With a name like Cease & Desist, I knew this tea had to have a good story. And with a company like 52 Teas? I knew it had to be a good tea!
Apparently, this tea was originally named after a favorite alcoholic horchata-esque treat (that rhymes with Thumb-chata), but after being served with a cease & desist letter, the name had to be changed. Lo and behold! We’re left with this tasty, cheekily-named delightful genmaicha.
First things first: this tea is a treat to brew. Big green leaves and toasty popped rice, it was ever-so-fragrant– my mouth was watering on the smell alone. I’ll admit I took a sip of it straight and while it was tasty, I knew a bit of cream + sweet could really take it to that next, crumb-chata level of deliciousness. Sure enough, a touch of coconut milk + maple syrup and I couldn’t slurp up this sweet, cinnamon-y treat quickly enough. My only note is that this one didn’t quite hit on the alcoholic horchata notes for me as much as it did straight-up milk-of-Cinnamon Toast Crunch. (Or in keeping with brand-name avoidance: Flinnamon Boast Lunch. Maybe?)
I’d wager that this is even better than its original intention– the flavors were spot on breakfast cereal for me, and I loved every second of it. I think this probably has something to do with the addition of the toasty popped rice making it a genmaicha that really pushed those cereal-y notes over the top.
Fun flavors and a touch of anti-establishmentarianism? Count me in.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Jasmine Creme Brulee Delight! #DAVIDsTea
I have tried one other creme brûlée tea before, and while it was yummy, I think I prefer this one. This blend by DAVIDsTEA includes apples, rosehips, and jasmine green tea! I actually really like the addition of Jasmine because I think it gives a nice, refreshing twist to classic creme brûlée flavor.
The smell of the dry leaf on this one reminded me of DAVIDsTEA’s caramel corn, I think it was because of the sweet/buttery scent of creme brûlée flavor and the apple pieces. I couldn’t detect the scent of jasmine in the dry leaf, but could smell it once the tea was steeped but just ever so faintly. It was very lightly floral and the jasmine was very much in the background. I could really smell the apple pieces and the buttery/caramel sweetness of creme brulee.
On taste, I think this tea was really on point. It tasted buttery, sweet, and lightly floral. The apple was there, but really just added a hint of fruit flavor and was not tart or overpowering. The buttery custard flavor was there in the aftertaste and really resembled creme brulee, for me. I know that a lot of people may be a little scared of this blend because of jasmine if they don’t like floral, but trust me when I say that this tea is not overwhelmingly floral. It is so slight and really just a hint and it blends really well with the apple and buttery custard flavors. I actually enjoyed this green tea version of creme brûlée better than the black tea creme brûlée blend I tried from a different company. I like how this one was made lighter by the green tea and the addition of jasmine and apple pieces definitely gave it a nice twist.
Overall I would say that this blend was very “springtime”. It was light, sweet, and comforting. I’A Jasmine Creme Brulee Delight! #DAVIDsTeam wondering if it would be good iced, but I think that hot is the way to go with this one.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
Rich and creamy with a delicate jasmine twist, this sweet blend is downright addictive.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hidden Meadow from BlendBee. . . . .
Hidden Meadow from BlendBee caught my eye as I starred at my stash of tea under my work desk recently. I opened the bag and mentally transported into that Hidden Meadow this tea speaks of.
This is a flavored green tea folks! And a great one at that! It contains China Green Tea, sweet Marshmallow Root, creamy Vanilla, and fresh spearmint! This flavor combo makes for a creamy, dreamy, minty-fresh, sweet treat!
It’s creamy upfront followed by a welcomed sweet-mint flavor combo and the mint lingers nicely well after the sip is complete. This is a fantastic flavored green! I think…NO…I KNOW I’m in LOVE.
This is one of those that I would gladly share with friends but also frown when I run out of it. It’s tasty hot or cold. A pure delight!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Breathe deep & fall in love…A simple yet intoxicating blend of green tea, marshmallow root and fresh spearmint delicately infused with warm vanilla. This is a creamy, minty & dreamy green tea blend for you to savor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Almond Cookie from Tea & Tins. . . .
Lately I have had a serious obsession with pistachio ice cream. Like, I have eaten almost 3 quarts of it in the past 2 weeks. Well, pistachios themselves have a very mild flavor. Subsequently, the ice cream itself is actually flavored with almond. Have you ever noticed that pistachio ice cream kind of smells like biscottis? Well, that’s because of the almond flavoring.
Unfortunately, I haven’t seen many pistachio ice cream teas circulating around in our little “tea-world” as of late. So, when I saw Almond Cookie by Tea & Tins I figured that it may help curb my craving for pistachio ice cream because of the almond flavor.
Upon opening the bag, the sweet smell of almond and coconut filled my nose. Yum! I could see coconut shreds and almond pieces scattered about the green tea. Once steeped the smell of cookie was much more prevalent, but the almond and coconut was still very much there. I steeped this tea with hot water for about 3 minutes. It was very smooth and light, with a prominent taste of green tea. I added agave to add some sweetness, but it was also sweet on it’s own. I could taste the coconut and almond flavor, but unfortunately the flavor of “cookie” did not translate from smell to taste.
Nonetheless, this tea was still very well done and tasty. I don’t think I could say that it will be replacing my love for pistachio ice cream, but it is something that I will continue to enjoy and would purchase again. Another “win” for Tea & Tins!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Tea & Tins
Description
Loose leaf green tea with almond and coconut.
Ingredients: green tea, almond coconut taste with grated coconut and almond flakes, and flavoring.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Strawberry Shake from DAVIDsTea. . .
I have been (im)patiently waiting for DAVIDsTEA to come out with some new “summery” teas. It has finally happened! Yay! So their new collection they’re calling “Malt Shop” and all the teas are based off of ice cream. They not only have ice cream themed teas, but new tea tins and mugs with ice cream print on them. Talk about cute! I definitely went all out during my DAVIDsTEA shopping spree, and I am happy I did because I am loving the teas!
The first one I tried was Strawberry Shake. It is described as a green tea with strawberry and yogurt flavor. The initial thought that came to my head when I saw the description and smelled the tea was that this is a caffeinated version of Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait. However, this tea was not tart and does not contain hibiscus (phew!). So thankfully, in taste, there was no comparison to Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait.
The dry leaf’s smell does remind me of a strawberry milkshake. However, once steeped, it smells like fresh cut up strawberries. Seriously, if I closed my eyes and smelled the steeped tea I would likely say “hey, is someone cutting up some strawberries in here?” It is very realistic. I don’t know if I like the name “strawberry shake” for this tea, though. It more so reminds me of the strawberry syrup that you would drizzle on your sundae. You know, that syrup that has real strawberries in it? That stuff is good. Well, thats what this tea reminds me of. So, even though it doesn’t live up to the milkshake “vibe” that DAVIDsTEA is trying to give off, the tea itself is still good.
I feel like the “yogurt” part that was mentioned in the description was totally lost. It definitely lost its way and probably wont be coming back. I really didn’t get a yogurt flavor, unfortunately. Which is probably why I didn’t think that the tea resembled a milkshake at all. If I was to do this tea over for DAVID’s I think I would have added some freeze-dried ice cream pieces or white chocolate. It needed another creamy component in order to be considered ice cream, in my humble opinion.
Otherwise, I did like this tea. Even though I don’t think it lived up to it’s name does not mean it wasn’t good. It is definitely worth a try especially if you like strawberry. Even though I won’t be buying more, I will happily drink up the rest of my tin-full.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTea
Description
Shake up your sipping with this creamy blend of green tea, strawberry and yogurt.