer me a sample so I could try all of them! Today I (finally) got out to the mailbox and was surprised with a beautiful card, kind note, and two teabags. So I am now steeping it up as my nightly cuppa today!

The aroma from my steeped cup is giving me sort of a caramel apple vibe… I smell apple, but there is a sweet vanilla/caramel sort of note as well. On the sip, I taste green apples, and it actually has more of a bite to it than the syrupy sweetness that plays on the nose. Sort of an herbaceous peppery flavor… which, looking at the ingredients on the package, I’m going to guess is coming from the cardamom. After the swallow, a sweetness plays out on my tongue… I do taste licorice root, but mildly, without the long, coating-sensation sweetness. I’m actually having a hard time making out the sarsaparilla, which is what interested me the most in the blend (I’m a big fan of it!) I had been initially worried about the chamomile (a flavor I’m not keen on) but the flavors/spices in this tea completely cover up that weird “soapy” taste I get with chamomile.

This is really pleasant! A nice blend to unwind after what felt like a very long work week. Thank you so much, gmathis!

Saw this one at Target well on the website and it sounded good based on the ingredients I decided it was worth the risk. Worst case scenario it turns out to be a licorice root bomb. Best case scenario it ends up being a favorite like say Tazo’s Lemon Loaf or Butterscotch Blondie Tea.
Verdict: I need to play with this one some more but this cup was, unfortunately, a licorice root bomb. I added up having to add some oat milk to it.

(Will I ever learn? How many times have I grabbed a tea box without checking the ingredients because the name intrigued me?) When I finally read the fine print and noticed licorice, I almost immediately regretted picking this up. Same when I sniffed the dry bag

However, (don’t you just love good howevers?) it works in this blend! The apple flavor is crisp and strong and balances out the licorice stickiness. I had to really think about it to find any real sarsaparilla…but if you want yourself a good cup of caramel apple tea, you’ve got it here. Go figure.

Planning to try the next cup with milk in hopes of replicating Wrapples. (Remember, I am ancient … they were thin round sheets of caramel you plopped over an apple and stuck in the oven for just a bit. I ate the sheets straight from the package and drove my mom crazy.)

Work tea #2.

When I know we’re going to have an influx of patients I’ll often throw an herbal tea bag into my cup. I don’t have to worry about overstepping, and I’ll still have something warm to sip once things calm down (my office is freezing!). Today it was this, and I liked it.

The apple flavor is mild. In fact, it taste a bit like slightly watered down apple juice. The sarsaparilla flavor came across more like caramel. So the end result was caramel apple tea, heavy on the caramel. I’m not sad about it, and I’m sure I’ll drink it again in the near future.

The tea smelled like apple as I tore open the pouch, and smelled like apple when brewed. It does taste like apple in the cup, but weaker, and as an aftertaste. It does have relaxing chamomile, so it’s good for an evening cup, but when I compare to my favorite Lemon Loaf Tazo tea, this seems a bit weak and I’m wishing for a more tart apple taste.