Celestial Seasonings, Sleepytime Extra

Celestial Seasonings Description:
Nothing promotes physical and mental well being like a restful evening. So if you’re wondering how to sleep better or just looking for something to help you unwind, try a cup of Sleepytime Extra®. This relaxing and delicious herbal tea starts with the time-honored blend of chamomile, spearmint and other soothing herbs found in our beloved Sleepytime herbal tea. We then add valerian, trusted as a natural sleep aid since the days of the Greeks and Romans because of its mild sedative properties. The result is a tea with the trusted calming effect and great taste of Sleepytime, plus just a little “extra” to help you rest.

Ingredients:
Spearmint, Chamomile, Tilia Estella, Valerian, West Indian Lemongrass, Hawthorn and Orange blossoms.

My Review:
So I had the television on for noise. It was on the Food Channel. A show called Unwrapped was on. I wasn't paying attention until I heard the word 'tea'. Huh? What? The segment was on Celestial Seasonings and how they pioneered the marketing of herbal teas. Sleepytime is their top selling tea. I found it interesting to see the lemongrass used in Sleepytime comes in bales. The show caused me to pick up a box of Sleepytime Extra. It is the same herbal product as Sleepytime with the addition of valerian root.

Upon opening the box I was meet with an inner self sealing storage bag containing the paper 'tea' bags. They are joined two together. Not sure why. I was a little afraid I would tear into the contents pulling them apart - but I did not.

The dry scent is spearmint. I used boiling water and steeped about 3 minutes then spooned the bag out, as there is no string or tag. The aroma of the cup is still mainly mint. I have read reviews that said this smells medicinal. I did not get that impression.

The taste is first mint, but well behaved. This is followed by the lemongrass. This is another example of flavors I would not have used together but it works. Look at that, me liking a spearmint herbal. The mint and lemon are the only distinct flavors I can pick out of the cup. I did add Splenda and that may be masking other flavors. What I can say is I do not taste the apple like notes of chamomile or the light bitterness of valerian. I thought it was a pleasant nighttime taste.

Did it knock me out? No, but it did relax me. I could definitely feel its affect. It helped my mind shut down allowing me to fall asleep naturally. I woke up 8 hours later feeling refreshed. I hope it does the same for you.

An update as I post - I normally do not recommend leaving the bag in the cup but since this is an herbal, go ahead as in won't hurt anything. If you leave the bag, towards the end of the cup you can begin to lightly taste the valerian. It is not unpleasant and adds another layer of interest to the cup.