A perfect middle of the afternoon tea. Enough caffeine to keep you from a siesta on your keyboard at work with a good punch of peppermint to awaken your senses and yet keep you calm.
One does need to point out those that this is more of a peppermint green tea then it is a candy cane green tea. You really need sugar in a tea to call it such. Don’t get me wrong I prefer my teas without sugar so I am fine with this blend, it just doesn’t remind me of a candy cane.
The green leaf looks pretty but unfortunately I can’t taste any of it! The peppermint is so overpowering in taste and in the aroma. Smells like my dentist office.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tease Tea
Description:
The perfect green tea & minty holiday brew to enjoy in your cozies or with a cozy crush! A layer of safflowers offers an extra festive flair.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Louisa May Alcott from Simpson and Vail
Just when I think I’ve tried all the lovely literary teas from Simpson and Vail I find a new blend. This time it is Louisa May Alcott’s blend.
This tea is made with chunmee green tea, which is new to me. The light and easygoing tones of this fruity green tea blend makes it pleasant and approachable but far from dull. The green tea base is gentle and sweet and pairs perfectly with the abundant apple and strawberry pieces in the blend.
When brewed, this tea feels like late summer with potent real fruit flavors, and grassy green tea tones. The combination evokes images of lush fruit harvests and the last warm summer days with sun-baked grass.
There is a hint of rose petals in the finish of ach sip, adding to the end of summer garden feeling. I really appreciate the green tea being both sweet and buttery, which helps the fruit from being too sweet or simple. This is a great blend for when you are looking for something delicate but memorable. Also a good choice of tea when you want to bring up the feeling of some late summer days.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description:
Early in Little Women, while visiting a sick Laurie, Jo says that her sister Meg’s blancmange is made “very nicely.” Later, her own attempt turns out “lumpy” and accompanied by strawberries that were “not as ripe as they looked.” Our blend follows Meg’s example and is almost, as Laurie says, “too pretty to [drink].” Combining almond and strawberry flavors, this blend brews to a delicious tea that is fruity and aromatic. It manages to be both sweet and light thanks to the Chunmee green tea base and the gentle floral notes added by the rose petals.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sencha Sensation from T2 Tea
Sencha Sensation from T2 Tea is a flavored green tea blend with added flower petals. Since this is a green tea, remember to keep your water temperature cooler than normal to bring out the best flavors.
When brewed, this blend smells buttery and tropical. These flavors continue into the taste with passionfruit and citrus flavors complementing the lush and fresh green tea base. The tea is sugary from the fruitiness without being candy-like, and the end of each sip features more of the natural celery or sweetgrass flavors of the green tea leaves.
I drank this blend warm on a rainy day for an afternoon pick-me-up and the fruity and floral flavors helped sweeten my mood. This would also be a great tea to cold brew. The cooler temperature would suit the green tea and the tropical flavors always taste better over ice.
Let yourself get swept up in the Sencha Sensation.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: green
Where to Buy: T2 Tea
Description: A blend of petals with sencha green tea produces a light floral taste and citrus aroma. A subtle flavoured green for those who like a delicate brew.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Paksong Green/ Rakkasan Tea Co
A bit of a cold has taken hold of me. So I apologize in advance as my taste buds are a bit perplexed. This tea is reminiscent of other roasted greens with the roasted notes but the impact isn’t quite the same. It hits you like a light tap and then the entire flavor wheel just disappears. Not even an aftertaste. The light flavors are of asparagus with slight grassy undertones. The wet leaf smell, even with my nose somewhat clogged, is a wonderful wok roasted smell. You know that smell you get from a lovingly cared for, nicely aged wok? That homey vegetal scent. If you are a fan of green tea definitely give this one a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description:
Paksong Green is a large-leaf, green tea grown on the Bolaven Plateau of southern Laos. This fine green tea owes its character to the careful hand-processing of artisan farmers. After plucking and withering, the tea leaves are hand-rolled. Then a short roast on a wood fire gives the tea a subtle, slightly smoky finish with notes of baby corn, young asparagus and seaweed.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
H’mong Kings Tea from Rakkasan. . . .
Generally when you think of green tea you think of Japan or China first. What about Vietnam? Wasn’t on my radar until I spotted this one. This rare wild grown tea is a true splendor to behold. The dry leaves have an incredibly unique aroma. This scent is what I think of when I think umami. It’s almost like they cooked something on the pan before they roasted it. Somewhat vegetal but nothing like the usual vegetal flavors found in tea. SMOKY! Smoky vegetal! But not like Lapsang Souchong. The wet leaves smell like passion fruit. NO I am NOT joking. They don’t taste like it though… Don’t taste the leaves. And the liquid? Awesome. Grassy sweet with just a very slight amount of bitterness. I need more.
More in my cup. The leaves slowly un-twisting in my cup are lovely. The Agony of the leaves. It is interesting how pan firing a tea can give it such a different flavor profile.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan
Description
This is a rare wild-grown, green tea produced by Black H’mong families in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam at over 5,200 feet. It is different from other green teas in that it is fired and dried by hand in a wood-fired cast iron pan rather than a drum oven. It has a smoky aroma and earthy and woody notes reminiscent of the surrounding pine forest where it grows. Like other wild green teas, it is naturally sweet with little bitterness.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!