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!
Orange & Papaya from Tea-Shirt Teas. . . .
I’ve been in a green tea mood lately, tasting all the flavors and mix-ins that go best with those lighter tea leaves. It was the perfect day to try Orange and Papaya from Tea Shirt Teas.
I was immediately impressed by the delicious scent of the tea in the dry leaf. It was amazingly fruity, and hard to resist smelling the dry leaves in my mug while I waited for the water to boil. The leaves themselves are all dressed up for the occasion, with big chunks of dried papaya and orange slices mixed in among the green tea.
Along with the papaya is a hefty dose of lemongrass, but despite all the lemongrass in the dry leaf, the brewed blend tastes most strongly of orange and papaya. A hint of mango comes out at the back of each sip. It all makes for a vibrant cup of citrus and green that can’t help but jazz up your afternoon.
This blend is sweet and fruity enough to love it hot or iced, and either way the luscious fruit flavors were super satisfying and thirst-quenching. Though I tried the blend both hot and iced, with all these tropical flavors, this blend is absolutely calling out to be the next pitcher of iced tea in your fridge. Drinking it cold, the fruit makes the tea almost candy-sweet, like a more mature fruit punch.
This is a great blend for when you need to brighten your day and imagine yourself in a sunny grove of tropical fruit.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Shirt
Description:
Ingredients: green tea (60%), lemon grass, apple pieces, freeze-dried apple pieces, orange slices, mango flakes, papaya flakes, flavouring.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Boba Fett Fandom Blend from Adagio Teas. . . .
The fandom blends section of the Adagio website is a wonderful, wacky, wild west of tea blends. Any movie or video game or book you can think of has a series of community-made teas meticulously blended and designed for your tea-brewing pleasure. One downside is that the blend creators can change or remove their blends at any time. I’ve got a tea today from the Adagio fandom vault, a blend that’s no longer posted, but we’ll still take a look at it’s fun, fandom flavors: Boba Fett from Chelsea Drangsholt.
This green tea blend is fruity with a bit of earthiness. I have a sneaking suspicion that this tea might be an early draft of her current Bossk blend, made with gunpowder green, rhubarb green, and sour apple herbal teas, Bossk being a fellow bounty hunter with Boba Fett. Either way, this Boba Fett blend is green and striking like Boba Fett’s signature armor. This tea has a well-balanced mix of sweet and sour fruit flavors, over a masculine, musky green teas base. The fruit flavors give this tea an energetic pop, but the green tea won’t over-caffeinate you, so this blend can be enjoyed at any time of day.
While this exact blend isn’t live on Adagio right now, you can check out other Star Wars teas from Chelsea.
I know I’ll be brewing up a cup of this tea the next time I need some energy to kick-ass on my own adventures. Or when I need to get hyped for one of the upcoming Star Wars universe movies.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
This tea is no longer available but click below for Star Wars teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Flan Genmaicha from 52Teas. . . .
So I am only about half a year late but I am getting into the 12 Teas of Christmas. This particular tea, Coconut Flan Genmaicha, was from the 4th night of Christmas and unfortunately that means it is no longer available. However, in case it comes back, I will probably try snatching some more of this up because it is a tasty tea.
I have never had flan personally but my understanding is it is a gelatinous custard with a caramel top (drizzle? coating?). So if I am wrong about what flan is I am sorry but that is what I am basing my interpretation on and based on that, I would say this tea is pretty true to its name.
The first thing I notice is the almost thick and creamy custard quality. A little bit eggy and a little bit sweet. In fact, a caramelized sweetness floats atop the sip. Underneath the custard, the genmaicha – a pop of roastiness to keep everything else in check. It is both desserty and like cereal which makes this tea great as either a nighttime treat or a morning pick-me-up.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for green teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Green Tea from LST aka Love Some Tea. . . .
I love green tea, and I love coconut so I was pretty excited to try this tea. It was better than I could have hoped.
t’s a smooth green tea with a very slight smoky flavor, and an amazing coconut aroma and flavor. I could drink this delicious tea all day. It’s clean, and decadent. It has that kind of fatty coconut flavor, and I mean that in the best way. The coconut kind of cuts the earthiness of the green tea. I had mine warm and it was a wonderful way to wake up. I have a feeling this would be amazing iced as well.
This tea is perfect for anyone who enjoys slightly smoky flavors with a nice dose of coconut flavor. But don’t expect the overly sweet coconut flavor you get from artificially flavored coconut beverages. This is the real deal, real coconut flavor that is not cloyingly sweet at all. I bet this would also make a fantastic green tea latte with coconut milk, iced or hot! I had never heard of LST tea before, but after trying this delicious tea I hope to try many more flavors. They are an ethical and sustainable tea company which in my opinion makes the tea taste even better!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Love Some Tea
Description
Our Plantation Free wild picked Green Tea with heavy notes of coconut, a deep nose and aroma.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
