Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green, Sencha
Where to Buy: Den’s Tea
Tea Description:
Grape Sencha has a grape flavor plus a hint of dried cranberry and raspberry. These combine into the sweet-tart flavors of our Grape Sencha. Great for iced tea.
Origin: Shizuoka
Harvest: Between First and Second Harvests
Species: Yabukita
Fun fruity and sweet grape flavor. Best selling among our fruit flavored teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a delight! Don’t let the kool aid aroma scare you! This tea is beautifully flavored with natural grapes which you can see right in your steeping basket! Such a beautiful tea to look at and I was tempted to steal one big grape and stick it right into my mouth, but I resisted.
Den’s has never disappointed me when it comes to Japanese green teas. I began my journey with them by getting their $3.00 sampler package and I have not stopped my journey since!
This tea is excellent both hot and iced.
The grape flavor is by no means cloying in its sweetness, it is rather quite natural and juicy. It also is not like a grape juice even though it may smell as such. The grape flavor is an undertone that gently supports the excellent sencha base.
Perhaps the cranberry and raspberry ease the sweetness in their supporting roles, yet as supporters they do not take center stage or attempt to shine too brightly. There is a slight tartness to the cup but only slight.
Not to be outdone by the beautiful dry leaves the steeped color of this cup turns out to be a gorgeous sun shiny yellow/golden hue.
From the boquet-esque look of the dry leaf, to the sunny cup it provides, to the flavor of this tea, everything about it is cheery and joyful.
Happiness in a cup.
Creme Brulee Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
When exotic, oriental and velvety Matcha is combined with the wildly popular Crème Brulee, the resulting taste can only be described as mouth watering. Crème Brulee Matcha is the desert of choice for those very warm and balmy days when guests are assembled and their tastes buds are primed for an unforgettable treat. The rich sweet burnt cream taste combined with Matcha’s uplifting touch, can turn an ordinary bland day into an extraordinary adventure for the palate. When served cool, this delectable and aesthetic looking desert always exceeds its expectations.
Crème Brulee Matcha is ideal for many settings where both adults and children are gathered. This is because, its creamy sweet taste makes it a favorite among young children, while Matcha’s balancing touch gives adults the extra edge that they need to make this excellent treat truly outstanding. With Crème Brulee Matcha nobody can go wrong irrespective of their surroundings. It blends perfectly with many other well loved deserts but quickly becomes a favorite because of the lasting feeling of pure pleasure in the mouth. Although it is best served cold, Crème Brulee Matcha can be taken at any time of the day or night despite the changing seasons of the year. It always leaves the lingering feeling of wanting more of the same.
100% Pure Matcha, Ceremonial Grade, Natural Flavors, No Artificial Coloring, No Sweeteners, No Preservatives, MSG/Chemical Additive Free.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Most of you probably do not know this about me yet but I am a matcha junkie. If there were a support group for matcha lovers – I would be in it! My support group however consists of other tea and matcha lovers so they enable me rather than hold me back and I am just fine with that!
I have quite the collection of matcha and I have my favorites but yet at the same time, I have yet to find a flavored matcha from Red Leaf Tea that I dislike! So I am absolutely biased – I just wanted to get that on the table.
So this particular flavor Creme Brulee, is very buttery. When I opened the package BUTTER is the first thought that came to mind. I offered it to my daughter to sniff and she said the same thing “smells buttery”. Now another admission of mine is that I love butter. Straight butter, I will always steal a taste directly from the stick when cooking, but it has to be real butter – no margarine for this girl!
When I sampled this tea for the first time just a bit ago, I gulped it down so fast I had to make a second to finish the review. Poor me, haha!
This matcha is creamy, and yes, buttery, and sweet. It does taste like the custard part of a creme brulee, however the burnt sugar crust is not totally lacking, its there but subtle. If you are a die hard, culinary backed goods expert you MAY find fault in this creme brulee matcha creation, however if you are like me, and only lucky enough to get your hands on some real creme brulee every great once in a while then you should be more than pleased! Granted this IS matcha, not the actual dessert, and in all of Red Leaf Tea’s matcha I feel that the true flavors of whatever is being recreated is done quite well! This one does not beat out my love for Caramel Popcorn, or Butterscotch, or even Macadamia Nut Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, however it would make my top 10 list, easy!
Earl Grey from Foxfire Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Foxfire Teas
Tea Description:
A special blend of this popular black tea; marvelous citrus aroma with a nice body | ORGANIC-FAIR TRADE
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh happy day! I just love Earl Grey!
I generally love most Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried. There have been a few rare exceptions. But I’ve definitely enjoyed more than I’ve disliked, and quite often, I find one that makes me really happy. Like this one!
The bergamot is really smooth. This is like the smooth-talking Mr. Grey. While many Earl Grey teas can have a sort of sharpness to them, this one does not. From the very first moment that the sip touches the palate, it is nothing but smooth. It is so smooth, it is almost reminiscent of an Earl Grey Creme … but without the vanilla and/or cream flavoring. It is definitely bergamot all the way, and while the bergamot is definitely tangy (as it usually is) it just doens’t taste sharp. There are no soapy notes, nothing that tastes like it’s even close to verging on perfume. Just smooth, sweet yet tangy fruit tones from the bergamot with very few of the floral tones that often accompany it.
The black tea is so rich and full-flavored. It is smooth to match the smooth quality of the bergamot. It is a delicious and robust tea, but it isn’t overwhelmingly bold – it does not need to overpower the bergamot. In fact, I find the two components to be very well matched, and they work together quite well to create a very harmonious flavor.
If you like Earl Grey, you should do yourself a favor and try this one. It’s excellence in a teacup!
Vanilla Bean Honeybush from California Tea House
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: California Tea House
Tisane Description:
Honeybush is made from the Cyclopia sessiliflora plant from the mountains of the South African Cape. It is very similar to Rooibos in taste and health aspects, yet it is naturally a little more sweet. We took the highest grade Honeybush and blended in vanilla bean pieces and marigold petals to create our naturally caffeine-free Vanilla Bean Honeybush.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tisane brings back memories! Back when I flavored and blended teas, I had a delicious organic vanilla honeybush, and this tastes quite a bit like that one did. The naturally sweet, nutty flavor of the honeybush seems to marry very well with the creamy tones of vanilla. The result is a sweet, smooth cup that is delicious any time of day.
While I am enjoying this (and it is good hot or iced!) I think it would be even better with a bit more vanilla flavor. As it is, it has a pleasing vanilla note, but, I think that a little more vanilla would help to tone down the slightly sour wood note that I taste toward mid-sip. It isn’t what I’d call “off-putting” but, I think it would taste better without it. In addition, I think that the additional vanilla flavor would give it a little more body, and I’m finding this cup to be a wee bit on the thin side.
Overall, though, this is enjoyable. Makes a sweet, cozy cup to enjoy later in the evening when you might want something a little on the sweet side, this can help curb those cravings. A nice, relaxing cup.
White Peony Tea from Frontier Co-Op
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Frontier Co-Op
Product Description:
This tea takes its name from its silvery, unopened buds. It has a delicate, ethereal flavor that builds on the palette with each sip.
Taster’s Review:
It amazes me how different white tea can taste from tea company to tea company, even when dealing with the same type (White Peony or Bai Mu Dan) of white tea.
This White Peony from Frontier Co-Op possesses a surprisingly earthy scent that reminds me of a the smell of a damp, musty wood with hints of moss and earth.
The taste is fresh and sweet. It is a delicate flavor but it is one that develops as I make my way down the cup. At the start, I found it to be quite delicate but now as I am near the end of the cup, I’m finding it to be really flavorful. There are pleasant fruit-like flavors and a slight vegetative quality to the cup.
And like the scent suggests, there are also interesting woodsy tones to the flavor, as well as a slight earthy taste. It isn’t overwhelming and it adds to the intrigue of the cup.
An enchanting cup of white tea, this White Peony from Frontier Co-Op!