Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Macadamia praline Matcha is incomparable to many other treats because it can be taken with other refreshments or as a standalone treats depending on the scenario. It is excellent for young children because of the health benefits that both macadamia and Matcha rewards their many takers. It bright colored appeal also draws many takers towards the sweet depths enclosed. This great Matcha treat adds its well rounded charm to many main meals during the day.
Learn more about this flavored matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I love Red Leaf Tea’s flavored Matcha as everyone is probably pretty aware by now … and there is such a vast array of flavors available! This Macadamia Praline flavored Matcha was very appealing to me: I love Matcha, I love Macadamia Nuts and I love nuts that have been caramelized with a crunchy Praline coating. I figured this one would be a tough flavor to beat!
And while I am enjoying this flavored Matcha, I can’t say it’s my favorite. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but, I’m just not getting a whole lot of the caramelized praline flavor that I had hoped for. I taste the sweet, creamy Matcha, and I taste the macadamia nut flavor, but not a lot of caramelized flavor here. I get a hint of the sweet, caramel notes here and there, but, not enough to where I feel like I can proclaim this as a favorite.
But that’s alright … they can’t all be my favorite. And I am enjoying this. I prepared this Matcha using mostly hot water, but I withheld about 2 tablespoons of the hot water that I would normally use, and replaced that with a bit of warmed milk to make a latte of sorts. The result is a deliciously creamy treat.
The macadamia nut flavor is strong here, and I taste the Matcha, and these two components really work well together. It is sweet, slightly vegetative, nutty, and not the least bit bitter. I do taste a slight (very slight) artificial note to the overall bowl of Matcha, just a bit of chemical-y kind of flavor. It doesn’t disrupt my enjoyment of the Matcha but I would really rather it not be there.
Overall, I enjoyed this Matcha, and I found that the last few sips of the Matcha were even more enjoyable than the first few … the chemical note seems to tone down as I continue to sip, and whether this is because the other flavors have built up on my palate or because the bowl has cooled down, I don’t know … but I do know that I like it much better. Perhaps the way to have this is as a chilled latte then? Yummy!
Pink Sonoma Wine Infused White Tea from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
We are proud to introduce our newest wine infused tea, the Pink Sonoma!
Thoroughly saturated with the flavor of a light cabernet, Pink Sonoma is based on the sweetness of a strong white tea. We have given this base a powerful floral aroma and body by adding a good measure of rose petals, as well as a light touch of jasmine. Try steeping Pink Sonoma in boiling water for a little over two minutes, at a ration of one teaspoon tea leaf each five ounces of water.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve said on many occasions that I’m not a big wine drinker. My husband has been trying a few wines lately and has been enjoying them, and is trying to get me back in to wine (I used to drink them more some years ago, but now I prefer my tea, thank you very much!) But I must say that if I were given a glass of wine and I took a sip and it tasted like this, I’d happily finish the glass and might even consider another.
This is a beautifully floral tasting tea – I like that it’s floral but it isn’t overdone. Notes of rose with hints of jasmine add a lovely sweetness to the cup without tasting perfume-y or soapy. These floral notes accent the wine notes as well as the flavor of the white tea.
The wine is pleasant, with fruit tones – a soft grape, maybe a hint of apple in there. Crisp and enjoyable, a flavor that seems to glide over the palate easily.
The white tea is not overpowered by these flavors, either. It is a soft taste, not vegetative, exactly, and not of hay or other notes that I often taste with white tea … it just tastes of white tea – soft and delicate.
Served hot, this tea has an agreeable flavor, but I think I prefer it iced. Even though the weather is such that I seldom enjoy iced tea right now, after trying this one hot, I decided I’d let it cool and try it iced. And I must say, this is so much more refreshing chilled. The fruit notes really pop, and the overall cup is very sweet and flavorful … this is one I might stock up on when the warm weather returns!
English Toffee Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
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.
Boysenberry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Matcha, Green
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Boysenberry is an interesting fruit that greatly resembles a big sized raspberry, loganberry and blackberry. Its sharp and tart taste is mellowed by Matcha’s velvety flavour to make a Boysenberry Matcha treat that blends perfectly into the palate. This richly fruity treat is perfect for those people who want to expand their fruit filled snacks with different fresh new flavours. Boysenberry Matcha can also become a perfect hot weather treat to both cool and excite the palate with its enlivening sharp taste. It forms an interesting addition in the occasions of young children with its interesting reputation for being the surprise fruit-based treat.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Boysenberry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea is heaven in a chawan! To me, boysenberry is much like a blueberry flavor, only perhaps a bit more tart. Yet, there is this unique flavor to boysenberry that is almost earthy, a bit savory. It is such an interesting fruit, truly. I love it. Its an excellent palate cleanser as well. Its fresh, refreshing, and just so yummy.
The matcha base is excellent! I normally go with a basic grade of matcha but for boysenberry I selected Royal Matcha base as I really wanted this boysenberry matcha to be a true treat, and let me tell you – it sure is!
Now when it comes to Red Leaf Tea’s matcha you really can’t go wrong, you will enjoy any of their matcha bases and as I said I generally go with the basic grade but now and then I do treat myself. Yes I can tell a difference from the basic grade to royal but I just can’t say enough about how good even their basic grade is.
Strange thing, back in the day…I used to really down the Red Bull energy drinks. I loved them. I think I was craving the Vitamin B 12 but regardless, this matcha interestingly has a similar flavor profile, but so much better, and by far healthier!
I just can’t get over how succulent this flavor profile is. Sweet, yet tart, savory, yet sweet, tangy, mouthwatering, dark berry goodness! Then we have those grassy like earthy notes form the matcha which if you love matcha like me, are just simply divine!
Don’t be afraid of the boysenberry! If you are looking for a new fruit adventure grab some of this and give it a go! I can’t see how you could be disappointed in this one. It is so fresh, so refreshing, ripe, and juicy you will swear you are eating the berries themselves!
As a type 1 diabetic this is a treat that I can have with no guilt! Flavored matcha have no added sugar and are very low in carbohydrates, calories, etc. That is why I stock up on as many flavors as I can!
Burnside Extra Long Wirey Oolong from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
In the Nilgiri District of Central India, the Blue Mountains are the home of the Burnside Estate Tea Farm. Every January, after the first frost of the year coats the young buds, this estate harvests the pekoe leaves and creates several varieties of tea from them, including this outstanding extra long wirey oolong. By combining mountain elevations, which encourages the trees to draw nutrients from the soil, an early harvest, which encourages lightness and clarity in the brew, and then by twisting the oolong tea leaves into stretched out “wires,” Burnside has created a loose leaf tea that can boast incredible body and intensity, while keeping astringency to a minimum. Sweeter than any other oolong, this Burnside Estate leaf will provide you with some of the strongest expressions of pure tea flavor that you will ever find!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve been reviewing so many flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea in the last few months that you might have forgotten that they also sell tea other than Matcha, too!
This Oolong is different from other Oolong teas that I’ve tried. The dry leaves are just as the name implies: long and wiry. They are dark in color, indicating to me that this is a darker Oolong, and generally with darker Oolong teas I tend to expect more of a fruitier taste than a flowery one, and that is true here. This does have a fruity character, but, where it’s different is the way the fruit notes present themselves.
Ordinarily, when I say fruit, I refer to a sweet tasting flavor that tastes similar to some sort of fruit. (I know, duh! right?) But, here, I taste sort of a sweet-and-sour taste that reminds me a bit of a slightly under-ripe plum, with hints of a peachy-apricot-y flavor in the background. There is a vivid contrast between the sweet and sour.
I taste faint notes of floral tones to this as well, and while these floral notes seem to intensify as I continue to sip, they never seem to become a strong flavor of this tea. There are woodsy notes to this as well as a faint earthiness. These flavors also seem to come out a little more in subsequent infusions, but never really become a strong flavor of this tea.
I like the complexity of this. In one sip, I’ll notice a hint of honey-like flavor, in the next, my palate seems to linger over the sour notes. It’s really quite beautiful: light, crisp and tasty!