Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tea Description:
A perfectly mellow ginger mint tea (yes, it is possible!). There’s enough ginger and mint to get the tongue tingling – in delightfully opposite ways. But we wait patiently and can taste the softly sweet, vegetal notes of the Sencha green tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of this Samurai Rush Green Tea Blend from Tea Xotics reminds me of the smell of a freshly opened package of DoubleMint gum! It has a lively, minty scent, but also that sweetness that I smell with the gum. I don’t smell a lot of ginger in the dry leaf, but, once it’s brewed, the ginger emerges slightly, while the mint becomes more subdued than it was in the dry leaf fragrance.
The flavor is surprising! I guess it shouldn’t be, based upon the above description provided by Amoda Tea, but I guess in the many years that I’ve been tasting teas and writing about it, I haven’t ever found a mint and ginger tea quite like this one. The mint … is subtle! The ginger … is also subtle! It’s quite a unique thing to find a tea with mint and ginger where these two components were both gentle tastes within the cup.
Oh, I taste the mint, certainly … and the ginger. And because of the nature of these two components, the flavors of them is front and center. But Tea Xotics blended these two flavor profiles together in such a precise way that neither the mint nor the ginger overpower the cup.
The mint is crisp and invigorating … but at the same time, I’m finding the softer flavor of the mint to be quite soothing and relaxing. The usually warm and peppery ginger is still warm and peppery, but, it’s more like a calm, gentle ginger-y warmth that I’m experiencing from this tea.
And I can taste the tea! I taste the fresh, sweet taste of the Sencha, and I like the way the three ingredients come together. The sweetness of the Sencha brings out the sweet, enchanting side of the mint, while the vegetative tones of the Sencha enhances the savory qualities of the ginger. It’s a beautiful medley of sweet and savory that is minty, crisp, light and zesty all in one sip.
I have really enjoyed the Amoda Tea Tasting Box for August … I really enjoyed the three teas from Tea Xotics immensely! I think I’ve found a tea company that I’ll need to check out a little bit more!
Gold Rush Black Tea Blend from Monterey Bay Spice Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Monterey Bay Spice Company
Tea Description:
Abundant with tropical treats, Gold Rush Tea is as appetizing as it is visually appealing! Chunks of delicious mango improve your mood while bits of passion fruit inject vitality into your body! Amongst the high floral notes of the colorful and aromatic blossoms are cornflowers, blue mallow flowers, safflowers, and marigolds. Completing this blend is robust black tea that provides body and warmth to this savory selection!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I first tried this Gold Rush Black Tea Blend from Monterey Bay Spice Company hot, and while it was enjoyable served hot, it is really best served as an iced tea! It’s so refreshing and thirst-quenching!
The black tea base is strong and somewhat astringent. I would classify the astringency as a “fair” amount of astringency, not overly astringent and this should not be confused with bitterness, but, there is that tangy sensation toward the tail of the sip. This tea is not bitter when brewed properly, although I did notice hints of bitterness in the sip that suggest to me that if you were to over-brew this tea, you might end up with a bitter cup. I brewed it for 2 1/2 minutes, and this was long enough to produce a fairly robust tasting tea without the bitterness that a longer brew time might have created.
The flowers in this blend provide a very colorful, appealing dry leaf appearance, but, I don’t think they add a whole lot of flavor to the cup. I do notice the faintest whisper of a floral presence to the sip, but, it is very slight.
The flavors are very pleasantly tropical with lovely notes of mango and passion fruit. Sweet and just a hint of tangy fruit taste. The sip is primarily sweet and fruity … with the tangy notes coming through more in the aftertaste than during the actual sip. The fruit flavors are delicious and sweet, but I like that they are not overwhelming the cup. The tea comes first … the fruit is an accent flavor. Just a little fruity note to complement the natural fruit tones of the black tea!
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable cup – and as I mentioned at the start, this is much better iced than hot. It’s still good hot, too – but it’s spectacular iced!
Yunnan Gold Rush from BigTeaHouse
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: BigTeaHouse
Tea Description:
This beautiful gold-tipped organic black loose leaf tea from the Yunnan Province of China is full-bodied with hints of spice and a delicious flowery undertone.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea is indeed beautiful – lots of golden tips!
The flavor is also beautiful! It tastes rich and has a full, satisfying flavor that is warm and inviting. The kind of tea you want in your teacup in the morning. Something that will embrace you and invigorate you at the same time.
The flavor is complex, with sweetness that starts out as a heavy caramel undertone, and then lightens as the sip progresses to a honey-esque tone. The spice note is a gentle peppery taste, and it contrasts with the floral tones of this tea quite nicely – sort of sweet and exotic melding with warm peppery heat. There is an earthy/leathery kind of taste, as well as a malty tone that emphasizes a freshly baked bread note in the distance. The astringency is what I’d categorize as medium, and it leaves the palate feeling energized and ready for more! Yeah, as I said … complex. So much flavor!
A very lovely cup, indeed; a thoughtful cup, one that you’ll with which you’ll enjoy spending the morning.