I’m trying to class myself up. I’ve purchased new clothes, almost figured out how to style my hair, and am going to conquer matcha tea. You don’t care about my clothes/hair, so let’s talk about matcha, which is so bitter and weird I can’t get in there to like it.
I thought maybe what I could do is SIDLE UP TO MATCHA. Maybe like attack approximations, getting closer and closer.
So I bought “Tokyo” by Harney & Sons, which had a bunch of small green leaves, plus a bit of sesame seed and caramel. The dry smell is heavenly. When I put it in my gravity steeper, the whole shebang turned bright Kermit green, just like matcha. (“I AM SO SMART,” I thought smugly.)
The taste itself *IS* sort of matcha-like. It has a bit of that roasty, bitter flavor.
But the caramel balances it out. It’s like “hey guys, this has a vegetal sting, but no worries, I’m ON THIS.” You get the caramel running on a parallel track to the green, not masking it. You can experience both at the same time. It’s more like a salad than a smoothie.
If you want to try it out, Harney & Sons has this nice “sample size” option. What I love to do is drop like $30 on different samples, including ones I’m not sure I’ll even like. It’s a fun growing experience.
I would say that I am one step closer to leveling up in my tea expertise, and you can be, too!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Description
Japan’s capital city of Tokyo inspired our delightful green tea blend of Bancha with toasted sesame seeds and caramel flavors. Recalling our many visits there, we wanted to create a taste reminiscent of the city’s impeccably presented desserts.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Day 11: Maple Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha . . .Counting Down to Christmas with 52Teas!
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!
Day 8 of the 52Teas Countdown to Christmas!
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!
On the Fifth Day of Christmas, 52Teas sent to me. . .
On the 5th Day of Christmas 52 Teas gave to me….my actual true love: Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha Green Tea. I am a huge fan of banana and marshmallow. It’s funny because the way I heard about 52 Teas was by doing a search of “marshmallow tea” on Steepster. I ended up coming across 52 Teas’ Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha! For that reason, that blend is actually pretty special to me, and I’m very happy its part of the permanent collection. Any twist on it, be it banana or pumpkin spice latte or chai spice or anything in between, I am always extremely eager to try.
Suffice to say, when I scratched off Day 5’s label I was really excited and brewed up a cup right away! Yum, yum, yum. If you like banana and you like marshmallow, you’re going to like this. It is really smooth with that toasted rice and green tea flavor and aroma that is genmaicha, but it also has a really yummy twist: fluffy marshmallow and creamy banana! Dare I say that I enjoy this more than the original marshmallow treat? I know that some people have reservations with banana flavored teas, but this is really well done and not artificial tasting. It is smooth, creamy, delicate, and sweet. I would drink this again and again, and I definitely recommend that if you are given the chance you give it a try!
I know I have said this already but I really am happy with this 12 Days of Tea package. I love that it has given me a chance to try teas that I otherwise would have missed my chance to taste. Some companies just put all the teas that had been available over the past year in their Christmas/Advent boxes and I feel like it is so repetitive. I’m really enjoying the uniqueness of this box and these blends and I truly have not had one that I dislike.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
On the Second Day of Christmas, 52Teas gave to me. . .
On the second day of Christmas, 52 Teas gave to me…. Holiday Marmalade Green Tea! I have been really excited to dig into these teas. With Day 1, I actually had opened it on the 1st of December, not realizing that we were starting these on December 12th! So, I kind of got a little “teaser” at the beginning of the month and have been counting down the days till I could officially start. One thing I really enjoy about 52 Teas as a company is that their blends are always so unique. I feel like a lot of tea companies out there are kind of repetitive and I really love that I can count on 52 Teas giving me something different and fun each month. Day 1’s tea definitely hit the nail on the head with uniqueness, and I’m happy to report that Day 2 is just as lovely!
Holiday Marmalade has an orange aroma and you can definitely smell the spices as well. I can see the clove buds, nutmeg, and big slices of oranges! The smell of this actually reminds me of Hot Buttered Spiced Rum Green Tea that was blended last year at 52 Teas. On taste, the two of course are different as this tea has no buttered rum flavor. I’d say that this one is less “dessert” and more of a nice, clean taste that would go well with any meal at any time of day. I do love spiced orange and I think that the green tea base works great here by adding a vegetal flair to the cup. This tastes like a green chai that gets a citrus twist from the orange slices. It is very comforting from the spices and also refreshing from the green tea and orange. I do believe it would taste good iced. If you happen to be in a warm climate during this winter (lucky you!) that may be a nice benefit to this particular blend.
Both Days 1 and 2 have been a success for me with this 12 Teas of Christmas “calendar”. I hope they were for you, too. Check back tomorrow for my take on Day 3….I have a feeling it will be a good one! 😉
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is not available but click below for teas that are.