Grapefruit Granita, a 2017 Summer Collection Green Tea made with ginger, sweet blackberry leaves, apple, apple pomace, beetroot, grapefruit peel, marigold flowers, artificial grapefruit and cream flavouring.
Since this is a Granita tea, I figured at the very least I should try it iced.
First thing I noticed was ginger. Lots of ginger flavor stands as a wall at the front of the sip. And when you get over the wall, you find a flood of sweet apple. Very sweet apple thanks to the blackberry leaves. It is a weird dichotomy of flavors.
The clash of flavors does channel grapefruit, though one that is artificial and a touch bitter (which grapefruits are bitter so I don’t find that as offensive here as I would in other blends). I am blaming the cream flavoring for the artificial quality. It seems out of place here, in my opinion.
It is not my favorite but this received a lot of VERY negative reviews that I don’t think was that warranted, at least based on this cup. Will I be buying this again? No, but I also am not dumping the mug down the sink like so many others seemed to have done. I will probably finish my sample and move on.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
With hibiscus, rosehips and juicy grapefruit, this fruity tea is as fresh as it gets.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Dragon from Transcendence . . . .
Ever encountered a tea that just transcends you into that perfect soulful moment that makes you think everything is going to be ok?
Every once in a while, I’ll come across a tea that just demands my full attention. No multi-tasking is allowed while encountering this tea. No TV, no tablet, no phone. . . .just the serene organic noises from my kids playing-using their imagination to create fun games that only the two of them understand. Don’t get me wrong, I drink brilliant tea blends from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed, but some teas just take you a different level. Dragon from Transcendence is the latest example of this sort of tea for me.
Dragon from Transcendence is a simple no fuss green tea- a Long Jing tea to be precise. This tea gives you all the love of a well balanced green tea while providing levels of gorgeous flavor through each sip.
First sip in you are greeted with the familiar nutty slightly vegetal tone while half way through a hint of sweetness makes an approached with that nutty slightly bitter flavor coming back for the final touch. A lovely mix of sweet nutty vegetal that green teas are known for. This one is especially well balanced and after infusing the tea leaves to exhaustion, this tea has carved a special place in my tea drinking regime.
I’m a green tea kind of girl, drinking this particular tea like there is no tomorrow. But Dragon from Transcendence took me by surprise by who lovely the brew was and reminded me why I love green teas so much. The name Dragon fits this tea so perfectly too! Named after the creature that stalked the area where this tea is grown, this tea gives you all the love you can take with that subtle touch of bitterness that shows you Dragon is a tea that craves-no-demands attention!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Transcendence
Description
DRAGON also known as Long Jing tea is almost as famous as the beast it is named after, being one of the most renowned teas in China. Grown close to the West Lake in Hangzhou; Long Jing tea is surrounded by mountains, forests, and creeks – truly a Dragon’s playground. With a sweet taste and little bitterness; Long Jing will make you strong and as resilient, as a DRAGON…..
DRAGON engages the strength and power within you with its Caffeine and Vitamin C content (Thompson et al. 2001; Nienman et al. 2002; Stuart et al. 2005; Beck et al. 2006; Keisler and Armsey 2006; Jones 2008; Yfanti et al. 2010).
Furthermore, Amino Acids found in DRAGON have been shown to have a performance enhancing effect and can also be used as energy source, when stores are dwindling (DeSourza and Green,2005; Williams 2005; Burrin and Stoll, 2008; Zhou et al. 2013)
So transcend your limits with the power and intensity of a DRAGON, and let nothing get in the way of your goals…
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Filthy Human Plant Juice from Geeky Teas
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!
Blueberry Scone Green Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Green Tea, Freeze-Dried Blueberries, Nutmeg, and Natural Flavors
This tea is sold out but check out the rest of the green tea selection at 52Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Looking thru my huge tea stash I have I saw that I still hadn’t tried this particular tea from 52Teas yet. I love 52Teas and have reviewed them for both SororiTea Sisters and my own blog, CuppaGeek. I love the passion and uniqueness I find in the teas they offer.
This particular green tea is no longer available to purchase, but I still wanted to give my thoughts. That is the one problem with 52Teas is that when you find a tea you like, you need to act quickly and pick some of the tea blend up before it sells out. Because once a tea at 52Teas sells out, that is it. There isn’t anymore available unless you get lucky and there is a reblend. And I don’t blame them at all for running the business that way. That is what makes 52Teas so unique. There is a constant flow of new teas being released so you’d have to and some point say good bye to others just to keep the inventory straight.
Blueberry Scone Green Tea is a blend of green tea, blueberries, natural flavors, and nutmeg. The nutmeg part just throws me and that is where the baked good or pastry note I’m assuming will fall into place. I took one whiff of the dry leaf and just sighed. The blueberry and nutmeg aromas mingled together so nicely. Really giving a blueberry baked good feel.
I brewed this tea up with water prepped at about 175F and allowed the tea to steep for about 4 minutes. The instructions did say 5-6, but I wanted to error on the side of caution.
Finally the tea was done and ready to try. I took my first sip and just wow. This tea blend is delicious. The flavors really mix so well together. I will admit that the nutmeg really made me hesitate there for a second because I wasn’t sure how the green tea and the nutmeg worked but the base of this tea is a lovely rich and buttery smoothness with just hints of the nutmeg running thru it. The major tasting note you walk away with is the blueberries. The blueberries in this tea really taste like fresh blueberries that are in a decadent and rich blueberry sauce. There is almost a blueberry jam quality to what I’m picking up. Just wonderful.
This is one blend I hope makes its way to the reblend section soon. I only have a taster pouch and now I wish I had a much larger one! I think what I have left will go to a cold brew pitcher because this tea will be amazing as an iced tea!
Staring at the Sea from August Uncommon Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: August Uncommon Tea
Tea Description:
Comfort from the hearth while gazing at fog as it gently drifts over the sea. The odor of warm buttery country bread rises to your nose, tenderly warming your face. A faint note of macadamia and bits of crust browning on a brick oven floor linger on the tongue. Hints of sweet grasses spring forth to brighten and balance the thick, chewy texture. Come in from the cold.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have heard so much about this company on Steepster that I was very excited to see it in one of the traveling tea boxes that hit my house late last week. This was the first one I grabbed to try. I’m such a green tea fan that I couldn’t wait to dig in and try out some new green teas.
August Uncommon Tea has unique tea blends that I’ve heard varied reviews about. This particular blend is a Japanese Green Tea with Barley in it. I brewed this delight up like all my green teas with the help of my handy dandy Breville and allowed the brew to cool off for a few moments.
Took my first sip and this is a different tasting green tea for sure. And one I’m enjoying. The green tea base is buttery and smooth. The barley that has been added in provides a nice nutty background that gives the tea an added richness. Like the description says, there is a crust like flavor and even faint notes of macadamia nuts.
This is one of those teas where the description really matches and translate well into the flavor you are given. I’m curious what this one would taste like as a cold brew and hope to be able to try that soon.
The more I drink of this one, the more I really like it. This could easily be an every day sort of tea for me for sure!