Cranberry Blood Orange from Jade Monk

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Jade Monk

Tea Description:

A thousand years ago in Shinto belief, the Tengu were dangerous spirit-animals. Over the centuries they’ve evolved into benevolent protectors and allies of humans. This particular Tengu-Cranberry Blood Orange instant matcha green tea powder-employs the impossibly potent antioxidant potential of Jade Monk®. Matcha, the tang of cranberry and bright citrus of blood orange, with a dash of sweetness. Traditional, pure, entirely natural ingredients with the fortified polyphenol strength of Jade Monk®-that’s a spirit to believe in.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is the second flavor that I’ve tried of the four flavors that Jade Monk offers.  And as I continue to try these instant green tea powders, the more I learn about them.  With the Palau Peach, while I did enjoy it, I found that the stevia offered a bit of a funky taste to it.  Because of that, I decided that I’d try preparing this Matcha mix with cold water rather than the traditional chawan & chasen method.  I poured about 12 ounces of cold water into a tall glass, and stirred the Matcha mix into the water … stirring vigorously.  It took about a full minute to stir this and get it completely mixed (there were a few clumps that rose to the top of the glass, but these were easy to break apart with the back of the spoon, and the clump then easily dissolved into the rest of the tea)

Prepared this way, this tastes a bit more like a green tea power drink than a Matcha.  It is sweet, fruity and refreshing.  It doesn’t taste strongly of tea, but I do taste the green tea in the background.  I do still taste the stevia (and I am still left wishing it wasn’t there), but it tastes much better with the cold water rather than the hot.  And, as far as alternative sweeteners go, I’d rather this be sweetened with stevia than something like aspartame, which I cannot consume.

What I really like about this flavor particularly is the combination of cranberry and blood orange.  The blood orange is sweet and tastes juicy, and it offers a very pleasing contrast to the tartness of the cranberry.  Overall, it is just tart enough to keep it interesting, with the tartness really emerging at its strongest in the aftertaste.  But mostly, it is sweet and refreshing … and very energizing.  I can feel the power of the Matcha really working, even if I the taste of the Matcha is not very strong.

While I don’t expect tea purists to find much enjoyment from these tasty little power packs, I do think that they’re enjoyable.  If you want the powerful benefits of Matcha but find that pure Matcha tends to be a bit too much for you (it is a rather unique flavor and not something that everyone enjoys!), these Matcha products from Jade Monk would be the perfect alternative for you!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Green Tea, Matcha

Sea Breeze Green Tea from 52Teas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

As for this week’s tea of the week, we have a delicious (I had some with dinner as an iced tea) blend of our sweet Chinese sencha, dried cranberries, marigold petals and natural grapefruit and cranberry flavors.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

As I’ve mentioned before, 52Teas is my favorite tea company.  This is mostly because I love that there’s a new flavor every week, and more often than not, it’s a flavor that you’re not likely to find anywhere else.  It is the ability to experience the unexpected that I love so much about this company (not to mention the fact that their prices are pretty darned reasonable especially when you factor in the fact that at least within the US the shipping is free!)

However, every once in a while, this “unexpected” element does leave me feeling a little underwhelmed.  I felt that way when this Sea Breeze flavor was announced a few weeks ago.  Cranberry and Grapefruit?  Hmm.  OK … well, I love grapefruit green teas (and I have been on somewhat of a quest to find the greatest grapefruit flavored green tea for a while now), and I don’t dislike cranberry… but the combination of the two had me thinking “whoa … that’s going to be TART!”  And… I’m not all that into really tart teas.

But, somehow the combination of cranberry and grapefruit works here.  Yes, there is tartness, but it isn’t as tart as I expected it to be.  And there is a smoothness that has developed between these two fruits, making this a very enjoyable tea to sip.  It might actually be more sweet than it is sour, which is what I find most astonishing.

The Sencha seems to be the real star of this tea.  It really seems to come to life in this blend.  It doesn’t taste grassy or vegetative … instead, it tastes sweet and creamy.  Buttery.  But the buttery quality here is different from other flavored green teas from 52Teas because of the way the fruit flavors interact with the buttery flavor.  It “infringes” upon the buttery notes, but in a way that is really quite acceptable in the opinion of this taster.

Because sometimes those buttery notes seem to deluge the palate … making it almost seem like I need to wipe the palate to get the butter off my tongue.  Here, before they can become too much for the palate, the tangy citrus cuts through the buttery tones, as if to only give me a taste of the butter – an amuse bouche of buttery taste? – before cleansing the palate and letting me enjoy the aftertaste that is both sweet and tangy.

I love the contrasts here and how well they play together.  This tea is delicious hot, but I have a feeling it’s going to be even better iced!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Green Tea, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Buttered Cranberry Orange Scone from 52Teas

by liberteas

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Honeybush

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tisane Description:

I don’t know why I never thought to combine cranberry and honeybush before, but this blend is (imagine Charlie Sheen here) WINNING! Had a glass of this iced last night, and it was like something you wanted to let slowly melt in your mouth. slightly buttery-, bakey- goodness sweetened with hints of juicy orange and ripe cranberries. This was absolutely like drinking a cranberry orange scone with creamy butter on it. This is a caffeine-free, guilt-free, 100% vegan-friendly blend of African honeybush, orange peel, freeze-dried cranberries, freeze-dried orange sections and natural flavors.

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

Oh, goodness!  This is yummy!

The honeybush is the perfect base for this blend, it has a slightly nutty, honey-sweet taste that translates very well into the concept of a scone.  And together with the buttery flavoring that 52Teas does so well, this becomes a deliciously decadent tea-time treat all on its own.

The fruit flavors evoke thoughts of autumn (and since I love autumn, I don’t mind that a bit).  The orange is sweet and tastes just like the fruit:  fresh and juicy!  The cranberry adds a tart note to the cup, and while tart/sour tastes are not always my thing, I think that the tartness is needed here, because it provides some wonderful contrast to the cup.

I like the way the flavors play together here.  With one sip, I taste a little more orange, and then the next, I taste more cranberry.  Sometimes the two fruit flavors are evenly matched and it’s the buttery taste that I notice.  It’s very much like it might be if I were eating an actual cranberry orange scone – with my first bite, I might bite into a cranberry, with the next, I might taste more orange, and then in the next, I taste the rich, baked goodness of the scone.

Another delicious flavor adventure – courtesy of 52Teas!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Honeybush, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Cran-Blackberry Rooibos from 52Teas

by liberteas

Tisane Information:

Leaf Type:  Rooibos

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tisane Description:

Real freeze-dried cranberries and blackberries in a blend with caffeine-free African rooibos. I may be partial to honeybush, but I’m pretty confident that rooibos was MADE for a blend like this. I’m sitting here with a big icy tumbler full of this and it is delicious. It’s renewing my faith in rooibos.

Learn more about this tisane here.

Taster’s Review:

My first reaction to this after my initial sip:  Tart!  I needed to add just a little turbinado sugar to this to help curb the tartness.  However, with just half a teaspoonful of sugar, I find that it softens that tart edge just enough for my taste buds.

Actually, I find that with that little bit of added sugar, this becomes quite a tasty tisane.  Not too sweet, pleasantly tart, and full of delicious fruit flavor.  The flavor of the rooibos is barely noticeable here, just a mere hint of nutty tones in the background, and a slight woody undertone.

I really like the fruit combination of cranberry and blackberry.  They go together very well, and this combination just seems to work with the rooibos.  Rooibos isn’t my favorite thing as many of you probably know … but I find this combination not just drinkable, but rather enjoyable.

I tried this tisane both hot and iced, and found it to be tasty served either way, although my preference is chilled.  The tartness wanes even more as it cools.  This afternoon, we experienced some unseasonably warm weather (or perhaps, it was just evidence that the warmer weather is on it’s way) … I enjoyed this over ice during the warmest part of the day – it was up to a whopping 55° which may not seem very warm, but when you take into consideration that earlier this week we had SNOW … I’d call 55° warm! – and it was very refreshing.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Rooibos, Tea Company, Type Of Tea

Cranberry Tea from Adagio Teas

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Adagio Teas

Tea Description:

Premium black tea from Sri Lanka flavored with sweet, tangy cranberries. Clean, bright flavor with a juicy sweetness. This delicious autumn delight is a great complement to your next turkey feast, which your guests are sure to gobble down. Please give this limited-time tea a try– your teacups will give thanks!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This tea is one of Adagio’s seasonal teas, but, it is one that I think I would be happy to enjoy all year round!

I am usually hesitant with Adagio’s black teas, because I often find that the black tea base is too harsh.  However, in this particular blend, I am not finding the black tea base to be disagreeable; in fact, it’s really quite pleasant.

The black tea is a strong Ceylon tea with a fair amount of astringency, but it doesn’t taste course or bitter.  It’s actually rather smooth, a very pleasant surprise given my experience with Adagio!

The cranberry flavor is more of a subtle hint of flavor – this tea doesn’t scream out “hey!  I’m cranberry flavored!”  Instead, it is a pleasant black tea with a note of cranberry flavor that is a little sweet and a little tart.  I like that the tartness here is not a profound note; just a barely-there hint of tartness that reveals itself in the aftertaste with a tingly tart sensation.  Even then, it is not an overtly tart taste; it is quite enjoyable.

While it does have a certain seasonal flair to it, it is one that I would find enjoyable all year round!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea