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!)
Gen Mai Cha Green Tea from Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
Rich Japanese Sencha green tea beautifully blends with toasted and popped rice, resulting in a mildly aromatic, distinct yellow brew. Gen Mai Cha is known to enhance the flavor of fine food and to cleanse the palate. Best served hot to envelop the senses.
Japanese Sencha Green Tea, Toasted Rice
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I just adore a good Genmaicha! There is something irresistible about the way the vegetal, slightly buttery taste of the Japanese green tea and the sweet, roasty-toasty, nutty flavor of the toasted rice meld together in a teacup. And this Gen Mai Cha Green Tea from Simple Loose Leaf is really good and has all the flavor I’ve come to expect from a high quality Genmaicha green.
The flavor is sweet and nutty from the toasted rice and light and fresh tasting from the green tea. There is a pleasing balance between these two components. The green tea is crisp and has that refreshing, clean taste to it. It has a light, cleansing astringency toward the tail and this keeps the sweeter nutty notes of the toasted rice from becoming too heavy on the palate.
This is a great tea to enjoy in the afternoon. It perks me up when I start to feel that sluggish feeling toward mid-day, but it’s not so invigorating that I’m still bouncing off the walls at bedtime. This is one that I was really happy to have as part of April’s Simple Loose Leaf Selection Club box.
And there’s still time for you to get in on Simple Loose Leaf’s special April promotion! You can get your first month of the Selection Club for just one dollar! Enter the code 1DOLLARMONTH and you can receive up to five different teas for the month of May for just one dollar! Sounds too good to pass up, right? Well, check it out here!
Toasted Coconut Black HiCAF™ Tea from The Republic of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Republic of Tea
Product Description:
Robust black tea with the tropical flavor of coconut. A smooth and delicious pick-me-up. Try with a splash of milk.
A Better Buzz – We’ve intensified the caffeine content of this black tea by adding green tea extract and pure caffeine isolated from premium tea leaves. Caffeine and L-Theanine (often credited with reducing stress) are natural components of tea providing a state of calm alertness we call Tea Mind®.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Toasted Coconut Black HiCAF™ Tea from Republic of Tea offers an interesting concept … I don’t know if this is something that other companies have introduced but this is the first extra caffeine content tea that I’ve seen. Just the right thing for someone who needs that extra burst of energy but can’t drink (or don’t like) coffee and don’t want (or don’t need!) all that extra sugar that’s in those energy drinks.
When I opened the tin, I was greeted by a strong coconut-y aroma. Mmm! It smells amazing! I used boiling water to brew this tea and steeped the tea for 2 1/2 minutes.
I tried this tea first without any additions, and it’s really tasty! It’s got a lot of coconut flavor, and it tastes just like toasted coconut. It tastes true to the fruit. It doesn’t have an artificial coconut taste and that made me smile. It tastes sweet, a little bit creamy, toasty, and nutty.
The tea tastes STRONG. I can really taste the tea. I don’t really taste specific green tea flavors here, I do taste a different tea flavor. A stronger tea flavor. Like the flavor of the tea has been turned up to eleven. The HiCAF™ is not just something that will be “felt” by the added energy boost, but it is also something that is tasted.
However, the “extra caffeine” gives the tea a taste that veers on the side of being almost bitter. Not quite … but almost. So, I decided to do a little experimentation to see what I could do about that. I added a teaspoon of raw sugar and found that this really improved the coconut flavor. It made the toasted coconut flavors pop! Yum! This is good without the sugar, but it does have a slight bitter tone to it … the sugar helps to curb that.
But the best way to drink this tea is as a latte. I added a splash of almond milk and WOW! The milk smooths everything out really nicely. I really like this as a latte. I still get a strong coconut flavor and a lot of tea flavor, but that aforementioned slightly bitter taste is no longer present. It’s sweet, creamy and decadent.
Overall, I really enjoyed this extra caffeine tea from The Republic of Tea. They have some other flavors of the HiCAF™ teas that are quite intriguing too! Um … Caramel Black, anyone?
Organic Genmaicha Green Tea Blend from Kally Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
We’ve started with a premium Sencha green tea, added toasted hulled rice kernels and as twist… added popped corn.
We are very proud of this unique organic tea offering of a tea staple.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have been really impressed thus far with the new Organic line of teas from Kally Tea, so I was looking forward to tasting this Organic Genmaicha Green Tea Blend.
And it’s an excellent Genmaicha. It has all the flavor that I’d expect from a top quality Genmaicha: a Japanese sencha green tea that is both sweet and savory and that produces a soft brothy mouthfeel and the sweet and warm roasty-toasty notes from the toasted brown rice.
I enjoy Genmaicha all year round, but, there’s just something about Genmaicha in the autumn. The toasty flavor of it just fits the season. The warmth and the taste of freshly roasted nuts are very autumnal, and the hints of fresh, leafy sencha evoke thoughts of the summer season that has just flown by.
This is one of the nicest Genmaicha teas that I’ve encountered in a while, and I’m not sure if it’s just that I was in the mood for a delicious, roasty-toasty tea or if it’s that this is just an amazing Genmaicha … but I’m thinking that it’s a little of both! It’s a very cozy, comforting cuppa, and I love that it’s organic!