Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
If you could smell this through the internet, we would be sold out instantly. This is an amazing blend of roasted yerba maté, freeze-dried corn, marigold petals and organic flavors including popcorn and honey flavors. This is a seriously comforting cuppa. It’s all the goodness of kettle corn, but it won’t get stuck in your teeth. =)
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I was glad to read 52Teas’ announcement of their tea of the week for the week of July 14. Not because of the “Kettle Corn” part (although, that sounds amazing) but because of the Yerba Mate part. It’s been a while since 52Teas released a Yerba Mate blend (or a Guayusa blend!) so I was excited to try another Yerba Mate blend from them.
When it comes to Yerba Mate, I usually go with a slightly lower than boiling temperature – 195°F – and steep the leaves for 8 – 10 minutes. This time, I went with 8 minutes and I’m pleased with the results. Because Yerba Mate doesn’t have the tannins that Camellia Sinensis leaves have, you don’t have to worry about the cup becoming bitter from oversteeping, so take advantage of that and get as much flavor as you can out of this tea! It’s worth the effort!
Because this is yum!
When the cup is piping hot, this doesn’t really taste much like Kettle Corn, but as it cools (slightly – you still want the tea to be hot!) those flavors begin to develop.
At this point, I feel I should mention that my experience with Kettle Corn is limited to the few times that I’ve had it from the commercially packaged offerings that I can find in the grocery store which add up to probably fewer than a handful of times, and the once or twice that I’ve had the Kettle Corn varieties of microwave popcorn. I haven’t ever had Kettle Corn at a fair, then again, I don’t attend fairs. Not my kind of thing.
But from the Kettle Corn experiences I’ve had, this is very similar to what I remember. I can taste the sweetness of honey and the flavor of popcorn. A pinch of salt added to the cup will help to accentuate the “sweet and salty” aspect of the Kettle Corn experience, and this really helps the popcorn notes shine through as well as give the cup a really intriguing contrast of flavors (I absolutely LOVE the combination of salty and sweet).
The Yerba Mate is a good base for these flavors. It’s got that robust, roasty-toasty sort of flavor that ties in well with the popcorn notes. It adds warmth to the cup which enhances the whole experience and gives it a “freshly popped” popcorn type of taste.
After having tried this both hot and iced, I have to say that I prefer it hot. It’s alright iced, but the flavors become somewhat muted in the process. When served hot, the Kettle Corn flavors seem truer – as if someone had liquefied some Kettle Corn and added it to my cup of Yerba Mate. When cold, the flavors seem to all meld together and it’s difficult to discern what I’m actually tasting. It tastes more like a cup of caramel-y … something. It’s still good, but it doesn’t taste like the Kettle Corn Yerba Mate that the hot cup offers.
Tasty!
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent Me This Tea!
Here we are, Christmas Eve! Whenever I think of “Christmas Eve” I am reminded of a time when my youngest daughter – who is now twelve years old – would dance around a few days before Christmas Eve and sing “Christmas Eve is in a couple of eves.” It was really adorable. How quickly they grow up.
Christmas Tradition
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Go back to the days of Christmas tradition with popcorn strung on the tree, silver balls and delicious flavors. This tea combines all of those, with vanilla, cream and amazing mint! Create a new Christmas tradition with this magical tea!
Ingredients: Black tea, vanilla bits and flavor, cream flavor, mint, popcorn, silver and red sprinkles*
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
At first glance – and at first sip! – this tea would seem to be very similar to the Peppermint Perfection from Day 3 with the notable omission of the chocolate in this tea, and the addition of the popcorn.
I don’t know if the popcorn adds a whole lot to the flavor of this tea, but I do know that the chocolate certainly added a delightful dimension of flavor to the aforementioned Peppermint Perfection tea. That said, I really like this tea. This tea tastes more candy cane-ish to me because there is no chocolate, and I don’t usually have chocolate covered candy canes (although, this year, Santa will be putting a chocolate filled candy cane in my stocking).
I like the creaminess of this tea. This tea seems creamier to me, and there is a savory element to this as well. At the finish, and at the very start of the aftertaste, I note a pepper taste. Just a slight “kick” of pepper. I don’t know where that’s coming from, but it’s there.
This is less “minty” than the Peppermint Perfection. The mint here is a gentle, smooth mint taste. The black tea seems richer and more robust to me with this tea as well. There is almost a malty note to this, and I’m not sure if that’s from the tea or if it’s from the vanilla and cream flavoring.
So, it sort of surprises me to say that if I were asked to choose between the Peppermint Bark tea (which has chocolate in it) or this, the Christmas Tradition tea (which doesn’t have chocolate in it), I would probably choose this one! There is something more complex and more unique that keeps my palate intrigued as I sip. Both teas are really good, but, this one is more interesting to me.
Genmaicha Green Tea from Capital Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Capital Teas
Tea Description:
Known as the ‘People’s tea of Japan’ or ‘Popcorn Tea’, Genmaicha is an all day tea. Roasted rice kernels add a slightly toasty and nutty flavor to the tea, resulting in a refreshing and clear liquor tinged with a slightly olive tint. This tea’s aroma has spicy warm hues of roasted rice. Pairs well with sushi and other Japanese food. Wonderful!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a lovely Genmaicha from Capital Teas!
I love Genmaicha – I love that toasty rice flavor. It reminds me of the taste of the rice that gets slightly overcooked and caramelized at the bottom of the pan in my rice steamer … its sweet, a little crispy, and just delicious. It’s my favorite part of when I steam rice … getting to enjoy that little bit of caramelized rice.
This tea captures that flavor perfectly, and combines it with the sweet, vegetal taste of Japanese green tea. The result is a flavor that is toasty and warm, cozy and delicious. Something you want to curl up with on a cold day and just sip … but also something that is tasty and uplifting on a warm afternoon. (I love Genmaicha iced too!)
This is a very straightforward Genmaicha from Capital Teas … it’s exactly what I’d expect from a high quality Genmaicha – lots of sweet, toasted rice flavor, a hint of grassy taste but no bitterness. Just smooth, pleasing flavor. Really a wonderful tea.
Banana Cheesecake Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Following the success of our Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha, I’ve decided to try another genmaicha blend. The toasted rice element in genmaicha seems to make it okay to blend it with flavors like cheesecake and banana. (Normally I tend to think of fruity green teas, but I think the genmaicha is more agreeable with ‘heavier’ flavors like cheesecake and banana.) Of course, you, our customer will have to be the final judge. This being a cheesecake blend, and given the historical swiftness with which our cheesecake blends disappear, I did make a little extra of this, but don’t drag your feet, it won’t last long.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
OK … not that I had my doubts or anything … but this Banana Cheesecake Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas is SERIOUSLY yummy.
Having enjoyed Frank’s Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha, I knew that I’d like this one too, after all, I love genmaicha – that roasty/toasty, popped rice flavor together with the sweet flavor of green tea, and I love Frank’s cheesecake and his banana teas. So I knew I’d like this. But … it still is blowing me away at how good this really is.
The banana comes through nicely. It is sweet and the creaminess of the banana melds beautifully with the toasty, nutty flavor of the genmaicha and the deliciously creamy, tangy flavor of the cheesecake notes. The nutty flavor of the genmaicha also plays to the buttery crust flavor too.
The creaminess of this cup seems to emerge more as the tea cools slightly … it becomes more mellow and creamy, but that zesty cream cheese flavor comes through at the finish … reminding you that you’re eating … (err … drinking!) cheesecake.
The genmaicha is a perfectly delightful base for the cheesecake flavors. The lightly buttery, sweet taste of the green tea works nicely with the sweet, creamy cheesecake notes and as I mentioned, the toasted nut flavor of the genmaicha also brings out the crust notes well too.
This is definitely one of Frank’s best cheesecake offerings yet. I love this!
Weeping Angel Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
So, I’m sure you are wondering, what exactly is a Weeping Angel tea? Well, what else could it be, but a tea flavored like my favorite Dr. Who snack? It’s a buttered toffee caramel corn flavored black tea, and it’s heavenly–amazing enough to make a weeping angel smile.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am not a Dr. Who fan … and I am sure that this is only because I’ve not taken the time to become one. But I am a fan of 52Teas, as many of you are probably well aware, and I’ve really enjoyed his popcorn flavored teas of the past. This Weeping Angel Tea from 52Teas, which promises a buttered toffee caramel corn flavor … well, I was pretty sure that this tea was going to earn a solid YUM from me.
And … oh man! I was right. This is seriously YUMMY!
This is one of those teas that I take a little sip of and as the flavors wash over my palate, my eyes roll back in delight. My first few sips, I enjoyed plain – with no additions – and it was absolutely sumptuous. Sweet and toffee-caramel-y delicious. But, I found myself missing something … where was the popcorn taste? Then I added about half a pinch of salt and the popcorn flavors emerged. Yeah, I know the idea of adding salt to tea may sound weird to some of you, but, with this tea, you’ve got to try it! As I said, I added about half a pinch, and this is enough salt to give it a hint salty-sweet taste and accentuate the popcorn notes without overwhelming the cup with salt. I have a large mug, I’d recommend even less than half a pinch if your teacup is smaller than 12 ounces.
The black tea is prominent – as it should be! – and it offers a pleasingly smooth flavor with hints of earthiness. I like the way the richness of the black tea complements the buttery rich toffee and caramel notes. The popcorn comes through nicely now that I’ve added the aforementioned salt, and it adds an interesting contrast to the sweetness of the toffee and caramel. It is a very enjoyable savory element.
But the real stars of this cup are the sweet toffee and caramel … I taste creamy butter and burnt sugar. It is sweet and very palate pleasing!
Yep … it’s a solid YUM from me on this one.