Yes he stated the word of wisdom, and as members of the church we should always take the commandments, and ponder and pray about them. We all adhere to the letter of the law with the word of wisdom, but finding the meat of the law is another thing, and is done on a personal level with god.
Having served my mission in Japan I know that barley tea (Mugicha in Japanese) is okay to drink. It was served at church socials and was a staple drink with the missionaries. It is simply roasted barley and nothing else. The taste is strange to a new-comer but is very satisfying once you are use to it.
Also, remember that in the WOW it says.. .
Good point Clif, I know a lot of saints in Germany drink a roasted barley and chickory drink called pero and there are other varieties by other name. Postum for example, a coffee substitute, many SLC saints were very upset when post stopped making it.
Anyone who's served a mission outside of the US knows that when it says "tea" it's referring to the black tea from India, and not any other kinds of herbal tea. What's the principle behind Word of Wisdom? Don't ingest things that are harmful to the body. Herbal tea is not harmful to the body.