Product Information:
Where to Buy: Sugimoto America
Product Description:
“Washi” Green Tea Gift – Genmai Cha features high-quality Japanese green tea packaged in a beautiful Japanese “Washi” canister. “Washi” is traditional Japanese rice paper printed with authentic Japanese patterns. Genmai Cha is a rich, aromatic blend of green tea, roasted brown rice, and matcha. Currently, it is one of Japan’s most popular teas.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
Not too long ago, I reviewed another Washi Green Tea Set from Sugimoto America, that beautiful blue Washi paper covered tin was filled with a delightful Sen Cha tea, and this gorgeous red Washi paper covered tin is filled with Genmai Cha with Matcha tea!
The dry leaf of this Genmai Cha with Matcha looks very much like other teas of this type that I’ve tried. It looks like a Genmaicha: green tea with roasted brown rice – some of which “pops” to look like tiny bits of popcorn. But they’re not bits of popcorn, they’re pieces of popped rice! Very cool. Because this is a “with Matcha” variety of Genmai Cha, the tea has been dusted with a coat of bright, jade green powdered green tea (aka Matcha).
When the tea is steeped (180°F for 1 1/2 minutes are the parameters that I used) the liquid is a somewhat opaque, beautifully bright, pale green color. The aroma is warm and toasty with a grassy tone.
Mmm! This is a really good Genmai cha! The overall flavor is that of roasty-toasty-nutty goodness. It is sweet from the roasty-toasty nutty flavors as well as from the green tea notes. It doesn’t taste overly “grassy” although there are some grass notes to this, I taste more of a lightly buttered, steamed lima bean flavor than that of “grass.”
I really enjoy Genmai cha because it is one of those “cozy” types of teas that I can enjoy later in the afternoon when I need something soothing and relaxing to sip. This tea offers that with the uplifting boost that comes from the energizing Matcha.
What impresses me most about this gift set is not the fabulous Washi paper covered tin – which is MOST impressive, indeed! – but the fact that the beautiful tin is filled with tea. What a lovely gift something like this would make to any tea lover. When you go to some of the expensive tea shops in the mall (you know which one I’m talking about, right?) these types of tins are very costly, and the price of the tin does not include the tea! With this gift, you not only get the beautiful tin but an excellent quality Japanese tea at a price that is probably about half what you’d spend in that expensive shop in the mall for the same type of product. I’m really impressed with the value of this product!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Grapefruit Flavor Infused Green Tea from Dutch Bros. Coffee
Product Information:
Tea Type: Green Iced Tea (Ready to Drink/Prepared Drink)
Where To Find: Dutch Bros. Coffee
Taster’s Review:
OK, so my youngest daughter’s latest “thing” is the Italian sodas from Dutch Bros. You know what I’m talking about right? Basically, it’s like club soda that’s been infused with Torani Syrup and then generously topped with whipped cream and/or infused with a dollop of cream (both of those are optional). As we were sitting in the drive through, waiting to place an order for her after ballet class treat, I noticed “Torani Infused Teas” on the menu and my curiosity was piqued.
So, I asked the clerk what it was and was told that they add the Torani syrup to either green or black tea. Then he listed off the flavors of Torani syrup that they have and when he said Grapefruit, I decided I’d try a Grapefruit Flavor Infused Green Tea from Dutch Bros. Coffee. I mean … I figured the worst that could happen is that it tastes like an overly sweet tea much like the ready to drink teas that you get at the corner convenience store.
My first sip of the beverage – yep, that’s what it is. It’s a very sweet tea with more grapefruit flavor than tea flavor and an abundance of sugary sweetness that overpowers the tea notes to oblivion. This drink … well, it was … alright. Drinkable. Something that I’d be able to finish but not something for which I’d want to return to Dutch Bros.
But then something impressive happened. My husband told the clerk that I’m a tea snob and very picky about my tea. When the clerk asked me how I liked the tea, I said, “It’s drinkable.” My husband translated this to the clerk to say, “That’s a compliment from her.”
Ha! My husband fancies himself a comedian. I’ve tried to explain to him that just because our pre-teen daughter and her friends find him entertaining does not mean that he could make a living as a stand-up comic.
When I say drinkable, basically, what I mean is that this tastes alright, but it’s too sweet and it’s not something I’d buy again. I can drink it but would I call it tea? No.
Upon hearing that the infused tea drink was merely “drinkable,” the clerk takes back the drink and explains that their drinks are 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Then he made me a new Grapefruit Flavor Infused Tea, this time, using half the syrup that was used the first time around.
This time, it’s actually quite enjoyable. Not just drinkable, but something that put a smile on my face. I have a mildly sweet drink where I’m able to taste both the grapefruit and the green tea. The grapefruit reminds me of the flavor of a Texas pink grapefruit (my favorite). It doesn’t taste like a candified (yes it’s a word, I just made it up) version of grapefruit. It tastes like the Texas pink grapefruit that I cut in half and lightly sprinkled with a little sugar to contrast with the tart bitterness of the fruit. It tastes … yummy!
And I can taste the green tea this time around (the first cup that was made for me, I could not taste green tea). It tastes light and crisp, with a refreshing hint of vegetative flavor. Slightly grassy. It marries nicely with the notes of grapefruit, and there is a pleasing balance between the components of this beverage.
Overall, this was a really tasty tea. Bravo to the clerk at Dutch Bros. for taking a little extra time to make my drink just right for me. I appreciate this kind of customer service, and this tea exceeds what I’d find at the “average” coffee stop.
Product Review: Sen Cha Green Tea “Washi” Gift Set from Sugimoto America
Product Information:
Where to Buy: Sugimoto America
Product Description:
“Washi” Green Tea Gifts – Sen Cha feature high-quality Japanese green tea packaged in a beautiful Japanese “Washi” canisters. “Washi” is traditional Japanese paper printed with authentic Japanese patterns. Sen Cha is a premium tea renowned for its balance of sweetness and astringency. For over three centuries Sen Cha has been Japan’s favorite green tea.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
I have said before on this blog that I’m a sucker for beautiful packaging. This Sen Cha Green Tea “Washi” Gift Set from Sugimoto America has to be the most beautiful presentation that I’ve ever seen. The tin has been covered with beautiful blue washi paper (just as you see to the right), and yes … the paper pattern has been matched up precisely! I was actually quite amazed by this, because you can see the true love, care and craftsmanship that was put into this gorgeous tin.
Tucked inside the tin is a 30 gram bag of Sen Cha Japanese green tea. And this is the good stuff! The flavor is sweet, slightly buttery and lightly grassy. It isn’t overly vegetal, and I’m not detecting a strong bitter bite from this tea. It’s sweet and really quite lovely to sip.
This Sen Cha has that fresh and uplifting flavor that I look for in a Japanese Sen Cha. It’s a crisp and pure flavor that revitalizes from the inside out. If I drink this after a long, busy day, I start to feel less weary and drained. It’s the kind of tea that puts the spring back into your step.
It’s hard to say what excites me more about this product: the tea or the tin? The tin is absolutely stunning and the tea tastes wonderful and refreshing. But what’s great about this product is that you don’t have to choose which is your favorite because you get both for a really great price. It’s an outstanding value and would make a great gift for your favorite tea lover (even if that tea lover is you! Hey, you deserve a gift too!)
Tea Book Volume 1 with Black Tea from Basilur Tea
Tea Description:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Basilur Tea
Product Description:
Basilur is an expression of the art of drinking tea. Each range of Basilur depicts its own story related to the rich Sri Lankan heritage. Each product is a unique tea drinking experience which transports its discerning tea drinkers to another time and place. Basilur tea takes you through this long journey of tea, with innovative blends and packaging yet, keeping the 5000 year old traditions intact. This Tea Book is a gift from Basilur tea family to the connoisseurs of tea.
Ingredients: 100% Pure Ceylon black tea, cornflower, jasmine buds, blue malva and flavour roasted almond.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
From a tea enthusiast’s and consumer’s prospective, this Tea Book Volume 1 with Black Tea from Basilur Tea has got to be one of the coolest products I’ve come across in a long time! It’s a book shaped tin (LOVE it!) and tucked inside the tin is a 3.5 ounce resealable pouch of almond flavored black tea!
I love the tin. It’s one of the neatest tins I’ve ever seen! It’s visually stunning, and it’s just a really unique way to package tea! It would make a great gift for your favorite tea drinker (even if that tea drinker is you!)
And the tea inside is really good too. The blend is visually stunning with its beautiful blossoms of blue cornflower and white jasmine along with pieces of roasted almond tossed with the black tea leaves. It smells of sweet almond and flower. The brewed tea is especially delightful to the nose. The warm almond notes evoke thoughts of something freshly baked.
The flavor is quite nice too. The black tea base is a Ceylon, and it is a mild, even tempered sort of taste. Nothing too bold or harsh, instead, it’s smooth and brisk and mellow. It isn’t an aggressive or overstimulating type of tea, making this a nice choice for afternoon sipping. (And I can’t help but think that this would be excellent with a piece of almond biscotti!)
While the tea is piping hot, the almond flavor is a little difficult to discern. I recommend allowing the tea to cool to a drinkable temperature (give it about four minutes after you’ve poured the tea), and this time allows the flavors to develop properly. I can taste the almond now! It’s a pleasing flavor, not so strong that it overpowers the flavor of the tea. This is definitely a tea that I’m drinking here, and the flavoring lets you know that the tea plays the starring role in this cup.
It’s sweet and nutty, and I can taste hints of flower in the distance. This isn’t a jasmine tea. While the jasmine blossoms do add a touch of jasmine essence to the cup, it is not a significant enough flavor – in my opinion – to deem this a “jasmine” tea. I think that the jasmine elevates the almond a little bit. Interesting … that was kind of unexpected how the light, exotic sweetness of the jasmine helps to accentuate the sweet, nutty flavors of the almond. I like that.
I found this to be a really delightful and tasty cup of tea. It definitely has a winter-y sort of flavor to it (this “book” is Volume 1 of the winter series), so I can see why they’d include it in the winter series. It tastes best served hot, but it also makes a nice iced tea.
Product Review: Golden Amber Teadrops
About Teadrops:
Elaborate tea ceremonies have a time and place. However, if you desire high quality tea and are short on time and tea props, then meet Teadrops.
Each Teadrop is a portable morsel comprised of finely sourced tea from India, natural sugar, and aromatic spices creating a blissful tea blend that can be enjoyed any time, any place, with just hot water. No special tools, no steeping time, no tea expertise necessary.
About Golden Amber Teadrops:
Imagine yourself immersed in a tropical valley of vanilla orchids, watching the amber sun as it magically dances across the distant mountain peaks. This beautiful image is what Golden Amber Teadrops evokes when one drinks it. A simple vanilla white tea, that is gentle to the senses, soothing, and sweet. White tea is the mildest of all tea varieties and subtly blends with pure vanilla in perfect harmony.
Learn more about Teadrops here.
Taster’s Review:
After tasting the Cardamom Spice Teadrops, I was very excited to try the other flavors that this company has available. The next teadrop in my teacup? Golden Amber! It’s made with white tea leaves and vanilla.
When I opened the little cellophane wrapper of the Golden Amber Teadrop, I could smell the vanilla. It smells so good!
This is really quite tasty. The white tea base tastes like a fine quality white tea. I taste white tea: sweet, crisp, light, refreshing, with notes of hay and a slight earthiness. I also note hints of melon which is complemented nicely with the sweet, creamy vanilla flavor.
The vanilla is soft and this accentuates the soft, subtle notes of the white tea in a really lovely way. There seems to be just the right amount of vanilla in this tea for me – enough to provide that luscious, sweet flavor of vanilla that I love but not so much that it overwhelms the delicate quality of the white tea. A really delightful balance has been achieved with this product.
As with the Cardamom Spice Teadrops, these are also sweetened. I wished there wasn’t sugar added to the Cardamom Spice, and I wish there wasn’t sugar added to these Golden Amber Teadrops. However, they aren’t too sweet. That is usually my big complaint with pre-sweetened products: they’re too sweet. Like RTD teas. Way too sweet. But this … isn’t. This is sweet but not cloyingly so, and I like the way that the light sweetener here highlights the vanilla notes.
This product also does have the sediment at the bottom of the teacup. But as I mentioned with the other teadrops I tried, none of that sediment affects the sip until I get to about 1/2 inch to the bottom of the cup. Once you reach that point, stop drinking and you won’t get floaters in your sip.
As you may remember in my review of the Cardamom Spice Teadrops (you can check out that review by clicking on this link), I mentioned that I felt that this company should consider developing a “refill” box option for their teadrops. The beautiful wooden “slide” box is amazing, but, I felt that for those customers who wanted to buy teadrops again … well, they might not need another wooden box, you know? So, why not offer a refill option at a lower price for those returning customers.
Well, they listened to me! (I love it when that happens. Occasionally, I do have good ideas.) They now offer a refill option for their three tea flavors. Nice! They also offer free shipping on all their orders: more niceness. And these Golden Amber Teadrops … are also very nice!
I am really happy with this product. These would make a really nice gift for a tea drinker who is a frequent traveler, or someone who needs some convenience with their cuppa!