Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Stash Tea
Tea Description:
Enjoy all the refreshing, minty flavor of a mojito in this uniquely appealing tea. All of the island flavor is here (minus the alcohol) plus Matcha, the exceptional Japanese green tea used in the traditional tea ceremony. Natural lime flavor accents the tea with just the right zesty flair. Makes a delicious iced tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I could smell the peppermint the moment I tore open the pouch! The notes of lime are also detectable in the aroma. It’s actually quite a nice fragrance: lime and peppermint with the herbaceous notes of green tea.
To infuse this tea bag, I pulled out my favorite teacup and steeped the bag in about 6 ounces of hot water (175°F) for 2 minutes. The brewed tea has a softer aroma than the dry tea.
The combination of lime and peppermint is quite tasty. I appreciate that the green tea is not masked by the flavors. Peppermint can be a very powerful flavor and take over a tea blend, and while the minty notes are strong here, they didn’t overwhelm the other flavors. I can taste the green tea and I’m also getting a fair amount of tart lime.
The green tea is sweet and the Matcha adds a slightly creamy texture to the cup. It tastes refreshing. A slight grassy note but not in a bitter way.
The lime is the real “star” of this cup. While the peppermint does come through strongest of the flavors, the lime perks up the cup and keeps me drinking. It’s a bright, zesty flavor that excites the palate.
Overall, a pleasant cup of tea. I’d drink this one again.
Product Review: Organic Lime Pomegranate Lightly Sweetened Iced Green Tea from steaz
Product Information:
It starts with certified organic and fair trade green tea sourced from around the world – we then brew our tea with the most flavorful fruits that are rich in antioxidants and finished with a hint of organic cane sugar for a healthy and delicious refreshment that will enhance your senses. And becuase our farms are Fair Trade Certified™, we ensure equal pay, better health care and equal opportunities for our farmers – so they too can reach new heights as well.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve said before that I’m not the biggest fan of RTD (Ready to Drink) teas that are available in just about any convenience store or grocery store. Most of them are crafted primarily of sugar or other sweeteners. They tend to be so full of sweetener and flavoring that the drinker can’t even taste the tea!
Occasionally, I come across one that’s different or at least, I come across one that seems to promise to be different. This can of Organic Lime Pomegranate iced green tea from steaz says “Lightly Sweetened” on it, and that’s what immediately caught my attention about it. Other eye catching features: “Organic” and “Fair Trade.” Two other things that I appreciated.
So, I’ll give it a try.
The description above states that there is a “hint of organic cane sugar.” However, the ingredient list tells a slightly different tale:
INGREDIENTS: Filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, natural pomegranate & lime flavors, organic lemon juice, fair trade certified™ organic green tea.
When the ingredient is second on a list five ingredients, that suggests to me that maybe there’s a little more than just a “hint” of sugar in this. Also, after reading the ingredient list, I’m a little disturbed by the fact that the green tea is the LAST ingredient on the list! What?!?
And unfortunately, with this tea, you can taste the ingredients as they’re listed. I taste more sweetener and flavoring than I do green tea.
That said, this drink does have some redeeming qualities. It is a tasty drink. The lime is the strongest of the flavors, but I taste a sweet-tart pomegranate note in there too. While I do taste more sugar than I do tea, it isn’t TOO sweet or cloyingly so. This isn’t as sweet as say … the typical soda pop would be. My teeth don’t feel as though they’ve been coated with sugar as I drink this beverage.
It’s a tasty, refreshing beverage. I do wish I could taste more tea than sugar or pomegranate and lime. I feel like this has been marketed as a tea product and as an organic product for the health appeal without any real focus on the tea. Those who are trying to make “healthier” choices while shopping would probably buy this. This isn’t a drink for tea drinkers, it’s a drink for those who probably have never really tried green tea and think that this is what green tea is supposed to taste like.
Product Review: Lime Zero Unsweetened Guayusa from Runa
Product Information:
Step into the limelight – experience bright and refreshing flavor with zero calories.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t often buy RTD teas/tisanes. But usually when I’m in the supermarket, I do look over the varieties of teas and tisanes that are available in the ready to drink section.
My biggest issue with RTD teas/tisanes is that they’re usually so loaded with some type of sweetener and often more than one type of sweetener that I can’t taste the tea. Then it begs the question for me – what’s the difference between this and a soda? Nothing really, except that the soda has bubbles. So really, the sweetener has changed the tea into a soda that is more expensive than the typical commercial soda … an expensive soda without bubbles.
So, last week when I was in Chuck’s Produce, this ready to drink Guayusa caught my attention.
The first thing that caught my attention was the price. It was a featured item that was priced competitively ($ .99 for a bottle, not bad.) The second thing that caught my attention was the word unsweetened on the top of the label. This isn’t zero calories because it’s made with stevia or an artificial sweetener that will make me feel queasy. This has zero calories because there is NO SWEETENER in it at all.
In fact, here is the ingredient list:
INGREDIENTS:
Brewed organic guayusa (purified water and organic guayusa leaves**), organic lime juice concentrate, organic lime extract, natural flavors, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Now that’s my kind of ingredient list. OK, I’d like a little more details on what the “natural flavors” are, but, I like that this is has no sugar, no cane syrup, no corn syrup, no stevia, no aspartame, no saccharine, no nothing to make this taste like some sticky, sickeningly sweet, syrupy soda without bubbles.
And what I’m tasting is lime and Guayusa. The Guayusa has that smooth, slightly earthy and coffee-esque taste that I’ve come to recognize as Guayusa. The lime is strong in this, but it tastes like real lime juice. It’s bright and refreshing. The drink is cool and energizing and it feels clean on the palate, not heavy or inundated with too much sweetener.
I’m really happy that there are some companies out there who are willing to celebrate the flavor of the leaf – even if the leaf in this instance happens to be the leaf of Guayusa and not Camellia Sinensis – my point is that this is the way RTD teas/tisanes should be. They should be about the leaf and not the sugar!
Lime Cola Guayusa from Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Energy boosting Guayusa tea is blended with cola nut and linden leaves in this lime and cola flavoured tea blend. Guayusa is another one of those Amazonian energy charged super plants and Linden leaves (Lime) has been used for centuries to treat colds, fevers and inflamation.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a guayusa tisane, so when I saw that Bluebird Tea Co. had this Lime Cola Guayusa, I knew it was something that I just had to try!
Guayusa is an herb that has a high caffeine content, so it’s one of those tisanes that you should consume earlier in the day so that you’re not overstimulated as the day comes to an end. I find that after I’ve consumed a cup of Guayusa, I’m much more alert and energized!
This is a tasty blend. I don’t know if I’m getting a true “Lime Cola” taste out of this, but it does taste good. Guayusa tends to have a slightly coffee-esque taste to it, but its smoother and not bitter the way a cup of joe tends to be. And I do get that thinned coffee taste from the Guayusa here.
Then I taste lime! It’s a bright, uplifting flavor that elevates the cup. I taste the citrus notes throughout the sip and well into the aftertaste where I’m getting a little tarty tingle on the tongue.
I do get a slight cola-like flavor and this is especially noticeable as the drink cools. While the drink is hot, though, I could barely taste any cola notes at all. This definitely tastes better chilled!
Even though I didn’t get as much “Lime Cola” taste as I thought I would based on the name of this tisane, I did really enjoy this. I found it tasty and of course, invigorating! A really tasty blend!
Tequila Lime Green Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Young Hyson is one of my favorite green teas. It has that characteristically buttery-sweet flavor present in a lot of Chinese greens, with just a touch of smokiness. I think it pairs beautifully with the tequila and lime flavors in this week’s blend to create a rich, satisfying cuppa that is as unique as it is tasty.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve said it more than once, but I’m not much of a drinker of alcohol (I’m a tea-totaler!) But I have really enjoyed most of the various alcohol-inspired and infused teas that I’ve tried. And this Tequila Lime Green Tea from 52Teas might be one of my favorites thus far!
The flavor of the Young Hyson melds nicely with the notes of lime and the hint of tequila. I don’t taste a real heavy tequila flavor; I’m tasting mostly green tea and lime. But that’s OK with me (see my first sentence of this review!)
As the description above suggests, there is a light smoky note to the Young Hyson and this adds a pleasant dimension of flavor to the tequila notes. It’s slightly earthy with notes of flower. The lime perks up these flavors.
I’d rather be drinking this than tequila with lime because I’m not getting that burn from the tequila. Maybe a twinge of heat to the back of the throat, but not the burn.
Interestingly enough, this tea does bring me back to those youthful days when I did tequila shots. Maybe this tea would do with a pinch of salt?
Overall, this is a really smooth tasting tea. The Young Hyson has a smooth and sweet flavor. It isn’t overly grassy, but there are soft vegetal notes that work well with the bright, acidic taste of lime. The lime adds an uplifting flavor to the cup. It’s sweet and tart, but not pucker-y tart. It’s a nicely rounded taste. I like it.