Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
Green tea, cocoa nibs, natural chocolate mint, and peppermint flavor give us a tea that well, tastes like a thin mint cookie.
Girl Scouts beware! I will fling my pig of greased up squigginess at you!
Now we sing the doom song
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Geeky Teas is one of my favorite tea companies to check out. I love the compassion for all things geeky that they embrace. They have been busy too with moving to a new location so I haven’t had a chance to chat with Donna in a bit. I do believe that Filthy Human Plant Juice is one of about 3 or 4 remaining tea samples I have left from Geeky Teas. Looks like I may need to order more soon. (I mean c’mon- there is a Deadpool Oolong Blend!)
So right off the bat, this tea has a dessert feel to it. The description on Geeky’s Teas says it best-this tea does have a remarkably strong resemblance to Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies. And who doesn’t love a Girl Scout cookie?
Brewed with the packages recommendations-Steep at 180F for 2-3 minutes, I was literally drooling with the idea of this tea. I am not a chocolate fan by any means but I have always loved Thin Mints. Especially after having them frozen in a freezer for a few months and enjoying them on a hot day. There is nothing better!
First sip of this tea and I could see exactly what Geeky Teas was trying to accomplish, but to me, it missed the mark a bit. The green tea has a more vegetal feel than I had hoped. That could be from a oversteep. I was hoping for more of a buttery silky tone and texture. The chocolate and peppermint also didn’t quite sit well with me. The flavors didn’t seem to really mingle well together and create the palate refreshing notes I was looking for. This blend just really seemed to want to contrast itself every step of the way. Maybe as a cold brew, this tea would bring out the notes I am looking for.
Even tho this particular blend didn’t sing true with me, there are so many others that do from Geeky Teas. I love the combo of fandom and tea. Just makes my geeky tea gal’s heart happy!
Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
From the 52Teas site: I’ve never had a banana Marshmallow Treat – I don’t even know if such a thing exists. A quick google search yielded no results that appeared like banana marshmallow treat squares but I’ll admit that I really didn’t look very earnestly for it, mostly because I would think that the banana would be too slick and slippery and wouldn’t stick to the marshmallow which binds the crispy rice cereal together. I would think that banana would really mess up the chemistry that goes into the crafting of a marshmallow treat.
Then again, since I’ve never actually had one (and thus, I’ve never tried making one) I don’t know for certain. Perhaps it could be made with freeze-dried bananas (like the ones that I put in this tea blend) without much trouble.
Anyway, that lengthy introduction is my way of saying that this tea wasn’t inspired by something I’ve actually tried but something I’d love to try should I ever be so fortunate to find such a confection. What inspired me is my appreciation for fresh, sliced bananas atop my crispy rice cereal. One day while eating a bowl of cereal, I thought, wouldn’t a banana flavored crispy rice treat be awesome? At some point very soon after that, my thoughts turned to tea (as they often do) and I decided that I MUST create a Banana Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha.
And so I did! I started with my organic matcha infused genmaicha and added marshmallow root and freeze dried bananas. It’s a cuppa yum!
Taster size is approximately 15g.
organic ingredients: green teas, toasted rice, freeze-dried bananas, marshmallow root and natural flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
52Teas has done it again! I mean where else can you find a banana marshmallow treat genmaicha based tea? This blend is exactly why I love 52Teas so much. Fresh fun flavors that you honestly can not get anywhere else.
Unique blended with green tea, toasted rice, banana bits, marshmallow root and other flavors, this tea smells like banana pudding right out of the pouch. I instantly started drooling. I couldn’t wait to brew this tea up and enjoy this treat!
Brewed up by the recommendations on the pouch, I found myself staring at the infuser, willing the tea to steep faster. Finally, the brew was ready and I allowed the tea to sit for a few moments to cool.
A lovely pale yellow liquor sat in front of me, smelling of toasted goodness and bananas. My first sip was this gorgeous toasted genmaicha flavor. The banana flavor was subtle and not as smack in your face as I thought it would be.
Second infusion and still the toasted genmaicha seemed to be the dominating flavor. The banana notes were there and seemed to be a bit stronger, just not as dominating as I would have hoped. So I went for a third infusion. VIOLA! There it was. A brilliant banana flavor that tasted fresh with hints of a toasted marshmallow. Exactly what I was looking for. The perfect combo of a fruity toasted flavor.
After taking a look at my infuser, I realized I probably hadn’t shaken up the bag properly when scooping out the tea. Totally my bad. Regardless, I’ve been incredibly happy since the first sip of this tea. I mean c’mon. . .Banana Marshmallow Treat? So uniquely original! Gotta love that!
Kudos 52Teas for another amazingly unique blend. I would tell everyone to rush out and get this blend before it is sold out, but I’m emailing 52Teas now to see if my wallet can handle gobbling up the remaining inventory!
Fresh Jasmine from BlendBee
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Tea Description:
Indulge in this jasmine green tea blend of citrus, spice, and delicate floral notes. The perfect tea to serve hot or cold brewed. Your summer tea party won’t be complete without a pitcher of Fresh Jasmine..
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently I signed up for BlendBee’s monthly tea subscription and my first box arrived with my 2 teas for the month yesterday. The first blend I checked out was Fresh Jasmine. (The other was Coco Blue which I well review in a bit so stay tuned!)
Fresh Jasmine consists of green tea, jasmine flowers, hint of spices and lemon. I opened up the pouch to start prepping the tea and this tea had such a lovely bright candy note. Think lemon drop candy!
Each package of tea that BlendBee sends you has the steeping parameters laid out for you. After a few minutes of steeping and allowing the tea to cool, I was ready for my first sip. . which I’ll admit turned into a huge gulp. This blend is incredibly delicious!
Fresh juicy lemon notes pop while the green tea creates the full bodied rich buttery flavor. The ginger creates a slight contrast that actually fits in well with the rest of the flavors. As light and gentle as this tea is there are flavors that are bold and vibrant. And honestly, as flavor goes-this tea does remind me of a lemon drop. Sweet and candy like.
Since this tea showed up at more door yesterday, I have already enjoyed about 10 infusions of this tea. I can’t seem to stay away from the blend.
All in all, I am crazy impressed with this tea and I’m incredibly happy with my decision to go with BlendBee. For the price of two drinks at my local coffee shop, I get 30 cups of this (and another) amazingly fresh cuppas to enjoy.
Holiday Happiness from Aka Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Aka Tea
Tea Description:
Don’t you love the smell of warm sugar cookies and cinnamon? How could that combination go wrong? This tea was inspired by winter loveliness, glistening white snow, a good book by the fireplace, and the ambiance of laughter. This tea is just waiting to celebrate holiday happiness with you!
Holiday Happiness – Green tea ( Mao Jian ), cinnamon, hibiscus, jasmine, spearmint, rosehips, peppermint, anise seed, rosemary, and natural flavoring
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
After trying to unsuccessfully make a protein matcha smoothie, I needed something to refresh my tastebuds. When I noticed in my tea stash that I still had a serving of Holiday Happiness from Aka Tea, I was giddy! I had reviewed a lot of their teas a while back and didn’t realize that I still had one left. I have already reviewed Holiday Happiness on my blog-CuppaGeek, but I wanted to see if my thoughts were the same.
Right out of the pouch you can smell the minty baked good aroma that reminds me of peppermint sugar cookies. What a treat!
Brewed this up per the instructions Aka Tea provides on their site-175 F and steep for about 3 minutes. The brew turned a lovely shade of pick almost instantly. Made my heart happy!
What I really love about this blend in particular is the amount of tea vs inclusions. There seems to be a happy medium of both. The tea isn’t overwhelmed by the inclusions and the inclusions are not overwhelmed by the tea. There is a lovely partnership between the ingredients blending together and creating a wonderfully unique flavor.
First sip in and I am once again in my tea happy place. Warm sweet cinnamon notes mixed with a slight tart minty background. Rich buttery green notes followed by a sweet flora note. Thru the entire sip, there is a spiced undertone that really mixes well with the rest of the flavors. Sure this tea is sort of all over the place, but it is one journey I love time and time again.
As odd as those flavors sound, this blend really works. There is an almost winter feel to the tea, but I have no problem drinking this in the middle of summer and am looking at buying a larger size. Holiday Happiness from Aka Tea is a tried and true flavored tea that never disappoints!
Spicy Shore from Do You Tea?
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Do You Tea?
Tea Description:
A juicy, creamy, spiced blend of white tea, lemongrass, fruits and spices. This blend is reminiscent of a spicy tropical vacation. This brew is excellent hot or cold.
Blend: White tea leaves, lemongrass, coconut, pineapple, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and pink peppercorn.
Brew: Heat water to 175F and steep 1.5 tsp./8 oz. of water for 2-3 minutes.
Benefits: High in antioxidants; can aid in fighting off colds and help with digestion.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Last night the hubby and I drank the last of my Do You Tea? stash. Sad, but I have to say, I’m glad I ended the stash with this tea, Spicy Shore.
I am not a huge fan of chai teas but every once in a while there is a chai blend that really catches my attention. This blend is one of them!
Spicy Shore is a lovely white tea chai blend. Full of sweet notes and spicy hints, this tea really delivers a lovely complex flavor. The dry leaf emits a vibrant pineapple flavor with a spicy hint ginger hint.
Brewed up per the instructions on the package, first sip in, I knew this tea and I were going to be friends. Sweet notes of pineapple mingled with a spicy kick of ginger and cardamom-surrounded by a lush and creamy white tea finish. Really light yet full of flavor. There isn’t one overpowering flavor over another.
This really is the the perfect chai tea for the non chai tea fan. Subtle but full of flavor. No punch you in the face chai flavors that I’m used to. I found that you didn’t need to add in any honey or milk, but I could see where a small drop of honey could really heighten the flavors.
Do You Tea? outdid themselves yet again! A wonderful chai tea to drink anytime that I will need to pick up again! I can only imagine how dynamite this tea would be as a cold brew!