Brand:

Flavour: Dragon Sparks

Ingredients: Hibiscus, lemon balm, violet leaves, damiana, spearmint, maté, gingko, woodruff, kola nut, galangal, ginger, rosemary, sarsaparilla, sassafras, cayenne, cinnamon

Caffeine Factor: Caffeinated

Organic Ingredients: Unknown

Price Range: £3.95

Grammes Per Box: 50g

Review: FINALLY – a truly interesting ingredients list!

This is such a fun one. It’s a loose leaf tea, and when you pour the water over the herbs, it actually produces smoke – like a dragon! It’s also very red in the cup, like fire (…or hibiscus…but let’s be imaginative!).

As you wait for it to brew, you get a strong hit of cola, no doubt due to the sarsaparilla and the kola nuts. (If you didn’t know, Coca-Cola was originally made from cocaine and kola nuts, hence the name. The cocaine was taken out many decades ago, and there’s probably very little real kola in it these days, too.) It’s an intense scent that goes right up your nose, even from a distance. Be careful not to sniff it right near the cup, because it leaps up your nose and smarts for ages afterwards. But you will want to keep smelling it, because each time, you will pick up a note of something different. It’s fascinating even before you’ve had a taste.

Once brewed, the flavour is hard to describe. It’s fresh, with an underlying warmth; and like the aroma, the taste keeps changing, even in one sip. It’s herbier than expected – like cola mixed with spearmint, and a fiery ginger / cayenne kick to the throat. You also get the tartness of the hibiscus, but with a real earthy undercut. There’s something mildly bitter / savoury in there, like real tea – likely the maté.

We really like this one. It’s unique, and it wakes you right up, making it a great one for heightening concentration and giving you a much-needed energy boost first thing in the morning. Definitely don’t have this any later than mid-afternoon or you might be up all night. Alternatively, it’s a good one to have before you settle in to watch Eurovision for 5 hours, like we did when we tried this blend!

If you’ve not tried Star Child before and are unsure where to find them, there are plenty of online shops selling their tea range, including their official website www.starchild.co.uk. Or, if you happen to be passing through Glastonbury, pop into their beautiful shop on the high street for tea, incense, essential oils, fresh herbs, books and more. Their tea is extremely reasonably priced, as well, compared to many other loose leaf brands, especially when you consider that you can re-brew.

Best time of year to drink this: All year round

Best time of day to drink this: Morning

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