Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
After the success of our Malted Genmaicha and Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha, we’re back at it again. Here’s a blend of Japanese Genmaicha (sencha green tea and toasted rice) with real freeze-dried cherries and natural cheesecake and maraschino cherry flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I tore open the pouch, I could recognize the cherry cheesecake aroma immediately. I could even smell the graham cracker crust! The brewed tea offers mere hints of what I experienced with the dry leaf, but it is enough to inspire one to deeply inhale before taking a sip to enjoy the sweet, delicious fragrance of cherry cheesecake.
I steeped this tea using a low temperature (170°F) for two and a half minutes in my Breville One-Touch. The flavor is quite nice, but, not really what I had hoped for. I expected a WOW! – This is cherry cheesecake kind of flavor but I didn’t get that. Yes, I taste the individual notes of cherry cheesecake: I taste the sweet and tart notes of the cherry, I taste the creamy, tangy flavors of the cream cheese, I even taste a slight buttery tone that melds well with the toasty flavors of the genmaicha to form a sort of crust-like taste. I even taste the sweet, fresh flavors of the green tea.
But, somehow, these flavors aren’t coming together in a seamless fashion to create the flavor of cherry cheesecake for me. It’s kind of like one of those gourmet deconstructed dishes where all the elements of the cherry cheesecake are represented but they aren’t put together in the usual way.
Don’t get me wrong, it is still a very delicious cup of tea, and I’m enjoying it very much. It is just different than what I expected.
I do notice that as the tea cools, the flavors do come together a bit more than when served hot, so I would recommend serving this one as an iced tea … I think it’s much better that way. I also found that the tea yields at least two infusions, which is nice, and I enjoyed the second cup just as much as – if not more than! – the first cup.
So, overall, it is a very enjoyable tea, but, I don’t know that I would consider this an adequate substitution for a cherry cheesecake. Delicious yes, but, not quite that delicious, if you know what I mean.
Taiwan Wuyi Oolong Year 2006 from Life in Teacup
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Product Description:
Production Year: 2006
Production Season: Spring
Production Region: Nantou County, Taiwan
Style: Traditional heavy roast
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of the dry leaf is very heavily roasted with charcoal-ish undertones. The liquor is significantly softer in fragrance. Those notes are still there, they are just much more delicate.
The flavor is remarkably gentle compared to the strong scent of the dry leaf. There is very pleasing roasty-toasty flavor to this tea, and a sweetness that ties into that toasted flavor.
The mouthfeel is quite soft and smooth, I would compare it to what liquid silk might feel like on the palate. The mouthfeel does not linger, however, because there is a light astringency that cleanses the palate, leaving only a sweet roasted flavor that lingers in the aftertaste.
I would describe the overall cup as a masculine one. There is a woody undertone, giving this a very outdoorsy, rustic kind of appeal. With Father’s Day just around the corner, this would be an excellent gift for the tea-drinking man in your life!
Genmai Matcha from Shizuoka Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shizuoka Tea
Product Description:
Genmai Matcha is a very tasty combination of Sencha, Genmai (toasted brown rice) and Matcha (high-quality tea leaf powder). The Genmai gives the Sencha tea a wholesome, nut-like flavor. The Matcha gives it a deep green color and very pleasing aroma. This combination makes Genmai Matcha one of our best selling teas.
Taster’s Review:
I really enjoy Genmaicha teas, and I also enjoy Matcha, so when these two are brought together in one blend – well, you know that old commercial about two great tastes that taste great together? Yeah, the commercial is about a candy bar, but it works here too.
I steeped this Genmai Matcha in my gaiwan. I don’t usually steep Genmaicha in my gaiwan, but I don’t know why! I think I may start though, because, I am finding it to be the perfect vessel for this tea. 
The flavor is sweet, nutty and toasty. There are hints of bitterness from the Matcha which enhance the overall profile of the tea – this tea seems to please the whole palate with its complex collection of flavors.
The Matcha coats the palate softly with a delicious, almost powder-like feel. There is a pleasant level of vegetative taste to this cup. It doesn’t taste too grassy. The toasted taste of the Genmaicha gives the cup a more “roasted vegetable” flavor rather than a grassy tone.
This is a very energizing cup, it is a great choice to sip later in the day to help offset that sluggish sort of feeling! It not only excites the palate but invigorates the body and helps to clear the mind! What a splendid tea!
Toasted Almond Creme (Signature Blend) from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sorry, this blend is no longer available.
Company Description:
As this blend has been discontinued by Adagio Teas, there is no description available.
Taster’s Review:
I know that this tea is no longer available, but I really like it so I want to share my thoughts about it with you.
Adagio Teas offers a rather unique and cool service to their customers. Customers can design their own “Signature Blends” using Adagio’s teas. I have tried several of these Signature Blends from various blenders, but my favorite blender thus far is Adagio customer Rachana Carter.
Now, I have to tell you, I am not a huge fan of Adagio’s black tea base. I find it to be rather harsh and astringent. That being said, I have found that when their flavored black teas are blended (like with the Signature Blends), the black tea doesn’t taste as harsh. I don’t know why that is, I mean, it’s still the same black tea base. So while I don’t really like many of Adagio Teas flavored teas, I have enjoyed quite a few of the Signature Blends.
This blend is very flavorful. The black tea base is not harsh at all, in fact, I have a hard time believing that it is made with the same black tea base as the Adagio Teas flavored black teas. It is very smooth tasting with barely a hint of astringency. Very pleasant.
The flavoring of this one doesn’t really remind me so much of “toasted almond” as much as it reminds me of almond extract. What it tastes like to me is a cookie that’s been flavored with almond extract… and that has been dunked in milk!
The combination of flavors is very nice. The tea is sweet and creamy, with a pleasingly robust black tea background. I am finding it to be exceptionally comforting on this chilly day. Thank you, Rachana Carter, for all of your fantastic blends!