The first thing you’re going to notice about this tea is how beautiful it is – gorgeous blossoms and petals are tossed together with pieces of dried fruits and herbs and bits of ginger.  It’s like looking at a field of flowers through a kaleidoscope.

The fragrance of this tea is just as appealing as its appearance – strong notes of fruit (in particular, I can detect the aroma of the papaya and peach) and herbal tones, blended with the lingering scent of roses and passionflower.

I’ve been drinking more herbal teas lately, and this is one of the best herbal teas I’ve had.  That being said, it is quite difficult to illuminate on the flavor profile of this tea, because of its vast ingredient list.  You’ll see what I mean when you read the description as provided by Teavana on their website:

This comforting blend of vervaine and marshmallow leaf, ginger, and peppermint aids in digestion, relaxation of the body and mind. This tea is designed to help promote a better night’s sleep and taste delicious at the end of a long day.

Ingredients: Vervaine, apple bits, carrot bits, orange peel, ginger bits, marshmallow leaves, peppermint, green Rooibos, candied papaya, rosebuds, raisins, mallow blossoms, passion flower petals and peach bits.

Because there are so many ingredients in this tea it seems a daunting task to try to discern each and every note that presents itself onto my palate!  The very complex mixture of ingredients of this tea creates such an interesting flavor that is at once quite familiar yet very unique.  The peach and papaya flavors are quite strong, as are the citrus-y notes.  The peppermint is quite soft, almost a backdrop to the other flavors.   The floral flavors also blend into the background, with very vague hints of flowery characteristics lingering in the finish.  The ginger is very soft here, with only a touch of its warm, peppery presence on my tongue.

Green rooibos is a perfect choice for these other fruit flavors, as it tends to have a more fruit-like quality than the oxidized red rooibos, which tends to have a bit more of a sweeter flavor.  I am having a difficult time distinguishing the flavors imparted by the carrot and apple here; I think they are probably offering a touch of sweetness to the blend, rather than any specific essence.   I have never actually tried marshmallow leaves before, but I am assuming that they add additional sweetness to the tea.

With this myriad of sweet ingredients, one would be quick to think that this is a very sweet beverage, and they would be correct!  It is a very sweet herbal tea, so be careful when choosing to add additional sweetener if you don’t want to bombard your taste buds with an overwhelming supply of sweetness.

It is a perfect little sweet treat for the end of the day, one that will help you prepare for your rest cycle as well as put a smile on your face.  It is also quite delicious served hot or chilled, although I did notice that as it cooled the flavors became more homogenized and the tea itself lost some of its complexity that I found so charming – so I definitely prefer drinking it hot.

This one from Teavana’s a keeper!