Harney & Sons French Super Blue Lavender Herbal Tea

Herbals teas are becoming more and more popular as an alternative to traditional black or green teas. Strictly speaking, herbal tea is not tea at all but rather "tisane", which is a term for any herbal water infusion from plants other than tea leaves. While I myself prefer traditional tea to the majority of herbal tea (tisane), I have found an exception in the French Super Blue Lavender Tea by Harney & Sons.

Herney & Sons French Super Blue Lavender tea is made entirely from dried lavender. Before my wife ordered a box of this lavender tea online a while back, I had no idea that one could even make a tea entirely from lavender. Lavender can be used in all kinds of foods, typically desserts, and is also a crucial component in the spice mix known as Herbs de Provence. But this is the only tea I have ever seen that is just an infusion of lavender without any other herbs. At first the idea sounded a little disgusting to me, to be honest. I have always associated lavender with things like shower soap and hand lotions instead of beverages. So I was anxious and perhaps a nervous to give it a try. I couldn't get shower gel out of my mind while brewing my first cup!

When I first cracked open the box when trying the lavender tea for the first time, I was immediately struck by the pungency of the lavender scent rising from the lavender. While I have always been a big fan of lavender-scented things, ever since I was a kid watching my grandmother making lavender sachets, I was unprepared for how strong and powerful the scent of pure quality lavender can be. Do not mistake my point, though, the aroma of the French lavender was intoxicating in the best sense of the word.