Not my cup of tea... (Peppermint Herb Tea)

Member Name: angeelu

Product:	Peppermint Herb Tea
Date:	19/06/05 (9666 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many health benefits, in particular in relation to digestion, Widely available in just about any supermarket, Relatively cheap

Disadvantages: Fairly dry taste, Not as refreshing as it sounds

I've always loved minty flavours, though until recently I'd never tried peppermint tea. On a trip to Asda a couple of months ago I noticed that they did own brand peppermint tea bags for a reasonable price for a box of 20 so in my trolley they went.

Benefits of Peppermint Tea
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peppermint tea is suggested to have a variety of health benefits, in particular linked to the digestive area of the body. It's supposed to help relieve symptoms of an irratible bowel and can help soothe stomach cramps. It's also thought to help relieve indigestion, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea. Some suggest that peppermint teas can help to alleviate the headaches associated with menstrual cramps. It's also meant to aid those with breathing troubles, like asthma as the smell of peppermint helps opens blocked breathing passages.

It's caffeine free, so suitable for those sensitive to or trying to avoid caffeine - according to articles I've read online it's also been said to help people wake up in the morning despite its lack of caffeine stimulant.

My Experience
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eager to try my new purchase I made myself a cuppa when I got home from that shopping trip. On opening the box the peppermint scent was apparent, along with a faint regular tea bag smell. The tea bags look just like regular circular tea bags and preparation of the drink is also similar - put one tea bad in a cup and pour on freshly boiled water, stir, let the bag rise to the surface and leave to brew for 1 minute for a medium strength cup of tea.

The tea produced is paler in colour to regular black tea - kind of golden. As soon as I lifted the cup to my mouth all I could think of was the smell. Yes, it was pepperminty, though it reminded me of another smell. It didn't take me long to decide what it was... it smelt like peppermint chewing gum! The taste of the tea was drinkable, though I think it tastes kind of dry. I can only really compare the taste to what I imagine it would be like to put minty chewing gum in hot water, remove it and drink the chewing gum infused water. It wasn't as refreshing as I was expecting (in particular as the box calls the tea 'an infusion made with peppermint leaves for a refreshing minty flavour').

I have since given it another couple of tries, trying to convince myself that I need to give it a chance and not compare it to regular tea or expect it to taste like mint sweets, but I still can't really enjoy a cup. Drinkable, yes, but enjoyable, no.

The Conclusion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As per my title - Peppermint tea is not my cup of tea. I can't imagine using up the rest of the box. I didn't find it particularly refreshing to drink, and as my primary reason for trying the tea was as an alternative refreshing drink it hasn't really fulfilled my needs. Many people sware by teas such as this though, and would much prefer them to a PG Tips, so I guess they can't be that bad, but I think you need to go into the experience of trying peppermint tea with an open mind and no preconceptions of what it might taste like. I'd imagined a really minty drink, more on a par with minty refreshing toothpaste or kendal mint cake than stale chewing gum. Admittedly I went for a supermarket own brand product when I tried this tea, and I accept that perhaps a more expensive brand may have produced a tastier cuppa, though following my experience I'm not about to rush out and try them to find out.

Peppermint tea is available in just about any supermarket. Many supermarkets do their own brand of the product (e.g. Asda) though famous tea makers such as Twinings also do their own versions. Prices vary depending on brand, though obviously supermarket brands are cheaper (less than £1 for a box of 20).

My verdict - 2 stars * *

(Note - the picture displayed by dooyoo is not the product I tried, but this category is for peppermint herb tea in general as opposed to a specific brand).

Summary: