Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
A few weeks ago, I got a delivery from FedEx just as I was brainstorming tea ideas. The poor delivery guy had no idea what he was getting into, bringing me a package at that moment. “Quick! Give me an idea for a yummy flavored tea,” says I, to which he merely responded with a blank, mildly confused stare.“Well? What kind of tea should I make, man?”“Uh… I–I don’t know.” He really wanted me to sign for the package and leave him alone.“Do you like tea? Do you like flavored teas?” He nodded. “Well, what would be a good flavor for a flavored tea?” He still looked baffled. “What sorts of dessert or fruit flavors do you like?”“I like grape. And pomegranate.”“Awesome choice! Pomegrape tea it is!” So, I signed for the package and gave him one of our grape flavored Southern Boy Teas iced teas for helping me out and sent him on his way. And then I got to work on this delicious blend of buttery sweet Chinese sencha, freeze-dried grapes and pomegranate airils, and organic grape and pomegranate flavors.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I really wasn’t all that excited when I learned about the tea of the week for the week of July 21st: Pomegrape Green Tea. Not because of the pomegranate, but because of the grape. I’m just not much of a fan of grape flavored things, as I’ve confessed on this blog at least once or twice (and probably more than twice, actually).
I don’t like grape flavored candies, I don’t like grape ice pops, I don’t like grape soda. I just don’t like that overly sweet flavor that comes with the grape flavored thing … whatever that thing might be.
That said, I love grapes. I love the sweetness of a grape, the sweetness that comes from nature. But I don’t dig the overly sweet interpretation of grape flavor when it comes to candy or other grape flavored edibles.
However, I have managed to find some grape flavored teas that I actually have enjoyed (and I do love the natural muscatel of a second flush Darjeeling!) So even though this tea smelled like a bag full of grape flavored runts when I tore open the pouch, I decided to not let that deter me and I was going to taste this tea with as open minded as possible.
So I measured out two scoops of the tea that smelled of grape candy into my tea maker (along with 500 ml of water) and let the tea maker do it’s magic (175°F for 2 minutes) and hoped for the best.
While the tea is still hot, the flavors are a little … muddled. I taste notes of grape (and not an overly sweet grape, either) and I taste notes of pomegranate and I even taste subtle hints of green tea in there too, but it’s all very obscure and difficult to really describe other than to say it tastes muddled.
So I let the tea cool a little longer, as it has been my experience with flavored teas that sometimes a short cool time allows the flavors to become focused. And that is true in this case. Now I’m starting to pick up on flavors that are a little more concise.
It’s sweet. But it’s tart too. I think that the tartness of the pomegranate flavor helps to offset some of the sweet, candy-like flavor of the grape, allowing it to taste more like grape and less like soda pop. These two fruit flavors balance each other quite nicely. It’s a little tart, a little sweet and a whole lot fruity, but not as candied as I thought it would be. Yeah, I still get that candy taste occasionally, but it’s not in my face. I don’t feel like someone melted a grape Popsicle in my green tea.
And I’m also happy to say that the green tea isn’t completely overpowered with these flavors either. I taste the sweet, buttery notes of the Chinese Sencha and it has a creamy taste and texture to it that is an unexpected yet appealing complement to these fruit flavors.
So, this flavor combination is a win for 52Teas! I liked it hot and I liked it even better iced. I’m glad I decided to give this one a chance!
Hempmaicha Green Tea Blend from Handmade Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Handmade Tea
Tea Description:
Hempmaicha is a Handmade Tea variation on the popular Genmaicha-style tea. Hempmaicha begins with a smooth Chinese green tea base. The blend then introduces roasted hemp seeds for a nutty, sweet flavor. Lastly for Genmaicha authenticity natural popcorn (no oil, no butter, and no salt) is added to the blend. Originally blended for the month of June. ’14.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about Handmade Tea’s blend of the month subscription here.
Taster’s Review:
I have been a fan of Handmade Teas for quite some time. So every once in a while I check out their website to see what they’ve been up to. The last time I went to the website, I noticed that Hempmaicha was their June 2014 blend, and I decided that I just HAD to try that!
I have been a big fan of hemp for many years now. In my college years, I was a very vocal advocate for the legalization of hemp because I feel that it would be very useful. Hemp fibers can be used to make fabric that is soft, breathable and durable, paper that requires no bleaching and is therefore better for the environment and the seeds are very nutritious. Some of the first automobiles were built to run on fuel made of hemp.
So when I saw that this blend from Handmade Tea was created Genmaicha style, but instead of using toasted and popped rice kernels, roasted hemp seeds and popcorn was added to the blend. Interesting and very cool, indeed!
I’ve tried several of Handmade Tea’s blends in the past, but this was the first time that I tried their “mini” size. The full size of Handmade Tea’s blends included a large tin of the blend, plus three small (sample size) tins of the components in the blend.
For example, with the Balché blend that I reviewed previously, I received a 3-ounce tin of the blended tea and three smaller tins with the individual components: a tin of Yunnan Black Tea base, a tin of Guajillo Peppers, and a tin of Cacao Nibs and Cinnamon blended together. (Click here for part one of that review, and click here for part two.)
But for this purchase, I decided to try their mini size and see what that was like. The mini size is a mylar-lined, kraft stand-up pouch that holds 1.5 ounces of the blend. You also get the nifty little envelope that’s been wax sealed and includes information about your blend. This size is really ideal for me, because as much as I do love the full size and all the tasting components of the blend, I’m a “taster” and 3 ounces is more tea than I need. I would love to see the “mini” incorporate a small sampling of each of the components as well (like the full-size does), maybe in smaller pouches, because I do like that feature, but for a taster like me, the 1.5 ounces of tea is much more agreeable to me and my overflowing pantry of tea.
So the first thing that stands out about this blend for me – other than the name and the “hemp” factor – is that the tea used is a Chinese green tea rather than a Japanese green tea. Genmaicha is a Japanese tea, so I was a little surprised that this was crafted using a Chinese green. But that’s OK, this tea is more about the hemp, I think – at least for me it is – than it is the type of green tea used for the blend.
The blend looks exactly like the photo above because, well, I took that photo. Yeah, I’m no photographer. But it did manage to capture the green tea, the popped kernels of popcorn and if you look closely, you can see the toasted hemp seeds too. I was happy to see that there were quite a few hemp seeds in this. The blend has a very strong nutty aroma. It smells sweet, nutty and warm.
And it is really good. It’s a bit nuttier in flavor than a typical Japanese Genmaicha. It is sweet and toasty in flavor. It’s perfect for this afternoon, because we’re just now starting to experience some autumnal type weather. It’s not unbearably hot outside although it is still quite warm as I type this, but it’s not so uncomfortably hot and humid. And with the slightly cooler temperature, I find myself wanting that warm and cozy sort of experience from a tea and this tea delivers that.
The green tea base is sweet and lightly grassy. It has a slightly creamy element to it – not quite ‘buttery’ but maybe a little bit – and this melds nicely with the nutty hemp notes. The hemp adds a sweet nuttiness to the cup, and it tastes roasty-toasty which I like. I don’t know how much of the popcorn I’m actually tasting here.
It’s really tasty. It’s sweet with a certain savory element, warm, and toasty. I am really glad I decided to grab this blend while it was still available. As I write this, there are still “nine” of this tea in stock (I’m not sure how many of the 1.5 ounce mini packs are available versus the 3 ounce full-size packs.) So if the idea of a re-imagined, re-interpreted version of the classic Genmaicha using a Chinese tea base and hemp seeds instead of rice appeals to you – you should try this! I think that it’s close enough to the original idea of Genmaicha that those who love Genmaicha would also enjoy this, and those that are looking for something just a little different would also like it!
It gets a peace sign of approval from me!
Yunnan Dragon Pearl Black Tea from What-Cha Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: What-Cha Tea
Tea Description:
A unique black tea rolled into huge marble sized balls. With a sweet aroma and taste, and an incredibly thick texture.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
These pearls are beautiful! They’re larger than a jasmine green tea (or white tea) pearl, about double or maybe even triple the size of one of those smaller pearls. So, you don’t need quite as many to produce a cup of tea (I used five for my 12 ounce cup of tea). The aroma of the dry pearl is somewhat earthy with notes of leather and sweet notes of honey and cacao.
Rather than brewing these pearls in a teapot, I chose my glass teacup so that I could watch the unfurling process. They unfurl rather quickly, and after the first minute of steeping they were open and revealed many different leaves. For this first infusion, I steeped the leaves for 3 minutes. After those three minutes and observing how the leaves unfurl and seeing how much leaf is in the glass strainer, I think that for the next cup, I might only use four pearls! Each pearl has a whole lot of tea in it!
The color of the liquid is a dark copper and it smells very much the way the dry pearls smelled: earthy, hints of leather and a strong overtone of cacao. Nice.
So good! I love a good Yunnan tea, and this Dragon Pearl is one of the nicest I’ve had. It’s so rich and full-flavored. After steeping the five pearls, I have a robust cup of tea – this is the strength I like first thing in the morning! It’s got the gusto to shake the sleepy right out of me, you know what I mean? On those days when you need an extra kick to wake you up and get you going, just drop another pearl into the cup.
Beautiful top notes of cacao – delicious! There is an undertone of caramel that keeps everything sweet, and the cacao is more of a dark, bittersweet chocolate that balances out the sweeter notes. The earthy tones and notes of leather offer a solid backdrop of flavor while the malty tones, cacao, honey and caramel play in the foreground.
It’s sweeter right up front, but then as the palate explores the sip, I find notes that offer some contrast to the sweetness. I’m also noticing notes of stone fruit, reminiscent of plum and peach and faint hints of flower dance in and out of the sip. This has a lot of complexity for such a robust cup!
This is a remarkably good black pearl. I’ve tried several different black pearl teas now, and I’ve enjoyed the various ones that I’ve tried. This one from What-Cha is really good, one of the best! And I highly recommend re-infusing the leaves! The second steep is almost as good as – and in some ways, even better than – the first steep! The second steep is a little lighter … it’s not quite as hefty as the first cup, but this allows for more exploration of the complexity. It is sweeter and I’m picking up on more of the notes of fruit and flower. Amazing!
Organic Vanilla Almond Black Tea from Boston Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Boston Tea Co.
Tea Description:
As you open the envelope of this certified organic tea, the luscious scents of vanilla will surround you. A silken sachet filled with our premium organic blend of Chinese and Inidan black teas, slices of organic almonds and vanilla. This tea will soothe your soul with every sip.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Vanilla Almond Black Tea from Boston Tea Co. is certainly fragrant! The scent of vanilla and almond is getting my taste buds happy! I steeped one of the pyramid sachets in 8 ounces of boiling water for three minutes, and this produced a flavorful, aromatic cup.
The black tea base is a blend of teas and it’s a rich, full-bodied cup that not only supports the strong flavors of almond and vanilla well, but is able to stand out and be tasted in the presence of the flavors. There is some astringency to the cup, I’d categorize it as a moderate, dry astringency.
The vanilla and almond are well matched. It’s sweet, nutty, and warm, evoking thoughts of autumn – and at this point with all this way too warm weather, I’m wondering when autumn will finally get here! I’m ready for it and this tea is reminding me of how much I miss it.
The flavor combination of almond and vanilla give this an almost “cookie” like flavor, and the smooth, delicious flavor of the tea complements that profile. This is a tea that is strong enough to serve as the first cup of the day and would take the additions of milk and honey well if you want to add them (I liked it just fine served straight up though!) It would also make a nice afternoon cup or a tea to serve to guests. It’s a warm, welcoming type of flavor.
This tea tastes alright iced, but I think I prefer it hot. Especially since the taste is so cookie-like! I like my cookies when they’re still warm, and I prefer this tea when it’s still warm too.
Huoshan Huang Ya Yellow Tea from What-Cha Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yellow
Where to Buy: What-Cha Tea
Tea Description:
A rare tea produced only a few days each Spring that features a great bamboo nose and a slight nutty taste followed by a lingering sweet after-taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yay! Yellow Tea! It’s been quite some time since I’ve tried a “new-to-me” yellow tea for review. Yellow Tea is my all time favorite type of tea. I love it. And I LOVE this Huoshan Huang Ya Yellow Tea from What-Cha Tea!
To brew this tea, I used my gaiwan and measured one bamboo scoop of tea into it, and then I heated the water to 170°F. First I rinsed the leaves with the water, by infusing them for 15 seconds and then straining off the liquid and discarding it. Then I steeped the first infusion for 45 seconds and added 15 seconds to each subsequent infusion. I strained each infusion into my very special Yellow Tea Yi Xing mug. This mug is a little larger than my Ali Shan and Jasmine Yi Xing mugs, so I can fit 6 infusions of tea in the mug. So that’s what I did. I’m now sipping on the results of the first six infusions of this tea. 
Mmm! Sweet and delicious. The texture is creamy and smooth. The sip starts out sweet with nutty nutty notes. By mid-sip, I’m picking up on notes of flower. The sweetness remains throughout the sip. The aftertaste is delicately floral with a light sweetness.
What I like best about Yellow tea versus say, a white or green tea or even a green Oolong is that there are elements of most of these teas: I taste creamy notes that you might find in these three tea types, but it’s not quite as heavy in texture as an Oolong or even a green tea might be. It has subtle floral tones but they aren’t as sharp as with these other teas types. And there is less of a vegetal note than with these other three tea types. In fact, I’m having a hard time detecting ANY vegetal note to this cup, and I’m searching for it. There is a very, very faint vegetal note hiding in the distance behind the sweet, nutty flavors and the notes of flower in the breeze.
It’s simply a wonderful tea, and this yellow from What-Cha is beyond wonderful. Better than wonderful. It’s absolutely, exquisitely perfect!