An evening decaf tea

Healthy herbs, rooibos, honeybush, decaf tea, and yerba mate.


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Jun 22nd, '09, 16:34
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An evening decaf tea

by p_funk » Jun 22nd, '09, 16:34

As I am new to the world of tea and have not tried any decaf or herbal teas yet. I would like to know what herbal or decaf teas some of you would recomend to try. These would be probably be made around bed time, you probably did not need to know that, lol.

Jun 22nd, '09, 17:31
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by silvermage2000 » Jun 22nd, '09, 17:31

Well it depends on what you like. Chamomile,mint,roobios,decaf teas,flowers like lavender to would do well.
My name i's ashley I am a female and 21 years old.

Jun 22nd, '09, 19:00
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by Ebtoulson » Jun 22nd, '09, 19:00

As far as recommendations go, my favorite herbal tea is green rooibos, a non oxidized rooibos that has a hint of honey to me.
(lol spell check says rooibos isnt a word on teachat :shock: )
unfortunately adagio doesn't sell it but they do have a several unflavored/flavored rooibos and honeybush tisanes you can choose from. Other than that all other herbals I blend with tea so sorry no help there.

Jun 23rd, '09, 15:57
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by Capella » Jun 23rd, '09, 15:57

I like rooiboses for bedtime. Especially vanilla or caramel, they're indulgent.

Jun 23rd, '09, 18:57
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by Intuit » Jun 23rd, '09, 18:57

Look for Swiss-water decaf black or green teas; stay far far away from the standard solvent extracted teas - not a very healthy alternative.

Oolongs have about 1/3 lower caffeine, but still may be enough to keep you awake at night if you're caffeine sensitive.

Herbal teas can range in flavor from grassy/vegetal to bland, tart or sweet. You'll have to experiment. I would start with our host's herbal blends and decafs, particularly the decaf spiced green and earl grey teas. Haven't tried the decaf ceylon, although it's been positively reviewed. I would try it as a base for blending in a bit of fruit or flower flavoring if you're desiring a complex after-dinner tea.

Another alternative is to brew Kukicha Twig Tea, which is naturally low in caffeine and requires a longer steeping time (up to 10 min).

I can also recommend the decaf Darjeeling tea from SpecialTeas, also the English Breakfast decaf. I'm not a fan of decaf teas because the are usually very bland compared to the caffeinated versions, but these are quite decent for decaf teas.

I've heard their decaf sencha is also passably drinkable, but haven't tried it myself.

I find roiboos tea to be an acquired taste. Quality matters, and it stores for quite a long time (a year or more). I pitched a high quality version that I didn't like too much, thinking it was past it's time when I actually hadn't prepared it properly, so never really gave it a fair shake.

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Jun 27th, '09, 14:18
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by Sam. » Jun 27th, '09, 14:18

As far as herbals, my favorites are peppermint tea or rooibos (red or green). I drink green rooibos if I want something with a lighter taste than red.

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Jul 10th, '09, 10:50
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by Artemis » Jul 10th, '09, 10:50

Hey! I'm in the exact same boat as you! I tried roobios for a caffeine-free option for late night brewing, but it really just didn't do anything for me.

I think herbal tea is the way to go. I normally have to add some honey to it, but besides that, it can be pretty addicting on its own. Peppermint is pretty nice if you're looking for something light and breezy without an overpowering tea taste. Foxtrot is another great option.. but I think with herbal teas you really need to start mixing and matching until you find what works the best for you. Blood orange is a bit tricky, because it likes to come out bitter whenever I brew it, but it can add a very nice fruity note to whatever drink you're making.

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Sep 24th, '09, 12:46
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Re: An evening decaf tea

by AlexZorach » Sep 24th, '09, 12:46

My favorite herbal tea of all is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). I like to mix it with spearmint and sometimes one or more of the wild bergamot / bee-balm /oswego tea species (Monarda sp.). All of these herbs are easy to grow in temperate climates and can be grown with some work in warmer or colder climates.

I find lemon balm in particular to be relaxing, and I have recently read that it is thought to have a number of beneficial health properties as well.

And you might want to consider teas with chamomile too...that's a classic ingredient in bedtime blends. I find chamomile + spearmint (like Celestial Seasoning's Sleepytime tea) to be an outstanding combination--more so than chamomile + peppermint (i.e. Bigelow's "sweet dreams"...while I like that combination, it's too perky for me to drink at night).

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