Hampstead Peppermint & Spearmint Tea Review
Hampstead Tea’s blend of peppermint and spearmint promises to be a deliciously minty and bright herbal tea. Let’s review it to find out. This week, I’m sipping the last Hampstead Tea in my collection, so if you like the sound of this herbal tea then go back and read all the reviews on the blog.
Hampstead are a biodynamic tea company and they have some really delicious caffeinated and caffeine-free blends. They are one of my top choices for British tea brands, along with Whittard of Chelsea and Twinings. Hampstead English Breakfast actually got close to the top of my list of Best English Breakfast Teas!
In this review, we’ll explore what this tea tastes like, how to brew it, and where to buy it online.
Hampstead Peppermint Spearmint Tea at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Blend: Peppermint leaves and spearmint leaves
- Flavour: Well-rounded and mellow herbs with spearmint sweetness and a rush of peppermint
This sweet and tasty tea has a well-rounded flavour and minty body with peppermint highlights in the aftertaste. It’s a super refreshing tea.
Full Review – Hampstead Tea Mint Blend
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabag
- Tea: Peppermint leaves, spearmint leaves
- Health Benefits: Aid digestion, refresh palate
- Flavour Notes: Herby, mellow, spearmint, light peppermint, well-rounded, soft
- Aroma: Slightly musty, herbs, menthol, bright, spearmint sweetness, warming
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Amazon UK or Hampstead Tea
Ripping open the minty blue green wrapper (this colour is one of my favourites), you are instantly met with a mellow and slightly musty herb aroma. Breathe it in deeply and you’ll find a menthol brightness shining through too.
I brewed this tea according to Hampstead Tea’s instructions (see below) to get a clear and deep golden syrup coloured tea. There are notes of spearmint sweetness and a hint of menthol emerging from the steam, but overall it’s really warming and mellow rather than bright and sharp. It’s very appetising!
As for the flavour, I like it a lot. A lot, a lot. It’s herby and mellow with a well-rounded body. I’d even describe it as soft and warming, which is very unusual for a mint tea. Despite this, it still has that signature menthol feeling that rushes into the aftertaste and a light spearmint note that permeates the cup.
The texture of the tea is mid-weight – neither watery nor syrupy – and overall I felt very relaxed by the time I reached the bottom of my teacup.
How to Brew Mint Tea
Mint leaves are caffeine-free and can handle boiling water. In fact, for this blend you really do need boiling water to get the most out of the tea leaves. Hampstead Tea’s instructions for this blend is to pour boiling water over one teabag and let it steep for a minimum of 5 minutes.
My teacup holds approximately 250ml, but if you have a larger mug or don’t have time to wait 5 minutes, there’s no reason why you can’t double up and use two teabags instead.
Peppermint has some natural sweetness and spearmint is even sweeter, so I wouldn’t add any sugar or honey without tasting the tea first. You will probably find that it doesn’t need any additional sweetness. A slice of lemon could play up those refreshing notes, however.
Why Hampstead Biodynamic Tea?
Hampstead are a British tea brand with a focus on returning nutrients to the earth. They specialise in biodynamic farming, which is a step up from organic farming. Rather than just ensuring that the farming doesn’t harm the environment, biodynamic farming aims to leave the environment in a better state altogether.
Both the peppermint and spearmint tea leaves are certified biodynamic, organic, and Fairtrade, which is a huge accomplishment. I also really like the fact that there are no additional ingredients in this blend. There are spearmint leaves and peppermint leaves – nothing else.
Peppermint and Spearmint Health Benefits
I have written a detailed guide to the health benefits of peppermint tea at Immortal Wordsmith, but the takeaway is that mint is excellent for freshening your breath, soothing a sore throat, settling a stomach, and easing digestion.
With the addition of spearmint, you may also find other interesting health benefits in each cup. For example, spearmint tea is super promising for reducing hirsutism in women with PCOS according to one study.
As always, I recommend taking any health benefits with a pinch of salt. Often you’ll need to take a concentrated extraction of plant matter to experience any notable effects – you’re not going to cure any illnesses with a cup of tea! That being said, some herbal ingredients can impact symptoms and even interact with medications. Talk to your doctor before drinking herbal tea if you have any concerns.
Summary
This tea is simple yet delicious. Packaged in plastic-free teabags, Hampstead Peppermint Spearmint Tea is sweet, mellow and comforting while somehow being refreshing too. I really like to sip it in the afternoons and evenings, between or after meals to draw a line through the day.
You can find this tea available to buy on Amazon using the link below. You can also buy it directly from Hampstead Tea (link above) but you often get a better and faster shipping deal if you order through Amazon.
Tea-Ware Recommendation
Of all the Cute Cat Mugs in our store at Immortal Wordsmith, it is the ‘curious’ cat that most embodies what Hampstead Peppermint Spearmint tea is all about. Go check out our tea-ware at Immortal Wordsmith – there’s free delivery on every UK order!