While many teas taste “woodsy,” rarely do I come across blends that contain parts of trees such as pine needles!
Description: “An uplifting & aromatic trip to the great outdoors with each soothing sip.”
Instructions: 1-2 tsp | 8 fl oz | 100°C | 5-10 min
Review: I learned about Foggy River Farm when Kelly (ros_strange) told me about her tea haul while we walked around the vendor area at the 2024 Toronto Tea Festival. As someone who likes trying new ingredients, I decided to purchase the forest-themed herbal collection. Based on the packaging and website, my understanding is all the botanicals in Foggy River Farm’s blends are grown in Ontario, Canada.
The dry blend lived up to its name and once I opened the pouch, there was the smell of pine needles or “forest air.” The long straight pine needles and herbals were a pale green colour.
After brewing for 8 minutes with 1 teaspoon of dry blend, the pale lime green liquor had a pine and thyme aroma. When hot, the liquor was sweet and pine flavour forward, followed by thyme and mint. When cooled, the thyme note was more pronounced.
When brewing with 2 teaspoons of dry blend, the liquor had a stronger spearmintmint note, both in smell and taste. The liquor was also sweeter and the thyme and pine were secondary in flavour. However, when cooled, like with 1 teaspoon, the thyme flavour was the most prevalent.
I also tried to cold brew the herbal blend, as recommended on the packaging and placed it in the fridge for 10 hours. The liquor was a darker tan colour compared to the lime green of the shorter infusion. The flavours were melded together and more mellow, with no botanical flavour dominating. The taste started with mint, then pine, with the thyme lingering in the mouth. I did not serve it over ice as it was a chilly day. I added a bit of maple syrup to the cold brew and it sweetened the liquor but didn’t change the taste profile dramatically.
The wet seaweed green coloured herbal blend smelled of pine and citrus and I could see the pine needles and herbals.
Overall, I now can confidently say I know what white pine needles taste like! As this blend only has three ingredients, it is best for people who enjoy pine, thyme and spearmint or want to know what white pine taste like! I preferred drinking the blend hot rather than as a cold brew as I enjoyed the more intense taste profile. While drinking this blend, I felt like I was sitting in a forest which was a relaxing experience (3.5/5 rating).
- Type: Herbal
- Origin: Ontario, Canada
- Caffeine: Caffeine-free
- Ingredients: White Pine, Thyme, Spearmint
- Company: Foggy River Farm
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