Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
English Toffee Matcha is perfectly sweetened for being the best addition to many favorite sweets and other baked products like cakes and biscuits. Its sweet toffee essence makes it the perfect flavor for many treats for both special occasions and ordinary days. This sweet flavor is also ideal for adding to the sweet taste of many bland tasting treats and making them more edible and enjoyable. English Toffee Matcha makes the perfect choice for many children snacks.
Learn more about this Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I have a serious sweet tooth. But I also know that I shouldn’t eat too many sweets, because it isn’t good for me, my teeth, or my waistline. But those sweet treats are so hard to resist! If you’ve a sweet tooth like me, here’s what I recommend to help keep those craving at bay: stock up on flavored Matcha like this English Toffee Matcha. It really curbs the craving for something sweet and chocolate-y because it TASTES like a liquified English Toffee bar, but, it doesn’t have all the fat and calories of the candy bar.
Seriously! All that’s missing is the crunch of the toffee bar!
I prepared this Matcha the way I would normally, using water, but instead of adding all the water I would for my serving, I held off on about 1 – 2 teaspoons of water and instead added about that much of half & half (that’s all I have in the fridge right now!) and the result is a latte-ish bowl of Matcha that is sweet and delicious and very dessert-like!
I taste the buttery rich, caramel-y toffee, with nutty notes and hints of chocolate. This, together with a bit of sweet Matcha flavor – and you’ve got something truly YUM that is also good for you! How do you go wrong with that?
The only thing that I can find to complain about with this Matcha is that it disappeared too quickly from my bowl.
Lotus Nut Green Tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Nature’s Tea Leaf
Tea Description:
Lotus Nut Green Tea leaves are fine and tender dried leaves that are noticeably striped with many white downy tips. Lotus has long been a symbol of vitality and purity in Buddhist culture. While in traditional Chinese medicine lotus is believed to be beneficial to the heart and helps to calm the nerves. This tea has a tenuous shape with a strong, bitter aroma that is a common feature of the lotus nut. When infused the tea has a strong scent with its characteristic aftertaste. Whether served hot or cold, this tea is a cool and refreshing way to ease the heat of summer.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m not sure exactly what it is that drew me to this Lotus Nut Green Tea from Nature’s Tea Leaf … but I am glad that I decided that I wanted to try it. This is really good.
I’m not very familiar with the flavor of the lotus nut. The only time I’ve tried lotus seeds is in a paste that was the filling of steamed buns that a friend of mine brought me from one of his favorite Chinese restaurants in California … and since trying those amazing steamed buns, I’ve been SEARCHING to try to find something like it. I haven’t been able to … yet, but I’m still looking!
This tea is definitely reminiscent of the sweet flavor of the lotus seed paste that I tasted in those steamed buns. The flavors are there – sweet, nutty, even a hint of creaminess. The green tea has a light flavor that is crisp and refreshing. Thee is a slight hint of bitterness to this as well, but it isn’t an off-putting bitter taste. Instead, it offers a contrast to the sweet notes that I find very appealing.
This is really an enjoyable tea, one I’d highly recommend to others.
Toasted Nut Cafe Black Tea from Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
For some people, desserts can only be served with coffee. For others, desserts and tea are perfectly complementary. With our Toasted Nut Café you don’t have to be one or the other! This blend combines black tea, almonds, coffee beans and flavors to produce a hearty cup that has a toasty coffee flavor. The black tea flavor comes through with the coffee and toasted nut flavors as an aftertaste. A perfect beverage to accompany a wide range of sweets: truffles, tortes, pies, cakes and more. Or enjoy as is or with a little sweetener and a dollop of cream.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little nervous as well as excited to try this new tea. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve had quite a tumultuous history with the coffee bean. There was a time when I really enjoyed coffee and drank it every morning, but, by about eleven in the morning I would start to feel sick to my stomach. It didn’t take too long for me to realize that it was my morning coffee habit that was causing the nausea, so, it was at that point that I switched to drinking tea. I don’t regret that switch, of course, because I have fallen deeper in love with tea than I ever felt for coffee.
But that being said, there are still times when I miss coffee. Specifically, I miss that bold, rich fragrance of coffee, and I do also miss the robust flavor – but not so much as I miss the aroma. Tea aroma is – of course – amazing, however, there is something that is very eye-opening about the smell of coffee. I miss that sometimes. But I certainly didn’t miss it this morning when I deeply inhaled the bouquet of this tea! It smells rich and delicious with notes of coffee and almond. The faintest smell of black tea is there too, but the coffee notes do overwhelm it just a bit.
My first thought when I smelled it was YUM! Then, thoughts of dismay came to me … what if this makes me sick just like coffee did. I know I’ve had this thought before with other coffee flavored teas, and I think that this will always be a worry whenever I encounter a coffee flavored tea. I guess, when a person goes through that … that always stays with them, right?
Anyway… after brewing, I took a tentative sip, but, was very pleased by the flavor. Yes, it tastes of coffee! Rich, bold coffee notes are the strongest that I taste, followed by a hint of toasted almond that sort of weaves its way through the sip, but is most noticeable toward the finish and in the aftertaste. The tea flavor is there too, and it adds a nice complexity to the cup. I find that this coffee-ish tea is much more flavorful than I remember my morning cup of coffee ever being – even when I’d splurge and indulge in a mocha! The tea really seems to bring out more of the complex notes with hints of dark cocoa, and a smooth earthiness.
Overall, the cup is rich, smooth, and delicious. There are hints of a savory bitterness from the coffee, a sweet undertone from the tea as well as the almond flavors, and a very roasty, toasty sort of feel that is invigorating. It’s really very good.
The word is still out on whether or not this will leave me feeling sick in an hour or two… but, after that time has lapsed I’ll come back and edit this post to add the update!
UPDATE: Well, it’s about four hours after finishing a cup of this tea, and I’ve experienced no nausea. Yay! A great alternative to those who need to steer away from coffee, but still want to experience that flavor every once in a while. This tea gets two enthusiastic thumbs up!
Honey Nut Biscotti from Kally Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
Ciao a tutti! Here is a treat that tickles the senses. Taste the authentic Italian baked biscotti, with hand roasted pistachios, and a little honey flakes adding a touch of sweetness, all blended into a mix of rich Indian and Ceylon black teas. Baked goods! Oh Mama Mia! What can be better while sitting in your own café?
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea smells so good. It smells like freshly baked cookies!
It has a taste that reminds me of freshly baked cookies as well. Sweet with a delicious nutty flavor, and even a hint of that rich, bread-y taste that makes me think of home made cookies.
The black tea is a flavorful blend of black teas. The description suggests that it is a blend of Ceylon and Indian teas, which leads me to automatically think Assam. And there is a certain malty tone in the background that also suggests that there is Assam in the blend. However, I find that it is a bit lighter than a typical Assam, so if there is Assam in this blend, it hasn’t been added with a heavy hand. I’m kind of torn with that, as I think that some more Assam would enhance the richness of the cup, but, I really like the way it tastes now.
The nutty flavor is well pronounced with the presence of both pistachio and almond, but, I am finding the honey to be a stronger flavor. I can also taste the coconut which gives the cup a sweet, creamy flavor and ties the “baked goods” flavor together quite well.
There is also an intriguing floral tone in the background that I did not expect to find. I like it. And after reading a bit more about this tea, I see that chrysanthemum is one of the in ingredients … which explains that floral note I’m tasting! I like the way the chrysanthemum enhances not only the honey notes, but also adds depth to the nutty tones.
I like that I am not having to search for flavors here, that they present themselves in a very enjoyable way. This represents the first tea from Kally Tea that I’ve tried, and it’s a good one. I look forward to trying more from them.
Date Nut Muffin Rooibos from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
Here’s our caffeine-free African rooibos, blended with sweet, dried dates, walnuts and natural flavors, including a touch of natural butter flavor (just a little pat on your muffin)–and yes, this tea is still 100% vegan.
Taster’s Review:
This one scared me when I first opened the pouch, because the aroma of the dry leaf isn’t all that great. But once the tisane is brewed, the smell becomes quite delicious. It smells like freshly baked muffins!
I taste the date, I taste the walnut. I can even taste a cake-y kind of flavor with a hint of butter. So far, so good. This tisane delivers what the name of it says it will. And I can see where the rooibos melds with the other flavors to help build the muffin flavor.
Unfortunately, as I’ve said before, I’m not wild about rooibos. However, when flavored/blended, more often than not, I can enjoy the tisane even though it’s rooibos. Sadly, though, this happens to be one of those times when I can’t get past that rooibos flavor. It’s just not working for me here.
Yes, 52Teas is still my favorite tea company, and I’m really glad that I got to try this blend. This tisane DOES have all the flavors it suggests in its title, so it is what it says it is. So if the idea of a Date Nut Muffin in a teacup appeals to you, then I hope you’ll try it for yourself (and if you do like it, please comment here, I’d love to have some positive remarks about this tea here!)
That being said, I can’t say I liked something if I didn’t, and I’m just not digging it. I guess they all can’t be winners… and more often than not, 52Teas’ blends are winners with me. This one just isn’t a win for me. (Sorry Frank!)