Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
Sweet roasted sloe berries doused in honey and liquid hibiscus, tossed with fresh spearmint and 3-distinct green teas, paired with real pine needles. That’s Mintberry Pine. It’s our limited-edition green tea holiday blend that offers a more complex, subtle taste (as opposed to mint exploding in your mouth with the force of a white hot sun). If you’re a green tea lover, mint lover, berry lover, or all three, this tea is perfect for you. Get it while it’s here!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I saw that M&K’s Tea Company had some really intriguing holiday blends, I decided that I needed (yes, needed) to try them! Fortunately, they understood this need and they offered a Wintertime Tea Sampler! This sampler offers five different teas: Moroccan Mint, Pine Needle Tea, Winterwolf Tea, White Vanilla Peppermint and this Mintberry Pine Green Tea. These samples were all packed into a special sampler package that’s just the right size for stocking stuffers. It’s a handsome package, something that Santa would be proud to give!
Before I received my package, I received a message from Marty (the “M” of M&K’s, I think!) explaining that the Mintberry Pine (and the Pine Needle Tea) are both very subtle teas. He recommended steeping them a little longer than the package directs and to allow plenty of steep room for the leaves (let them steep loose in the teapot instead of using an infuser tool).
To steep, I grabbed my small teapot (4 cup size) and dusted it off – it’s been a while since I’ve used this! I have gotten spoiled with my Breville! I warmed the teapot and poured the contents of the sampler into the teapot and heated 16 ounces of water to 180°F. Then I poured the water into the teapot and let it steep for 3 1/2 minutes. The package suggests 2 – 4 1/2 minutes, but I couldn’t bear to let a green tea steep longer than 3 1/2 minutes. I was willing to sacrifice a little of the mint, berry and pine flavors but I didn’t want a bitter green tea.
Yes, the flavors are a little subtle, but I like that I’m tasting all the elements of this tea and that the green tea doesn’t taste bitter.
I like the subtle flavor of the mint here. I like that I have a crisp, cool minty taste without it tasting like I added a shot of mouthwash to my cup of green tea.
The berry notes add some sweetness and not a lot of tartness (which I was a little apprehensive about because I saw liquid hibiscus up there in the description). There is a light, tingly tart tone that tickles the tongue (try saying that five times fast) in the aftertaste, but that’s to be expected with berry blends. I’m also picking up a delightful honeyed note from the honey roasting process. Nice touch.
The pine needles are the softest flavor component of the three elements in the name of this tea. I do get a very slight, resinous pine note to this that hits the palate right at the start and then it quickly disappears and reappears just after mid-sip, just to remind me that it is there. It’s very faint and it’s something that I think I’d have missed if I didn’t search for it.
However, as I continue to sip, I taste more and more of the pine, and by the time I’m halfway through my second cup of this tea, I’m getting a nice pine note. It never becomes a strong presence, but it certainly is a noticeable presence at this point.
And let us not forget that we’re drinking tea here. There’s a soft, buttery note of green tea. It’s lightly grassy (and I think that the grassy tones accentuate both the pine and the mint notes in a positive way), and it has a nice mouthfeel. It’s not bitter nor is it overly astringent, even though I steeped it longer than I typically would steep a green tea. I think that this could have even gone another 30 seconds to 1 full minute longer without bitterness!
Overall, a very unique blend. Certainly festive and definitely different from the other teas that everyone else is producing out there! Bravo M&K!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 7 from Teanzo 1856
Seasons Greetings on Day 7! There are just eighteen days left until the big day and just seventeen shopping days left until that day!
Yesterday, I shared with you a holiday ornament that I made by decoupaging papers onto a paperboard coaster and attaching a cool fringe-y element. The highlight of that particular project was the paisley design, because as I’ve mentioned already, I love paisley. I go wild when I see something paisley.
So, I thought I’d share something that I made for another year’s 12 Day of Christmas gift swap. I was Day 1 in this swap, a fact I remember mostly because the project that I made turned out to be very “pear-like” – unintentionally – but it was still really cool because I was day 1 (Partridge in a Pear Tree.)
For this project, I upcycled a few burned out light bulbs. Then I used a resin clay and covered the threading of the bulb. This served two purposes, one, it covered up the metal threading, plus it enabled me to attach a wire loop to the ornament and seal it in with the resin clay. After the resin clay had set, I started decoupaging different papers. After each of the layers had dried, I finished the decoupage with a paisley napkin, and then after that was dry, I painted the bulb using shimmery paints and added rhinestones and sparkly fibers. I finished it off with a pretty purple ribbon.
I was quite proud of this project. I tend to be a bit of a pack rat (I think that most artists are) and at that point, I had accumulated a lot of burned out light bulbs and my husband was quite annoyed that I had a box full of burned out light bulbs. He would ask, “What are you going to do with them?” This! This is what I did with them.
Let’s see what tea Teanzo sent me for Day Seven!
Moroccan Mint Green Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Whisk away to the culturally diverse Kingdom of Morocco. Slightly larger than California, Morocco is known as “an oasis for the senses”, with its rich culture, mesmerizing natural landscapes and magnificent architecture.
Moroccan Mint tea is Morocco’s drink of hospitality, and is served throughout the day to welcome guests at home and in business. Moroccan Mint Tea is a refreshing combination of gunpowder green tea with mint. Serve it hot or over ice, or mixed with a little lemonade.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! I was happy to find a Moroccan Mint in this Advent Calendar box, and even happier to see that it was a Moroccan Mint with a gunpowder green tea base. Yeah, I’ve had Moroccan Mint teas with other tea bases: black teas, other green teas, and I’ve even had at least one Moroccan Mint that was just mint. No Camellia Sinensis. Still tasty, yes. But, it didn’t need the fancy “Moroccan Mint” title. It could have just had the “mint” because that was what it was.
But this one tastes like the Moroccan Mint teas that I originally fell in love with – a refreshing burst of mint with the complex flavors of a Chinese gunpowder green tea. These two elements seem so well suited for one another.
To brew this sample pouch, I again reached for my Kati tumbler and poured the contents of the pouch directly into the basket. Then I added 12 ounces of hot water (I heated it to 175°F) and let it steep for 2 minutes.
The gunpowder is sweet, earthy and just a wee bit vegetal. I find those vegetal tones to be very complementary with the herbaceous quality of the mint. There is a hint of smoky quality to the gunpowder – a distant smoky note – a compelling contrast to the fresh notes of the mint.
The mint isn’t overdone in this blend. This doesn’t taste overly minty. It’s not mouthwash-y. It adds a delightful fresh note without overpowering the palate with minty vibes. It’s a touch of crispness to the earthy gunpowder green tea.
This tea resteeps well. The flavors taste a little more unified when resteeped and I like that seamless taste. A very enjoyable cup!
Black Mint Maté Blend from Because UR Priceless
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea & Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tea Description:
According to research studies, Yerba Matế (pronounced mah-tay) contain Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, Niacin, and B5 along with Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Zinc. It is also considered a good source of 15 different amino acids and a plethora of antioxidants.
In other words, its good for you. Our BLACK MINT MATẾ tea is an energizing blend of black tea and yerba mate along with a invigorating touch of mint. Refreshingly bold flavor for a happier, healthier you.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I took my first sip of this while the tea was still very hot (just finished brewing!) and at that moment, I wasn’t too sure I was all that excited about what I was drinking. So, I let my cup cool for a few minutes and now that the temperature of the liquid has dropped to a “drinkable” temperature, I find this much more enjoyable! Sometimes, tea needs time to develop it’s flavor – don’t give up on it just because the first sip isn’t all that!
This is an interesting blend of two types of mint – peppermint and spearmint – and yerba mate and black tea. Just as with the Sweet Cinnamon Mate, the yerba mate used for this blend is a green (rather than roasted) yerba mate. The green yerba mate has a fresher taste to it which accents the minty tones in a very pleasing way. Although, it would be interesting to see how the roasted yerba mate would work in this blend. It might enhance the black tea flavors.
The black tea here is certainly discernible, but in the earliest sips, I felt as though it was just a little overwhelmed by the mint notes. It could also be the way I chose to brew this tea: Instead of going with boiling water to steep as I would with most black teas, because this tea also had yerba mate and mint in it, I decided to drop the temperature to my usual yerba mate setting of 195°F. When I brew mate at a higher temperature, the flavor often becomes bitter, and I find this to be true with herbal leaf as well. So I went with a little lower temperature and steeped the tea for 4 minutes.
But now that I’ve sipped past the halfway point in my cup, I’m picking up on more black tea flavor. It offers a nice dimension of flavor and at this point, I’m starting to realize that this blend is more about “balance” than “black tea.” I taste not only yerba mate and mint, but also black tea. It adds a certain smoothness to the earthy notes of the yerba mate and the clean, fresh flavor of the mint.
The mint is prominent. I like the way the mint notes are melding with the earthy/vegetal notes of the mate. The mate seems to subdue the powerful, zesty flavor of the mint in a very favorable way. For those of you who tend to avoid “minty” teas because you don’t want a cup of mouthwash – this is the tea for you! This doesn’t taste like mouthwash – there is just enough crisp, cool mint flavor for that uplifting, invigorating flavor without tasting like a liquefied breath mint. It tastes refreshing!
Overall, this is a very enjoyable cup of tea. I like the balance of this blend. I like that I taste mint but it doesn’t overpower the cup. I like that I can taste the black tea and the yerba mate. And I like how these components compliment each other. I like this!
Mojito Mint Green Tea with Matcha from Stash
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.
Revitalize Ayurvedic Tea from TeaVeda
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Veda Company
Tea Description:
“Revitalize” your mind, body and spirit with refreshing and rejuvenating essences of wild mint, cinnamon and traditional Ayurvedic Indian Gooseberry. Each blend is mildly caffeinated with green tea, one of nature’s antioxidant wonders.
Learn more about the teas from TeaVeda here.
Taster’s Review:
Indian Gooseberry is not something that I’m well acquainted with, so I googled it to learn more. Based on the information that I could find, it is high in vitamin C, it is an antioxidant and does all kinds of other good for you things like enhances brain function, heart support and it’s good for your skin and hair among many other benefits.
OK, sounds good to me.
The berry is supposed to offer a very strong sour and bitter taste. Bitter and sour are not two of my favorite words when it comes to describing tea.
So maybe the Indian Gooseberry is starting to sound less good to me.
But, hey, there are other ingredients in this tea too. Not just the gooseberry. Cinnamon and wild mint. I like them. And I like green tea. So, maybe these other ingredients will help make the Indian Gooseberry more palatable.
So, I’ll try it. Hey! That’s what I do. That’s why I’m here. And that’s why you’re here. You’re here to read about what I’m drinking. And I’m about to drink this tea.
To brew it, I heated freshly filtered water to 175°F and I got out my favorite teacup. Unfortunately, it isn’t the gorgeous Revitalize teacup from the TeaVeda collection. But I like my sunflower teacup anyway!
I let the tea sachet steep for 2 minutes. The aroma has a strong fruity essence with light background notes of cinnamon and a whisper of mint.
The flavor is strong. It has a strong, berry like flavor that is indeed both bitter and sour. The cinnamon and mint do balance this strong flavor out though. I’m finding the flavor a little surprising because cinnamon and mint tend to be very strong, aggressive flavors and it surprises me that the Indian Gooseberry is a stronger flavor than the other ingredients. The gooseberry is what I taste – front and center – while the other flavors seem to temper the bitterness and tart character of the gooseberry.
That said, I find the flavor to be enjoyable. I am not a big fan of bitter and sour flavors, but, because of the presence of the mint and cinnamon, these two flavors are much more acceptable to my palate … not just acceptable, but actually enjoyable.
I don’t taste a lot of green tea here and if I’m to offer a complaint about this tea, that would be it. I would like to have a stronger green tea presence. After all, I’m drinking tea. I want to taste the tea.
I found this tea to be quite interesting, and I could notice myself feeling revitalized after I finished it. I would certainly drink this again if the opportunity presented itself.