Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of DavidsTea's Licorice Twist Herbal Blend

While I may be in the minority, I rather enjoy black licorice candy. So, when I saw an herbal blend with inspirations of black licorice, I knew I had to try it. However, Licorice Twist from DavidsTea has a lot more than just anise and licorice root, combining such herbs and fruit as nana mint, fennel, cocoa bits, pineapple, ginger, peppermint, and more!

I really enjoy when herbal blends can be steeped for a long time, bringing out a lot of flavors, without growing bitter. Licorice Twist is no exception, and I used the upper end of the recommended steep time (four to seven minutes), steeping my tea for the full seven minutes (maybe a bit more). I steeped two teaspoons of the mix in twelve ounces of just-boiled water. The aromas coming from the dry leaves are an incredible mixture of sweet and spicy with a really intense smell. Steeping the mixture tones down the intense aromas a bit. Some of the sweetness has diminished, as well as some of the spiciness.

My first sip reveals that the sweetness was only hiding. The taste is a complex blend, light on flavor but with definitive sweet notes and a spicy bite in the aftertaste. I would not describe the overall taste as "black licorice," rather I would say that the black licorice flavors are enhanced by a number of other herbs and spices. Even served hot, this tisane refreshes me like a cool drink of water. Mint teas sometimes seem to me to be heavy, but the mint in this blend adds to an already uplifting flavor.

On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea a 5. Earlier today, I drank some that had been chilled, and it was quite tasty. Over the past few days, I have been really enjoying every cup of this that I drink. Unfortunately, I picked up this sample some time back, and it is no longer available from the DavidsTea website.

Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
DavidsTea's Licorice Twist is no longer available.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
You can read more about my Personal Enjoyment Scale, here.
Text is copyright 2016, Built from Ink and Tea.