Well, this isn’t what I expected, and am I ever glad!
When I saw the name “Apple Delicious”, I assumed this was a fruit tisane. I expected to open the pouch and find big chunks of dried apple and other fruits. Instead, the most gloriously dark green, thick, twisted leaves spilled out. The aroma was not the fake apple and berry flavoring I had expected, but instead – a lovely and light apple – REAL apple – scent wafted gently up.
I looked up the company as I prepared to steep the tea and saw that this is hand harvested in northern Thailand with an eye to being ecologically friendly, and that the company gives back to local communities as well. It is well worth the read so head on over to their website and check them out, because you are probably going to want to order some tea after you read this.
So the tea is made, and we sip. At first I think the green tea base is very light and the apple is a sweet and light addition. But with each sip the flavor builds and builds and now the green tea is the star of the show and there is a lovely briskness making it sparkle. The fruit flavors – it isn’t just apple – complement this tea so beautifully. I am really impressed. In addition to the briskness of the tea, there is a rich-bodied follow up with the ginger and fruit tastes. Again, the green tea is the star here, and the fruit is a fantastic supporting cast. Hold a sip in your mouth for a moment and you will taste the whole blend with the fruit and ginger building and swirling. The ginger is mild and is definitely not the hot, spicy ginger you find sometimes.
I am really glad I tried this, and I can’t wait to taste more blends from this company!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: Love Some Tea
Description
Green Tea Flavored with deep notes Ginger and Fruits including: strawberry, cherries, cranberry, and apple.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lemon-Lime Meringue Kukicha Green Tea from 52Teas. . .
I was having a pleasant morning, sipping on this Lemon-Lime Meringue Kukicha Green Tea and eating my breakfast. Things were going well until my two dogs decided to fight over a cookie under my chair. When we pulled them apart, one had a bloody nose and we didn’t realize right away so blood got everywhere, especially when she started sneezing causing splatters on the walls, floor, and even my sister and her husband. She was totally fine but it looked like a tiny murder happened in our house so this tea got put aside for a bit while we attended to the literal dog fight and cleaning up the aftermath.
Getting back to the tea it was still a touch warm and luckily the flavors didn’t seem to change that much from the hotter cup I was drinking prior to the chaos, as some teas tend to do when they cool. I think this is my first Kukicha green tea and it looked like it may have been particularly herbal tasting (between the kukicha and lemongrass) but that wasn’t the case thankfully. This has a real sweet and fluffy quality to it that when combined with the vanilla bean definitely helps sell the meringue. Complimentary to that is the creamy citrus notes of the lemon-lime which makes for a nice dessert tea.
This is a great little bright tea. The flavors are sweet and yet bright and refreshing. It could be a good afternoon treat or like I said before, a nice choice for dessert after dinner. Another hit for 52 Teas!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is not available right now but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Watermelon Lemonade Organic Green Tea from Fraser Tea. . .
I am a green tea kinda gal. Always have been. I enjoy black teas but sometimes they just hit me as being heavy. I love the fresh crisp flavors that only green teas an sometimes white teas can provide.
Speaking of crisp flavors, the other day I tried a unique blend that I haven’t seen anywhere else yet. Watermelon Lemonade Organic Green Tea from Fraser Tea. This blend is a lovely combination of green tea, peppermint, organic flavors, pineapples, and a few other ingredients.
Never would I have ever thought that I would dig watermelon in tea blends but recently 52Teas brought out a few watermelon teas that I greedily gobbled up tea pot after tea pot. This tea blend had my name all over it. I was happy to see it in my green tea sampler that I picked up from Fraser Tea a week ago. My tea kettle couldn’t prep the water fast enough for me.
For brewing parameters for this tea sachet, I prepped the water at 190F, steeped the tea sachet for a little over 3 minutes, and then allowed the tea to cool for another couple minutes-letting the flavors settle. This tea blend brews up to this lovely green limeade like flavor. I took my first sip and I knew I was done for.
Bright pops of a green vegetal background swirled happily and danced lovingly alongside notes of lemon and a subtle melon like flavor. There is a tartness through out each sip that is really lovely and the peppermint adds in a needed contrasting freshness to end each sip. I wouldn’t exactly call this a lemonade but in the same token, I wouldn’t simply call this a Watermelon Lemon tea. Like I said there is that noticeable tartness and I think that is where the lemonade comes into play.
Regardless, this tea is refreshing and marvelous. I can only imagine how dynamite this tea would be iced. This tea may not be a solid everyday drinking tea for me, but this tea is one that I would gladly drink every now and again. A lovely little ditty to keep in my tea stash when I need a change of pace.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
Delicate watermelon and mint flavor with a gentle finish.
Green Tea*, Peppermint*, Eleuthero Root*, Organic Flavors, Pineapples*, Lemongrass*, Hibiscus*, Safflower*, Cornflower*, Calendula* (*) = Organic Certified.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Movie Night from Pluck Teas. . . .
A little while back, Pluck Teas was kind enough to send me a selection of their teas to try. They were very generous and allowed me to pick what interested me and as someone who has a low key obsession with genmaichas, this Movie NIght tea was at the top of my list. It was only after it arrived that I realized I actually tried this tea once before at a brunch restaurant in Toronto, which is weird given I don’t usually order teas at restaurants because I don’t trust them to make it properly. Nevertheless, I recall liking it well enough so I am excited to revisit the tea now.
When I got to prepping the tea, I noticed the recommended steeping parameters seemed a bit much for a green tea. The package calls for a 3 minute steep in 194 F water. I went by this method as I would hope the company knows best on how their product should be prepared but for my own comfort I brewed a second cup using my more typical steeping method for green teas of 2 minutes in 175F water.
Since it was done steeping first, I started drinking the the cup using my steeping parameters first. The flavor is quite light but with a bit of a toasty top note from the rice. It is more of a popcorn flavor as opposed to a roasted rice kernel given the airy lightness. The vegetal note from the base, which is barely noticeable initially, slowly builds. It is smooth and lingers under the tongue long after you finish drinking. It is a nice tea prepped this way but definitely light on flavor.
As I neared the end of the first mug, I moved on to the tea brewed per Pluck’s recommendations. The color of the steeped tea is noticeably darker and more bold than the mug steeped for less time, which makes sense because more infusion would occur when more heat and time is added. There is distinctly more flavor as well. I guess Pluck knew what they were talking about because my worries of a burnt tea given the higher temperature and longer steep time were unwarranted. The green tea base is clearly a high grade tea since it handles the heat perfectly and contributes a beautiful grassy/vegetal flavor. The popped kernel here is also more noticeable than in the cup I had before and rather than shyly hoovering atop the tea and giving off a light and airy popcorn vibe, it confidently contributes a burst of roasty flavor that seamlessly flows from the base tea.
Genmaichas are such simple teas, being made of green tea and toasted rice (usually) and yet each variation can be so different based on the quality of ingredients. I have no question that Pluck Teas used some high quality stuff in this blend. More than that, the tea can be so drastically different based on how it is prepared and when prepared properly, this is a winner.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Pluck Teas
Description
Popped and toasted rice kernels, blended with premium high grown sencha tea. Toasty, malty, umami, with a slightly sweet finish. Pairs well with Asian dishes and is a classic with sushi. Enjoy hot, or over ice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Genmaicha from Socra Tea Detroit. . . .
I am a sucker for all flavored genmaichas. I don’t come across them very often, but when I do, I just can’t say no. I eagerly and greedily devour these blends whenever I can.
Strawberry Genmaicha from Socra Tea Detroit is no exception. Start off with a gorgeous bed of green tea with toasted rice and huge and I mean HUGE pieces of strawberries. And these are freeze dried strawberries to boot. So they are simply gorgeous. The blend itself is stunning while you look at it in your tea pot, brewing with water freshly prepped right around 195F. The recommendation is to allow the tea to steep for 2-3 minutes and that is exactly what I did.
This tea delivers on all accounts. Fruity, vegetal, with a side of tart and that familiar roasted toasted goodness only genmaichas can delilver. Unlike a lot of flavored teas, the strawberry flavor is not lost in this blend. I can’t say the strawberry flavor is the star but its standing proud for sure. What I am really loving is this wonderful marriage between the tart semi sweet strawberries and the toasted green tea flavor that genmaichas are known to yield.
A beautifully well balanced flavored genmaicha that will appease all of your senses. I found myself lost in the moment while drinking the tea, just enjoying the tastes and experience of the tea. That’s a sign of a gorgeous tea blend.
Well done Socra Tea Detroit. . well done. . .
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Socra Tea Detroit
Description
Here, the characteristic Japanese genmaicha is supported wonderfully by a smooth green tea. The added strawberry pieces perfect the creation.
Ingredients: green tea, peeled rice, flavoring, freeze- dried strawberry pieces.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!