Day 11: Maple Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha . . .Counting Down to Christmas with 52Teas!

by Sophia

On the 11th Day of Christmas 52 Teas gave to me…..Maple Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha Green Tea!!! (cue my happy dance) Just like the original Marshmallow Treat Genmaich Green Tea, this version is very near and dear to my heart. I believe it was a part of my first order from 52 Teas along with the original Marshmallow Treat that I previously said was actually the tea that led me to discover 52 Teas altogether!

A few days ago when I reviewed the Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha that was a part of this box, I thought that it was absolutely fantastic….but I had forgotten about this maple version. After making a cup of the maple marshmallow one I am now super conflicted as to which I like better. First off, as soon as you open the pouch the smell is all maple. It literally smells like a plate of pancakes drizzled with fresh maple syrup. Once brewed, that delicious maple is still there but now there’s just a small underlying scent of vanilla marshmallow. And the taste? It’s so scrumptious!! It’s like Vermont maple syrup and fluff along with that classic toasted rice flavor of Genmaicha. It’s sweet and creamy and divine! It is a complete toss up as to which I like more- the banana marshmallow treat or the maple marshmallow treat. Oh my…a thought just came to me….what if we combined all three flavors and made a Banana Maple Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha? Well, that would just be my version of Nirvana!

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you all enjoyed this tea as much as I do. Tomorrow is Christmas and I have a feeling our last tea in this box is going to be an exciting one…a real treat for us all on Christmas morning! So be sure to check back amidst all the present-unwrapping and Christmas festivities to hear my thoughts on Day 12’s blend

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

This tea is not available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Green Tea

Day 10: Banana TieGuanYin Oolong Tea. . . .52Teas Holiday Countdown

by Sophia

On the 10th Day of Christmas 52 Teas gave to me… Banana TieGuanYin Oolong Tea! We are nearing the end of our little tea-journey, folks, and I can’t help but feel sad. This box has truly consisted of an amazing bunch of teas and I just want to keep going! I have no regrets over purchasing this “advent calendar” and I had quite a few choices from other companies I shop with. This has been, by far, the most unique and satisfying.

However, we aren’t quite done yet so here goes with Day 10!!! I love banana, especially when it is flavoring my tea. However, I don’t usually gravitate towards oolong blends. They definitely bring a unique flavor to the tea. If I had a cup of green, black, and oolong and you blindfolded me- I could accurately tell you which are which on taste, maybe even smell, alone. But when given a choice, I will always choose green or black over oolong. I had never heard of TieGuanYin before so I googled it. According to google, this particular tea is “warm, soft, and soothingly mineral in texture.” When I smelled the dry leaf I could definitely smell banana, but once brewed I could detect that “mineral” quality that this leaf has been described like. Now, although I am not a huge fan of oolong blends, I feel like the tea actual does go nicely with the banana flavor. So if you do like oolong you will appreciate the ‘marriage’ of the leaf with the banana because they definitely complement each other. There is almost something floral about the TieGuan Yin as well that brings something different to the cup while mingling with the banana and mineral quality of the leaf. My final assessment: I love the banana component. I literally can’t NOT like it since I’m such a huge fan of banana tea. And although oolong is not my first choice, I find that it worked very well with the banana flavor and someone who enjoys oolong would definitely appreciate this flavor combo.

So those are my final thoughts on Day 10’s Banana TieGuan Yin and I am really excited to finish out the last two days of this box with you all so stay tuned….I have a feeling these last two blends you definitely won’t want to miss!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Oolong
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

This tea is not available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Oolong

Day 9: Caramel Cheesecake Black Tea. . . .The 52Teas Countdown to Christmas!

by Sophia

On the 9th Day of Christmas 52 Teas gave to me… Caramel Cheesecake Black Tea! This lovely black tea blend smells exactly the way it sounds, like creamy cheesecake drizzled in caramel sauce. If I hadn’t read the name before smelling the leaf, I definitely would have been able to pick out the flavors just on smell alone. I love any tea that has cheesecake essence in it, as cheesecake is actually one of my favorite desserts. I used to live right across the street from a Cheesecake Factory restaurant…I’m sure you can imagine, that was pretty dang dangerous!

I may no longer live near a good place to get a slice of cheesecake, but if and when a craving strikes, this tea would surely suffice! It’s creamy and has an almost “fluffy” flavor that’s light and sweet. It also has a slight tang and underlying flavor of cheesecake that definitely comes through on the aftertaste. It’s interesting because when I first saw the name of this tea I kind of wished that there was another component like maybe “caramel apple cheesecake” or something a little more, but after trying this I really believe it is perfect just as it is and I think that something else would definitely have overpowered the awesome flavor combo of caramel and cheesecake. It’s so realistic and yummy, I definitely recommend trying it if you have the chance!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

This tea is not currently available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Black Tea

Day 8 of the 52Teas Countdown to Christmas!

by Sophia

On the 8th Day of Christmas 52 Teas gave to me…Creamy Eggnog Dusted with Nutmeg Green Tea! (Every time I write that line, I totally sing it in my head) So, I feel like eggnog is one of those things that you either love or hate. However- I am one of those people who actually is a little in between. I don’t really drink a glass of eggnog, I feel like I’m drinking cream.  I do, however, enjoy the actual taste of eggnog and eggnog-flavored desserts. For example- I’m pretty sure McDonalds comes out with an Eggnog Milkshake in the winter and I do like that. Another example is I just saw a recipe for Eggnog French Toast that looks really good and I’m actually planning on making it for my family on Christmas morning!

Now, back to tea! I love, love, love the green tea base here. It’s light and not overly-grassy or bitter. It has almost a buttery quality. This is the perfect green tea base. I steeped this for exactly 2 minutes to make sure it was not oversteeped. The eggnog flavor is delicate but present and it’s not overly sweet or in-your-face, which I really enjoy. The nutmeg gives a little twist, and I feel like it was also very necessary to this tea! I always sprinkle some extra nutmeg on whatever eggnog-flavored item I’m making! It’s not a holiday box without something eggnog, is it? I feel like people who are on the other side of the fence with the flavor of eggnog would probably enjoy this anyway, as it’s a festive and yummy blend!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description

This tea is not available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Green Tea

On the 7th Day of Christmas, 52 Teas gave to me….Crisp Cranberry Soda Green Rooibos Tea!

by Sophia

On the 7th Day of Christmas, 52 Teas gave to me….Crisp Cranberry Soda Green Rooibos Tea! So for this one, the smell of the dry leaf brought back memories! When I was younger my mom was really into sparkling water mixed with a splash of cranberry juice and a lime. As a little girl, I of course always wanted to copy her. This blend smells exactly like that “soda” drink tasted…down to the carbonation. Although, I’m not sure how you can “smell carbonation”, but I swear I can!

                This blend is a total thirst quencher. I’m drinking it hot because I’m not very into icing my teas, but I can imagine this would be so amazing iced. I love the green rooibos base. It is lighter and not as “woody” as red rooibos. The cranberry is not super tart, but it’s still present and I feel like I can taste a little bit of lime or citrus. Then,  of course, there is the “soda” aspect. If you did not tell me that this blend was meant to taste like a “soda” drink, I would still have thought it did- that is how accurate this tea portrays crisp cranberry soda. It is so crisp and it tastes so hydrating I am literally gulping it down. I really did enjoy this one and I feel like it totally represented its name 100%. It would be amazing in the summertime as an iced beverage or even as a tea-popsicle! This one is a winner for sure!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green Rooibos
Where to Buy:  52Teas
Description

This tea is not available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sophia

Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a first time mother to a beautiful little girl who will be 1 in July 2017. I spend my days at home with her and when I get a minute to myself, I usually spend that time making, drinking, or researching tea! My love for loose leaf tea is relatively new. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my mother (a tea addict herself) brought me to DAVIDsTEA. I enjoyed a cup of their Coconut Cream Pie Oolong and was instantly hooked! Since then, my addiction has grown to fill entire cabinets, and shows no sign of stopping. I am the creator of the Facebook group CommuniTEA where we have one big tea discussion. It is a great group for those new to the tea-world. I feel strongly about spreading the joy of loose leaf tea. I like making instructional videos and helping those that are new to the art of tea-making so that they, too, can share in the happiness that tea brings. I am excited to see where this hobby takes me and I will continue to spread the joy!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Green Rooibos