Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
So anyway, that’s been my week. Hope you and yours are doing well. You know, I could very well be crazy for writing most of this, but sometimes I feel like it might be more interesting to our readers to actually hear what I’ve been up to rather than hearing me go on every week about how each of these teas is awesome and going to sell out fast and you should get yours now. I mean, all of that is true, but how many times does anyone really want to read that?
So, this week’s post is kind of an experiment. I’m anxious to see how people respond to it.
The Tea…
Genmaicha green tea with toasted rice, popped sorghum seeds, freeze-dried peaches and organic peach and cream flavors.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
When this Peaches & Cream Flavored Genmaicha was first announced as the tea of the week for June 9th, I wasn’t really sure how the sweetness of peaches and cream would work with the nutty, roasted flavor of the genmaicha. It sounded intriguing and unique, certainly, and maybe just a little bit crazy, maybe it was crazy enough to work!
And while it IS a tasty cup of tea, I’m not sure I’m as crazy as I want to be for it to say that it “works.” It tastes good, certainly, and I do like how the toasty, nut flavor of the genmaicha plays with the flavors of peaches and cream, but, at the same time, it almost seems to detract from the blend a little bit.
I can taste all the elements: the notes of the green tea are lightly vegetal, the toasty rice adds a pleasant sweetness, and the peaches are juicy and add a really nice fruity note to the cup, while the cream notes melds a little bit with the nutty notes of the toasted rice to create a sweet, deliciously creamy tone. But they almost seem a little disjointed.
It’s a tasty tea, but not the best that I’ve tasted from 52Teas.
Banana Pudding Flavored Genmaicha from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
I know how much you loved our Banana Pudding black tea, so I decided maybe we should try it with a genmaicha, and let me tell you, the toasted rice element of the genmaicha combined with the sweet sencha green tea takes our banana pudding flavor recipe to a whole new level of yummmmmm.
Like with the black tea version of Banana Pudding, we’ve added freeze-dried bananas, coconut and organic flavors. I think this one is going to be very popular. Can’t wait to hear what you guys think of it.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I usually like to do my reviews of the 52Teas in order from when they were released, but I skipped over this one. I’m not sure exactly why, except that I forgot that I had this tea in my stash. Usually when I brew a 52Teas tea for a review, I go to the website and see which tea I should review next. But I sort of skipped over this one because I thought, Banana Pudding? Oh, I already reviewed it. The tea I was thinking about was the Banana Pudding Black Tea. I forgot that Frank (the chief Zoomdweebie from 52Teas) had more recently created a Banana Pudding Genmaicha!
Then I realized as I was going through my tea stash that I had this tea just waiting for me to review it!
And YUM! This is good.
I think I might like this one even better than the black tea version, if for no other reason than the delicious, roasty-toasty flavor of the Genmaicha seems to add something nice to the banana flavor. It’s sort of like a banana flavored rice pudding with delicious, toasty vanilla wafer cookies. Mmm!
The sip starts out with a sweet banana-y flavor with a subtle grassy note from the green tea. There is a light, buttery note that accentuates the “wafer cookie” like flavor. Then I taste the toasty notes of the roasted brown rice, and this adds a sweet, nutty dimension to the cup that melds beautifully with the banana and the creamy vanilla notes. As the sip nears the finish, I pick up on more of the sweet, “baked” notes of the wafer cookie.
It’s a really delightful combination of banana and vanilla custard-y flavors, nutty tones, buttery notes with just a hint of grassy/vegetal notes from the green tea. The flavors all work together very well. A really tasty flavored genmaicha!
Two thumbs up for this one!
Organic Genmaicha with Matcha Green Tea from Shi Zen
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shi Zen
Tea Description:
Genmaicha is one of the most popular teas in Japan. This Organic Genmaicha is coated with Matcha so when you infuse you will have a beautiful green color along with the pleasant nutty aroma. This tea is perfect to have with a meal or after meals.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Genmaicha with Matcha from Shi Zen is so lovely! I love the flavor contrast between fresh, “leafy” green-y taste of the Sencha and the roasty-toasty goodness of the roasted brown rice, while the Matcha adds a creaminess and a depth of flavor to the cup. It’s a delightful cuppa!
The picture above accurately depicts what I found when I opened the pouch of this tea – deep, bright jade green Matcha dusted over the tiny spears of Japanese Sencha tea leaves and the pieces of crisped brown rice. It smelled toasty and warm, but there was also a distinct “freshness” to the aroma as well.
The first flavor I notice as I sip is the sweetness of the roasted brown rice. It’s sweet and there is an almost ‘caramel-y’ note to it. Just beneath the top note of brown rice, I notice the slightly vegetal notes of the Sencha, and this offers a somewhat bittersweet flavor in a sweet-yet-savory way. It’s a little grassy tasting, but this is not a prominent flavor. I find that the flavors of the Sencha are softened somewhat by the presence of the Matcha, which lends a certain creaminess to the cup and a buttery undertone. It’s a very smooth tasting drink.
There is very little astringency. That is to say that I notice relatively no astringency to this at all. The finish is soft and clean and the aftertaste is lightly sweet.
I love that this tea is organic (as are the other loose leaf offerings from Shi Zen!) I don’t know if I can actually taste a difference, but I feel better drinking an organic tea, and I appreciate that Shi Zen makes this a priority!
Revenant Oolong Tea from Pelican Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Pelican Tea
Tea Description:
An earthy but delicate habanero-infused Seschung Oolong tea with organic mint and pan-toasted brown rice. This is a favorite when I’m not in the mood for something sweet, but definitely in the mood for… something*.
*Something in this case may be anything. Spooky.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Whoa! This one has got some kick to it! When I read the label and it said “Moderately Spicy,” I didn’t expect quite so much heat! Not that I’m unhappy with it, I like the spice level. But, for those of you who tend to be sensitive to spicy things, don’t be fooled by the word moderate. This one is warm.
But after the first two or three sips of WARM … the heat becomes more subdued (or maybe it’s just that the taste buds have adapted to the heat) and now it’s more like a pleasant warmth at the back of the throat. So, don’t let those first two or three sips scare you, once you get past that point, then you can sit back and really enjoy the complexity of this tea.
Because yes, it’s spicy, but, there’s so much more to this tea than just heat from the habanero pepper.
First, we have the roasted flavor of the Se Chung Oolong tea. The delicious roasty-toasty flavor melds beautifully with the pan-toasted rice, and the delicate smoky notes of the Se Chung accentuate the spice of the habanero. I love the way the roasty-toasty, the smoky and the spice taste together. It’s a well-conceived flavor combination.
Then there is the mint. Given how well the other three components – Oolong, rice and habanero – seem to work together, one might think that the mint is a bit out of place in this blend. But, I like the touch of mint. Mint can often become a bit too aggressive in a blend and wind up giving off a toothpaste-y sort of taste, but, that didn’t happen here. The mint is strong enough to be tasted but not so strong that it overpowers the other flavors. Instead, what it does here is come in to offer a cooling, crisp note to the warm, toasty and smokin’ flavors of the other ingredients. It’s an interesting and creative contrast to the warm flavors.
Since this IS an Oolong, I decided to take it for another infusion. The second infusion was – surprisingly – a little spicier than the first. This surprised me; I expected the heat to wane a little with the second infusion. The roasted and smoky notes of the Oolong as well as the toasty rice notes seemed to soften somewhat. I think I preferred the balance of the toasty, smoky and spicy notes of the first cup over this, where it seems that the fiery notes of the habanero are stronger than the flavors of the Oolong and rice. It’s still delicious, just different.
The mint is a little stronger in this second infusion too, so with this cup, there is more balance between the mint and habanero flavors rather than with the warmer notes. It’s more like a balance between the crisp, refreshing notes of mint and the peppery heat. Still a tasty cup of tea, and certainly worth the resteep!
This is a really fascinating blend from Pelican Tea!
Rumchata Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Our friend LiberTEAs was a big fan of our Rumchata honeybush, but suggested that a Rumchata genmaicha would be even better. It was one of those head-smacking moments for me when I tried to imagine the toasted rice in the genmaicha with the horchata and rum flavors. Of course it would be awesome.So here it is. Thanks to LiberTEAs for the suggestion.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve been excited to try this one! After I tried the Rumchata Honeybush from 52Teas, I couldn’t help but think that these flavors would work well with a Genmaicha base. (And I even mentioned it in that review!) And while I do really enjoy the Rumchata Honeybush, it is even better with the Genmaicha.
The sweet, buttery notes of the green tea offer a nice creamy texture and taste to the flavors of horchata and rum. The toasty rice notes meld beautifully with the notes of almond and cinnamon. The result is a warm, cozy, delightfully delicious beverage.
It is sweet and creamy. It is warm and gently spiced with cinnamon. The nutty flavor of the almonds and toasted rice are perfect together. There is a mid-note of rum that is there from the start of the sip to the finish and it lingers in the aftertaste … just like if I were to take a sip of an actual Rumchata (after trying the Rumchata Honeybush, I decided that I should try a Rumchata. I liked it, but I think I like the tea versions better. What can I say, when it comes to alcohol, I’m just a wimp.)
I love this! A brilliant tea … even if I do say so myself! (haha!)