Over fall break, my daughter and I traveled for a dear friend’s wedding. It was a fantastic trip and sort of a funny story, because I was headed up there to be her matron of honor, but we had never met in person. Internet life is weird like that! Despite her being one of my best friends, we’d never come face to face before her big day. I’m honored she chose me and I was so blessed to be able to attend the wedding. Two of my sisters met me there, and I gave them a ride back home, which allowed us to stop by and see some of the rest of the family.
While my daughter visited with her grandparents, I took a short trip into town to visit my third sister and see my youngest brother’s new house. Yeah, there are a lot of us! While I was there, my sister and I talked a bit about tea, because somehow, my opinion of Independence Coffee Company’s Earl Grey had traveled all the way through her friend group, and she was now drinking it and recommending it to people, not knowing the recommendation had originated with me. Since we both liked that one, she popped open her tea drawer and gave me a bag of Pukka Love to try when I got home.
The packaging was delightful, so I was looking forward to sampling the tea when I got home. The label indicated chamomile, lavender, and rose, so I knew to expect something floral. I’m not always a huge fan of rose, as it easily becomes overwhelming, and lavender sometimes takes a bit of a soapy taste. This herbal blend creates a lovely balance, though. The flavor that stands out most is the chamomile, which makes it a great tea for relaxation time. Rose comes after that, and it offers a hint of a fruity aftertaste–which is interesting, because reviewing the ingredients the company provides indicates that rose is only 4% of the blend! Maybe that’s why it tends to be overpowering? It doesn’t take much to give it sweetness.
It’s worth note that I drank this tea without any additives. Normally I sample things plain, then with a bit of sugar, then with a little milk. This was delightful as brewed, though, and since it’s purely herbal, there was no bitterness to contend with or try to cover. As it cooled, I tasted the lavender a little more, and I found the other additions didn’t provide too much of a noteworthy flavor in the overall taste of this tea. I often have chamomile or mint blends as I settle in the evening, and I think this one will make an excellent addition to my collection of bedtime teas, nicely filling a niche where I wanted something with a little more natural sweetness but hadn’t found anything that worked. I also appreciate that it’s a bagged variety, because while I adore my loose leaf teas, there’s something delightful about a good tea that comes in a bag of its own so I don’t have to fuss with it when I’m already tired.
Overall, this was very good, and I certainly intend to order some more!