Steeped with a heaping tablespoon of leaves at 175 degrees in about 1 cup of water.
This tea was a new experience for me! I’ve tried lots of flavored green teas, but never one where the green tea was a substitute for black tea in a chai blend. As a result of this tea, I’ve realized how different these spices are outside of a conventional chai context and how much I take the black tea base for granted in chai blends!
As it steeps, I can detect a fragrance of spices; it smells like cinnamon and possibly cloves. The tea liquid isn’t very dark. In fact it’s only achieved a pale honeylike color after it’s finished steeping; it’s a little viscous, with nearly invisible flecks (of cinnamon, perhaps?) swimming in it.
The flavor is very different from any chai I’ve ever tried. The spices, instead of melding with a malty black tea flavor to form a rounded flavor profile, are instead mingling with the bright astringent green tea notes (grassy almost, but not much on the floral side that I can detect). This makes for a very focused flavor overall. It’s highly concentrated in the bright and forward flavor notes and not so much rounded out with the deeper tones that a black tea normally imparts to a chai (in my experience). It’s almost bitter, but then again, I may have oversteeped it a bit–I like my chais strong.
With milk, it’s suddenly not very strong at all. It still has spice flavors, but I’m really missing the black tea base here. And I know you aren’t really “supposed” to put milk in green tea, but that’s what I normally do with chai so I figured why not?
So to sum up, don’t expect this to taste like a more conventional chai! Instead, expect a bright, spicy, focused flavor that’s intended to be enjoyed alone or with a little sweetener; I recommend trying it without milk. In fact, I bet this would make a great iced tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Vahdam Teas
Description
A superior blend of fresh green tea from Darjeeling blended with choicest Indian spices like Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove & Black Peppercorns. Discover a smooth fulfilling aroma of fresh greens with delicious undertones of raw spices in every sip. The liquor is bright green with an energizing aroma. A unique chai tea which can be served with or without milk.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Dragon! from 52Teas. . . . .
I have talked about Steepster before and I will probably mention it again as it is a large part of my tea-loving life. Recently it gave me the opportunity to not only enter but WIN a draw by 52 Teas for their monthly teabox. I lucked out even more by winning the box of their anniversary month so while they normally have 4 teas of the week in the box, my box had 5 teas to try.
This tea and another tea, The Unicorn!, were both the blends made for the first week of the month and they are both inspired by the Starbucks Frappuccinos of the same names. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try The Dragon frappuccino but I can appreciate the idea and I am excited to give the 52 Teas interpretation a try
The Dragon! brings together limes, strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallow root, all on a green tea base.
I brewed this up hot per the recommended steeping parameters.The liquid is the color of a clear and light lemonade (this is how my sister described it when I asked). The taste is also light, though not without flavor. Lots of natural tasting, juicy berry flavor, effectively mimicking the berry ribbon in the namesake frappuccino. The lime contributes a bit of flavor but mostly adds a refreshing brightness to the tea. Finally, the marshmallow root keeps everything sweet and fluffy. Is this in-your-face like a frappuccino? No, this is lighter and easier to drink but still satisfies the sweet tooth and to me, that makes this a winner.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available. Click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cherry Almond Gunpowder from 52Teas. . . .
Cherries typically are paired with chocolate which is delicious but I have to say I’m more of a nut kind of gal. So when 52Teas released this Cherry Almond Gunpowder Tea, I was like- take my money now!
Cherry Almond Gunwpoder from 52Teas is a handblended tea with a green tea (gunpowder) base with dried cherries and sunflower seeds added in along with natural flavors. First whiff of this, you definitely come away with this nutty robust aroma.
Brewed with water prepped right under boiling and allowed to brew for 3 minutes, this tea just kept giving off these nutty notes that kept me standing attention by the kitchen timer. I eagerly awaited that beeping noise telling me my tea was ready to go.
After the tea cooled for a few moments, I took my first sip. I have to say this tea is quite dynamic.
Rich strong smoky flavors came across while being entangled with this sweetness from the cherries while the sunflower seeds marvelously round out the nutty tones. I can’t say that I’m getting almond but I’m extremely happy with the flavors I am getting. With the gunpowder tea being the base, this tea has this robustness that brilliantly works against the sweeter tones.
Being the fan of gunpowder teas that I am, I will say I was a bit hesitant about this blend. I wasn’t sure how the cherries would play along side the richness of the green tea, but wow is the flavor profile for this tea just magnificent. . So much so I even emailed 52Teas and asked how much of this tea was in stock because I wanted to purchase whatever they had left.
Sorry to all that didn’t get to try this tea because I bought the rest of what 52Teas had to offer. It was a beauty!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
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!
Blackberry Mojito Green Tea from Teavana . . . .
My coworker brewed up a bunch of this upon arrival this morning and gave me a cup. (AN ANGEL UPON EARTH.)
Brewed hot: It’s a very deep, rich, sassy berry blend, with a lot of blackberry and raspberry notes. You can taste each note individually. I think of those as the semi-sweet berries instead of the super-sweet berries (strawberry, cherry) — like the difference between dark chocolate and milk chocolate. The mint/mojito part of it is more of a mouthfeel* sensation than a flavor. It’s a tingling sensation, like when you brush your teeth.
* Is there a worse word than “mouthfeel”? It’s a great descriptive tool, but as a word, it’s horrid. Gross.
Iced: I drank about half of my cup hot, and then iced the rest, just to see. The mint is a little more pronounced cold, so if you’re a mint fanatic, ice it. The berries turn into a less distinct sensation-of-berry as opposed to an individually-nuanced every-berry-for-itself melee.
In neither case can I taste the green tea much. So if you want just a pinch of caffeine or green tea benefits — but don’t like the flavor of green tea — this might be a workable solution for you!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavana
Description
This refreshing flavored green tea perfectly captures the Latin-inspired minty mojito cocktail by combining succulent blackberries and raspberries with a spearmint kick.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Green Tea from LST. . . . .
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.
It’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 Tea
Where to Buy: LST
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!
