Flavored matchas. . .through trail and error I have found that not all matchas are the same. I’ve had amazing matchas where I just can’t get enough and other matchas where no matter how I prep the cuppa, the matcha and I are just not going to be friends.
Recently Mantra Matcha reached out to us to check out their matchas and after checking out their site, I knew we had to check them out. The flavors sounded so intriguing- Cinnamon Goji Berry Matcha, Strawbery Lemon Matcha, Banana Cacao Matcha and so many more. I couldn’t wait for the goodies to arrive so I could check out these flavors first hand.
Strawberry Lemon Matcha was the first that caught my eye. This matcha’s ingredient list is simple: Organic Super Premium Ceremonial Matcha, Organic Strawberries, Organic Lemon Juice and Organic Maltodextrin. (Maltodextrin is added to prevent hardening of the matcha powder).
First up- I tried the matcha cold. I have several blender bottles that I use for protein powder and scooped two portions of the matcha with the scoop provided into my bottle and filled the bottle to the top. Shook the contents of the bottle for about 30 seconds and poured the matcha over a glass of ice.
Took my first sip and was greeted with an amazing burst of flavor- smooth vegtal notes with soft berry flavor and a lemon finish. Wonderful refreshing and the perfect companion to my afternoon. The matcha blended up beautifully for just being shaken in a bottle. No clumps, absolutely light and frothy, and smooth. I’m incredibly impressed.
Next was to try the matcha hot as a latte. I scooped two servings into my Breville frother, added oat milk, and let the frother do its thing. (Usually I do use my whisk and go the more traditional route but since I was up against a meeting, I went this route. ) A few minutes later, I was greeted with a delicious matcha latte that again was smooth, light, refreshing. Each sip was eagerly enjoyed.
I do think I enjoyed the matcha prepped more cold than hot but both were very enjoyable.
All in all, I’m very impressed with this matcha and am excited to make overnight oats or even oatmeal. The prep for this matcha is so simple and convenient, which is great for me when I’m in a ton of meetings but need that jolt to keep me going for the rest of the day. Highly recommend and can’t wait to check out their other flavors. Thank you Mantra Matcha!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Mantra Matcha
Description
This is what a lively sunny day would taste like if it was captured in a cup. Few things are more refreshing than a crisp, fresh-squeezed glass of lemonade, especially one infused with organic strawberries. When combined with fresh matcha, you’ll want to make our juicy lemon heaven your main squeeze everyday. This invigorating matcha blend provides a flavorful superfood kick that can brighten any day. Sip to restore, rehydrate, and energize naturally.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Bourbon Vanilla Black Tea/Paromi Full Leaf Tea
After not sleeping so great the last few nights, I made time in my work day for tea time. I know that doesn’t seem to out of character for someone that adores tea like I do, but after starting a new job about a month and some change ago- I’ve been more focused on onboarding than enjoying my daily cuppas.
But not today. Today I knew would be the perfect day to enjoy a cuppa from Paromi Full Leaf Tea along with my new snack of pumpkin spice graham crackers.
Paromi Full Leaf Tea has been a company that I have wanted to try for some time but due to my overstocked tea stash, I always left those teas on my wish list. So when Paromi Full Leaf Tea reached out for a review of their teas, I was delighted and couldn’t wait for the teas to arrive.
Today I brewed up a lovely cuppa of their Organic Bourbon Vanilla Black Tea (single sachet) and I couldn’t be more pleased! This tea has a lovely soft brisk black tea base with a beautiful layer of sweetness that more reminds me of a red rooibos than vanilla. The description of this tea notes a buttery aroma and that is a spot on description. Not only do you pick up on those buttery notes in the aroma of the steeped cuppa but the tea itself has this buttery feel that leaves you wanting more. The touch of the caramel like notes just provides a wonderful dessert overtone. I am already imagining this tea as a latte tomorrow morning for my traveling companion when I take the kiddos to school.
Do want to point out that as the tea cools, the briskness of the Assam tea does pick up- I would recommend enjoying this tea while the tea is on the hotter side.
All in all, a perfect simple but very enjoyable cuppa to enjoy to break up the day or to give you the oomph you need to get you through the afternoon. I spied a Pumpkin Spice tea on their site. I think its time to make an order!
Thank you Paromi Full Leaf Tea for the lovely tea to check out!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Paromi Full Leaf Tea
Description
Vanilla tea? The beauty of vanilla is that it builds up the flavors around it; nature’s equivalent of that friend who gives you lots of well-deserved compliments. We blend bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar with our full-bodied Assam black tea and a delicate note of caramel to bring out this brew’s intensely smooth, decadent side. Even before your first sip, its buttery aroma will have you saying “vanilaaah.”
Organic Bourbon Vanilla Black Tea is the perfect balance of full-bodied black tea and mouthwatering vanilla from Madagascar.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Creepy Cake/Evil Tea -CuppaGeek
Taste buds are a super funny thing. Over the last few months, my taste buds have been all over the place. There was even a time frame where I couldn’t even drink tea. Everything tasted off and not even my favorite teas tasted right. Right around the same time when I noticed my taste buds going wonky, I was starting to notice other health issues so I decided just to take a break from tea all together, hoping that eventually my taste buds would right themselves again.
Recently I felt the urge to have a cuppa tea and I was delighted when not only did the tea taste amazing but my taste seemed to be sharper. Like I was able to pick up flavors I wasn’t able to before. Which was so exciting! I quickly shuffled through my tea stash and got to work enjoying cuppa after cuppa of teas that had not had a lot of attention for a while. After making some headway in my stash. . I decided it was time to check out my friends at Evil Tea once again. I had tried their teas before and enjoyed them but never reordered or nabbed any of their latest blends. After seeing a Halloween promo of theirs, I decided to indulge and pick up a few of their blends. And then a few days later, picked up a few more. . .because. .I was a bit hooked.
I couldn’t wait to try this blend again. I had tried this blend a bit ago and while it was good and I enjoyed the cuppa, with having so much tea in my tea stash- I was trying to still sip a few more down before I ordered again. This morning I was super excited to get home, get the kettle prepped and get this tea a brewing. I was a bit leery about the 5 minute steep time- so I went with a 3 min steep time with freshly prepped 212F water.
First sip in and straight away you are hit with a delicious dessert like note of vanilla that doesn’t really scream straight out vanilla but almost like that soft vanilla like note you would get from a really upscaled cookie or cupcake. The aroma hits you in the same fashion. Just a solid lovely not overdone sweetness that keeps you grabbing for you cuppa and enjoying every sip. This is a Ceylon based blend and there is a slight briskness or astringent note towards the end of each sip that rounds out the sweetness perfectly. There are also adorable sugar coated fennel seeds that I’m not really picking up but that is probably because I didn’t stick with the 5 minute steep. I’m a big fennel fan so I will have to try for that 5 min steep to see if the fennel notes come across stronger.
All in all, just a perfect lovely cuppa that I can only imagine would make an insanely good latte with a spiced oat cream or even a lovely adult beverage with a touch of bourbon cream, which I will be trying later this evening. I’ve always been a fan of my friends over at Evil Tea since they combine two of my favorite loves- all things dark and spooky and tea. Can’t wait to steep up the other blends to see if they hit the spot like Creepy Cake does.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Evil Tea
Description
Ingredients: A blend of Ceylon Teas with Creme Brulee Flavoring and Sugar Coated Fennel Seeds
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
52Teas Sipdown -cuppageek
As some of you may know, I’ve taken a step back from my tea shop to get myself back on track health wise. What some of you might not know- I literally stopped drinking tea all together. I think between being such a huge tea fan and blending my own blends- my taste buds just weren’t feeling tea anymore. So I sadly packed up what tea I had (which was a lot), knowing that one day I would be back at it. . . and I’m happy to say after taking a couple months off- my taste buds are back where they should be.
I wanted to greet my tastebuds with something amazing right from the start and knowing that I had a lot of 52Teas in my stash, I knew Anne’s blends would be exactly where I needed to start my journey back into tea with.
If you aren’t familiar with Anne/52Teas, I implore to check her site out. She literally makes some of the most amazing blends that I’ve ever had and beyond that, she is just an amazing person. I’m quite honored to call her a personal friend as well, tho I never let that cloud my reviews of her blends and she knows that as well :).
Anyway, back to the tea goodness. . .
So over the last few days, I have enjoyed a TON of 52 Teas blends and was able to sipdown a few. Below are my thoughts on these blends that are sipdowns. . .
Blood Orange Butterscotch Black Tea– A blend with Black Tea, Blood Oranges, Calendula Petals & Natural Flavors- This blend, I have to say, was amazing however, I didn’t really pick up on the blood orange or the butterscotch. What I loved was the black tea that Anne used in this blend. The flavor was rich and smooth and even tho I didn’t really pick up any of the flavors, the black tea notes were more than enough for me to call this blend a winner.
Boy! Oh! Boy! Black Tea– A blend with Black Teas, Watermelon and Natural Flavors- To me, watermelon is a flavor best enjoyed cold so I cold brewed this one. That may have been a mistake. I didn’t love the blend and now I’m wondering if I would have enjoyed this one hot- would some of the flavors popped a bit more. . All I really could pick up was watermelon and being not one of my favorite flavors. . this one wasn’t my favorite. Still good.
Michola Chai Black Tea w/Honeybush– I would list the ingredients for this one but there is a laundry list of delights used to make this blend so I will some this one up with saying the normal chai ingredients with marshmallow root, vanilla bean, and honeybush. Let’s just start this note by saying sorry, not sorry. I literally gobbled up all the remaining inventory for this blend earlier this week (I believe and if there is more- I call dibs). This blend is one if not the BEST chai blend I have ever had, and I am not a fan of chais. Brewed up with hot- this blend had notes of chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg. . but want I literally searched for in each and every sip was the awesome ginger notes that stole the show. Not being a huge ginger fan- the amount of love I have for this blend is really interesting. So many flavors that normally I am not all about. I greedily drank/gulped this tea down in no time flat and have to say it is simply amazing. All the ingredients mingle so well. If you have this one in your stash, check it out. You won’t be sorry.
Gooey Butter Cake Black Tea– Black teas, lemon myrtle, calendula petals & natural flavors- Brewed up hot, this tea is literally like sipping on a cake. The cake notes are perfect in the spotlight with the tail end of the sip reminding you this is a black tea. Really delightful and one that I was happy to enjoy. Where I went wrong with this blend was brewing this one cold. Sadly the lemon myrtle took over and I didn’t enjoy the cold brew as much as the hot. Was still good, just not as good as the hot brew.
Walking on Sunshine White Tea– White Tea, lemons, marshmallow root & natural flavor- This white tea blend calls my name over and over. Marshmallow Root, white tea, and lemon are one of my favorite combinations and this tea was no exception. I truly enjoyed this blend hot as well as cold. This blend is currently available on the site and if I was enjoying white teas more, I would have gobbled up all of this blend too.
Ginger Lime Butterfly Tea– Butterfly Pea Flower, Lemongrass, ginger root, limes & natural flavors- Oh this blend. I truly truly love this blend. This blend has been my companion for a while since I cold brewed this delight and just keep adding water. The blend reminds me of a slightly floral, slightly spiced, limeade with chunks of lemon. I don’t really know how else to describe this one. I still have to hot brew the remaining bit I have left over, but cold brewed, this one is a winner.
Grapefruit Creme Brulee Green Tea– Green tea grapefruit, calendula petals, vanilla bean & natural flavors- This one is another sorry not sorry. I also nabbed the remaining inventory of this blend earlier this week because this is the blend that truly sang my name and prompted me to even buy a new tea kettle. This blend has it all- the lovely sweet notes of the vanilla bean, the semi tartness of the grapefruit with the vegetal background of the green tea. I can’t express how much I love this one and I have a feeling this one might be one I beg Anne to reblend for me as a custom order. It truly is that good.
Sipdowns are amazing but can also be sad. It is always nice to make room for new blends but sometimes it is sad to say goodbye. . .especially to blends from 52Teas because once some of these teas are gone. . .they are gone for good. Lucky for me, I have myself a pretty good sized 52Teas order on its way to me.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal/Chai/Black/Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Nicole Relax Raspberry/Hey Bestea -CuppaGeek-
Who doesn’t love a lovely raspberry herbal tea?
Nicole Relax Raspberry is a lovely blend of raspberry pieces, lemongrass, and what looks to be either rose or hibiscus pieces. The ingredients are not listed on the package but I do see they are listed on the website.
Brewed up with water at boiling and allowed to steep for about 5 minutes, this tea blend really hit the spot. Tart raspberry and hibiscus notes mingled and softened by the lemongrass with a sweet finish. What I loved was this tea is described as being relaxing and most relaxing blends have chamomile. For being a non traditional relaxing blend, this tea really hit the spot.
With ingredients like raspberry, hibiscus, and lemongrass- this blend really called for a solid cold brew. Set up in a mason jar with cold water and allowed to brew overnight, this tea may have actually been a bit better iced. I really loved how the tart raspberry notes really popped with the citrus lemongrass finish. This is definitely a blend for those lovers of all things hibiscus.
Overall, this blend though simple, is really top notch for a fruit tisane. Lovely, simple, but really on point. A great tea to enjoy any time of the day but one I think would be perfectly paired with a good book on a rainy day.
All in all, a great first cuppa from a new company to me.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Herbal/Fruit Tisane
Where to Buy: Hey Bestea
Description
Our bestea Nicole is all about living a life of leisure and relaxation. So take five minutes, brew yourself a cup of Nicole relax raspberry tea to relax your body and soul. Since this refreshing tea blend is packed with vitamins, your body is going to say “ I love you” with every sip.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!