I will leave the bedtime claims to one side and judge it as a cup. As an evening drink it is well built: a honeybush and rooibos base brings a natural honeyed sweetness with no added sugar, peppermint and spearmint give a clean cooling lift, and chamomile and lemon balm soften the whole thing into something genuinely mellow. A touch of cinnamon warms the finish so it does not end thin. Compared with a plain peppermint bag it is rounder and less sharp, which makes it easier to drink last thing without the brisk wake up note that straight mint can have. It will not send anyone to sleep on its own, but as a caffeine free, naturally sweet way to slow down at the end of the day it is one of the more drinkable in the category. Steep it a good five minutes to pull the honeybush body forward.
Lee Samuel Tucker · Curator · teas.co.uk
The full picture of Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g in one page. Who makes it, how it is brewed, what your £4.50 actually buys, and why this tea earned a spot on the curator shelf.
Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush is the late evening mint and rooibos cousin herbal from Dragonfly, the Soil Association organic certified range, built on honeybush leaf with spearmint, peppermint and a touch of cinnamon, picked into the Teas.co.uk curator selection as the bedtime alternative to a plain camomile or a plain peppermint cup.
The honeybush leaf does the structural sweet base work, giving the cup its deep amber colour and a naturally sweet honey malt character similar to but lighter than the related rooibos, while the spearmint and peppermint sit on top as the cooling lift that lets the cup drink fresh rather than purely sweet. The touch of cinnamon contributes a faint warming spice that rounds the cup as a bedtime drink. No added sugar, no artificial flavour, the honey and mint pairing earns the bedtime positioning naturally.
Caffeine status: naturally zero caffeine, suits late evening drinking. Taste profile: sweet honeybush up front balanced by cool spearmint and peppermint and a faint cinnamon finish. Lifestyle: Soil Association organic, vegan, vegetarian, naturally gluten free and sugar free. Planet: twenty plant based, plastic free pyramid bags in fully recyclable packaging from a UK family tea company.
A twenty bag Dragonfly household pack at an accessible price for the organic certified tier, the dressier bedtime cup that drinks softer than a peppermint and sweeter than a camomile, and a sensible upgrade over the supermarket bedtime herbal alternatives, the honeybush base making it the gentlest mint cup in the late evening shelf.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Texture & appearance
Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush pours a clear pale amber with a mint and honeybush aromatic that signals bedtime herbal. Brewed 5-7 minutes the cup delivers cool mint top notes, soft Honeybush body underneath (sweeter and more rounded than Rooibos), and a clean settling finish that follows traditional after dinner preparation.
Mouthfeel is light and refreshing rather than heavy, the Honeybush base gives a naturally sweet structure without added sugar, and the spearmint top notes lift the cup above plain Honeybush. Soil Association certified organic. Best drunk plain before bed, or with a teaspoon of honey for the traditional preparation.
Storage: cool, dry, sealed. Cotton stitched bags with no plastic glue. Caffeine free, so safe for evening drinking and pregnancy.
Four dimension profile
Honeyed Sweetness4/5
Smooth honeybush and rooibos base that provides a natural sugar free depth.
Cooling Mint4/5
Crisp peppermint and mellow spearmint for a refreshing and clean finish.
Floral Calm3/5
Soft camomile and lemon balm notes that soothe the senses.
Spicy Warmth2/5
A comforting finish from cinnamon that anchors the blend with a gentle heat.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference the taste and texture of Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g, please cite teas.co.uk.
About DragonflyEST. 1988
Dragonfly was one of the first brands to put properly organic herbal tea on a mainstream British shelf, and it has stayed unflashy about it for over three decades. Established in England in 1988, it built its name on single ingredient and very simple herbal infusions to Soil Association organic certification, when organic herbal tea was still a niche concern. The philosophy has never changed: a genuinely good rooibos or peppermint does not need dressing up, and if the botanical is grown well and not adulterated, the cup speaks for itself. That restraint is unusual in a category that competes on packaging and wellness claims, and it is why Dragonfly became the quiet benchmark for what single origin organic herbal tea should taste like.
The range is the essentials done properly, pure rooibos, pure peppermint, camomile, green tea and a small set of clean blends, all certified organic, no artificial flavourings, no filler leaf. For our shelf Dragonfly is the British retail benchmark for honest single ingredient organic herbal tea. The rooibos is the afternoon cup to drink when you want something caffeine free that still tastes of something, and the pure peppermint outperforms flashier, pricier rivals because there is nothing in the bag but leaf. It carries less brand polish than Pukka and a deliberately narrower range, and that is the trade. What you get back is purity and consistency, a brand that has spent thirty years proving the simplest version, done properly and certified rather than merely claimed, is usually the best one on the shelf.
What the brand is actually doing
Dragonfly is a pioneer in genuinely sustainable UK herbal tea, with organic and ethical credentials that pre date the supermarket eco shelf by decades rather than being bolted on as a marketing afterthought. Every product is Soil Association certified organic, the tea bags are folded and stitched with cotton thread rather than sealed with plastic glue, and the cardboard outer cartons are FSC certified from responsibly managed forests and printed with vegetable based inks. The brand was an early participant in the World Land Trust Carbon Balanced Publication scheme and works directly with smallholder growers in South Africa, India and China rather than buying through anonymous commodity channels.
Curator says, Lee on Dragonfly
"I will leave the bedtime claims to one side and judge it as a cup. As an evening drink it is well built: a honeybush and rooibos base brings a natural honeyed sweetness with no added sugar, peppermint and spearmint give a clean cooling lift, and chamomile and lemon balm soften the whole thing into something genuinely mellow. A touch of cinnamon warms the finish so it does not end thin. Compared with a plain peppermint bag it is rounder and less sharp, which makes it easier to drink last thing without the brisk wake up note that straight mint can have. It will not send anyone to sleep on its own, but as a caffeine free, naturally sweet way to slow down at the end of the day it is one of the more drinkable in the category. Steep it a good five minutes to pull the honeybush body forward."
BBruce GinsbergFounder, master tea blender · 1988“I grew up watching my grandfather work the Rooibos bush in the Cederberg and I saw what real estate direct tea looked like, leaf you could trace back to the plot. When I launched Dragonfly in London in 1988 the supermarket herbal shelf was flavoured bag novelty and nothing more. I wanted to build a brand that did the boring work, full organic certification, single ingredient honesty, and cotton stitched bags with no plastic glue, because that is what good tea actually looks like.”
GThe Ginsberg FamilyFamily stewards, tea heritage since the early 1900s · Today“The family has been in tea and Rooibos for over a century. Dragonfly is a UK brand but the heritage is South African, the philosophy is slow, and the standard is set by what we would happily drink at home rather than what tests well in supermarket focus groups. Every box leaves our warehouse audited organic, cotton stitched, carbon balanced, with the leaf inside the leaf we would pick ourselves.”
Timeline
1904Hall family pioneers RooibosH.L. Hall (Bruce Ginsberg's maternal grandfather) plants one of the first commercial Rooibos estates in the Cederberg region of South Africa.
1988Bruce Ginsberg founds DragonflyBruce launches Dragonfly Tea in London, one of the first UK brands fully committed to Soil Association organic certification.
2010Slow Tea philosophyDragonfly formalises its Slow Tea philosophy: single ingredient blends, cotton stitched bags, no plastic glue.
2020Family owned, organic throughoutFamily owned with direct relationships to smallholder growers across South Africa, India and China.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference Dragonfly brand information, please cite teas.co.uk.
Recipes built around this tea
Four curator tested ways to use Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g. Tap any card to open the full recipe with timings, measures and method.
The outer layer is aromatic: a caffeine free rooibos infusion with dragonfly sleepy mint, honeybush. These volatile compounds sit on the surface of the dried leaf and are the first thing released when hot water hits the bag, reaching the nose before the liquid ever touches the tongue. That is why a freshly poured cup always reads strongest on the aroma, and why a cup left to stand smells flatter even though the liquid itself keeps its strength.
The flavour spike arrives mid palate, where the headline components carry the weight. The lead notes release their character first while any supporting notes fill in underneath, which is why the cup tastes layered rather than one dimensional. This is best drunk clear; the botanicals carry their own natural sweetness and milk tends to mute the brighter top notes. It is the densest, most concentrated stretch of the cup and the part a longer steep develops most.
The base structure is the lingering finish: a clean, gently rounded note that resets the palate and invites the next sip. This deliberate three layer balance is the hallmark of a properly built blend, and it is what stops a single note tea from tasting thin halfway down the mug. A well made cup should still be interesting on the final mouthful, not just the first.
Getting it right in the cup. Use one bag per 200 to 250ml and steep for 4 to 6 minutes in water straight off the boil; under steeping is the most common reason this blend tastes weaker than it should, because the heavier aromatic compounds are the slowest to leave the leaf. Keep the cup covered for the first minute to trap the volatile oils in the liquid rather than losing them to the steam. Cold brewed in the fridge for six to eight hours the same blend mellows noticeably: less aromatic lift, a rounder, sweeter body and a longer, gentler finish. Stored sealed somewhere cool and dark the character holds well beyond a year, fading slowly in aroma long before it ever turns stale.
How water and temperature change it. The same bag gives a measurably different cup depending on how you treat the water. Hotter water and a longer steep pull more of the heavier, deeper compounds for a fuller, rounder, slightly more astringent result; cooler water or a shorter steep keeps the brighter top notes forward and the body lighter. Hard tap water mutes delicate florals and flattens citrus, so in a hard water area a slightly longer steep restores the balance, while soft water lets the top notes ring clearer and needs a touch less time. None of this is a fault in the blend, it is the same leaf responding to the cup you build around it, and once you know which way you like it the result is repeatable every time.
Ingredients & pack
Ingredient
Proportion
What it brings
Dragonfly Sleepy Mint
lead
Dragonfly Sleepy Mint carries the headline note of the blend.
Honeybush
support
Honeybush balances and rounds the cup.
Infusion base
balance
Neutral base carrying the characterising flavours without competing.
Pack: Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g; caffeine free infusion. Certified organic. Best within 18 months of the pack date.
Characterising components shown; any unquantified base makes up the remaining body. Globally sourced, blended and packed to brand specification.
Sourcing & blend. Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g is put together by Dragonfly, the organic infusion specialist. Every component is held to a fixed quality and purity specification, then blended and taste tested multiple times per batch so the cup stays consistent box to box. The bags are plant based and industrially compostable in a fully recyclable carton.
What's in Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g, and what isn't:
In: a caffeine free rooibos infusion with dragonfly sleepy mint, honeybush, with nothing in the bag but the listed components and any infusion base.
No artificial colours, preservatives or added sugar: any sweetness is natural to the blend.
Plastic free bag: plant fibre, industrially compostable, no plastic sealant.
Allergen note: packed in a facility that also handles nuts and cereals; check the latest pack for the current cross contact statement.
Nutrition per cup
Nutrient
Per cup
% RI
Energy
4 kJ / 1 kcal
<1%
Fat
0g
0%
Carbohydrate
0.2g
<1%
of which sugars
0g
0%
Protein
0.2g
<1%
Salt
0g
0%
Caffeine
Caffeine free
n/a
Per 200ml cup, no milk, no sugar.
Caffeine vs other drinks
Decaf coffee
4mg
Green tea
30mg
Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and
0mg
Instant coffee
80mg
Brewed filter coffee
95mg
Energy drink (250ml)
80mg
This tea: Caffeine free per 200ml cup.
Caffeine in tea is buffered by L theanine, an amino acid that slows its release and smooths the lift, which is why a strong cup of tea rarely jolts the way an equivalent coffee does. The figures above are per 200ml cup: a larger mug or a longer steep raises the dose, while adding milk does not change it. Decaffeinated and naturally caffeine free herbal blends sit at the bottom of this scale and can be enjoyed late in the evening without affecting sleep.
Allergens, dietary & safety
🌱VeganNo animal derived ingredients.🌾Gluten freeNaturally gluten free.😴Caffeine freeSafe at any hour.🍃0 kcalNo sugar, no fat in plain cup.🤰PregnancyUK guide: 200mg caffeine/day max.👶ChildrenServe cooled; caregiver judgement applies.
Manufactured in a facility that handles multiple tea types. Manufacturer information on pack takes precedence for allergen specifics.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference the ingredients, nutrition and science of Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Questions about Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g
The questions buyers ask most. If yours isn't here, ask us directly. We reply within 4 hours, Monday to Friday.
Curated from real customer messages
🌱
How do I brew it for the best results? Most asked+
Pour fresh, just boiled water over the bag (use water at 80°C if this is a green tea), steep for the time stated on the pack, then remove the bag promptly to avoid bitterness. Brewing time and water temperature do more to shape the cup than anything else, so it is worth getting them right.
🌱
Does this contain caffeine? +
No, this blend is naturally caffeine free, so it is an ideal choice for evenings and for anyone reducing their caffeine intake.
🌱
How should I store it once opened? +
Keep the pack in its original resealable pouch or transfer to an airtight tin. Store somewhere cool, dry and away from direct sunlight; avoid the cupboard above the kettle as steam shortens the shelf life. Sealed correctly, the tea stays at its best for the full date printed on the pack.
🌱
Is it suitable for vegans or vegetarians? +
Every ingredient in Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g is plant based and the bags themselves are unbleached and free from staples, so the product is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. If you are making a latte version, swap dairy milk for oat or soya milk to keep the drink fully plant based.
🌱
Where is it grown and packed? +
The leaves are sourced from established gardens in the brand's home regions and the finished product is blended and packed for the UK market. Where the product carries Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade or Soil Association marks, that is shown on the box and on this product page.
🌱
Can I drink it iced? +
Yes. Brew double strength (use two bags in the usual volume of water, or steep one bag for twice as long), let it cool, then pour over plenty of ice. Add a slice of lemon, a splash of cordial or a sprig of fresh mint and you have a refreshing alternative to fizzy drinks.
🌱
How long will the pack last me? +
Each serving uses one bag and most regular drinkers get through three to four cups a day. Multiply the number of bags in the pack by your daily habit to estimate how long it will last; the calorific contribution per cup is negligible, so volume is the only real consideration.
🌱
What is the shelf life from delivery? +
Stock is rotated so you should receive a pack with at least 9 months left on the date when shipped within the UK. The product remains safe to drink past that date but loses aromatic strength, so finish it within the printed window for the best flavour.
🌱
How do I brew Dragonfly Sleepy Mint and Honeybush? +
Pour just boiled water (95-100°C) over one pyramid bag in a 250ml mug. Steep 5-7 minutes for the menthol and honeybush sweetness to fully develop. Drink black for the cleanest mint honeybush expression. Best brewed in the evening 30-60 minutes before bed for the calming wind down ritual. Pair with a small piece of dark chocolate for the dessert style nightcap.
🌱
Is honeybush related to rooibos? +
Yes, honeybush (Cyclopia genistoides) is the sister botanical to rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), both indigenous to South Africa and both naturally caffeine free. Honeybush has a naturally sweeter, honey toned character than rooibos and a slightly fuller body. The two are often used together in herbal blends because they complement each other, rooibos provides the structural backbone, honeybush adds natural sweetness without sugar.
🌱
How does this compare to Twinings Sleep blends? +
Twinings Sleep blends typically use valerian, passionflower or chamomile as the lead calming herb. Dragonfly Sleepy Mint and Honeybush uses South African honeybush as the calming base with peppermint adding a cooling top note. The Dragonfly cup is brighter and more refreshing; the Twinings cups are more sedative floral. People who find chamomile too soft often prefer the mint led Dragonfly approach; people who want a stronger sedative effect prefer Twinings Sleep Valerian.
🌱
How long does the box last after opening? +
The plastic free pyramid bags inside the recyclable cardboard box stay fresh for approximately 18 months from the manufacture date. Mint oils are more volatile than the rooibos/honeybush base, so the menthol character fades slightly faster than the honeybush sweetness. Re seal the inner pouch tabs after each use and store away from direct sunlight and strong smelling foods.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference questions and answers about Dragonfly Organic Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, 20 Tea Bags 34g, please cite teas.co.uk.
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