Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
For those who are looking for a delectable chocolate derivative that will still deliver on the well loved chocolate appeal, White chocolate Matcha makes the perfect choice. This light colored delectable Matcha treat is perfect for those with intolerance for its darker chocolate counterpart. It however, does not disappoint in the bonafide chocolate taste that is appetizing and scrumptious. The pleasantly colored White chocolate Matcha is perfect for adults and children alike.
Learn more about this flavored Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m not always crazy about white chocolate, and if given a choice, I’d choose dark chocolate or milk chocolate over white chocolate every time. However, I did think that this flavor would offer some good “blending” options, and that’s why I ultimately decided to order this White Chocolate Flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea.
Since I’ve got quite a few Matcha selections in my tea stash, I figured the flavor of white chocolate would meld nicely with a lot of the fruit flavored matcha teas that I have … and it would also make a very nice addition to my fruit smoothies!
But you know what? It’s actually quite nice on it’s own too. For the purposes of this review, I prepared a latte, using a 1:1 ratio of hot water and steamed milk, and then using my hand-held frother, I whisked the sifted, powdered green tea into the water and milk combination. The result is a tasty bowl of Matcha Latte that disappeared in no time flat! (By the way, Red Leaf Tea pre-sifts their Matcha for you when you order it! One less step when you prepare the Matcha – which is kind of nice if you’re adding the powdered green tea directly to a water bottle for Matcha on the go!)
The white chocolate flavor is a good combination with the flavor of this Classic Grade Matcha, which has a natural “chocolate-y” undertone to it – it seems to bring out those chocolate notes. I like that I’m not tasting an “artificial” or chemical note to this Matcha. As I’ve mentioned in some of the other flavored Matcha reviews that I’ve written for Red Leaf Tea, sometimes there is a chemical-y taste that comes with the flavored Matcha. Some of the flavors work better than others. The white chocolate flavor works very well!
The Matcha doesn’t taste remarkably “vegetative” – it tastes sweet and creamy. There are hints of grassy notes to this. There are also buttery notes, and a very tasty white chocolate note that seems to be enhanced with the natural chocolate tones of the Matcha. I chose the distinctive level of flavoring for this blend, and it provides a nice taste.
This is one that I’m going to really enjoy experimenting with and seeing what kinds of flavor combinations I can come up with! And it tastes amazing in smoothies!
Stone Fruit White Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Stone fruits are so named because they have a large pit in their centers. They include peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries–in other words, a cornucopia of yumminess, all of which is represented in this blend.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
When it came time for me to try this Stone Fruit White Tea from 52Teas, I knew I had to try it iced. It just seemed to me to be the perfect kind of tea for iced tea. So, I brewed an extra large pot of this tea, and after straining a small cup of tea for me to try as a hot tea and with which to start this review, I strained the rest of the pot into my iced tea pitcher, and then re-infused the leaves to top off the iced tea pitcher. Yumminess in the fridge for tomorrow!
Served still-piping-hot-from-the-teapot hot, I found the flavor was not quite everything I wanted it to be. I took a sip or two, and then I decided to wait a few minutes for my next sip … which was considerably better. Give this tea a few moments to cool – it doesn’t need a long time, but just a few minutes will give the flavors a chance to really pop.
This tea blend is beautifully flavored. The white tea base is soft, sweet and earthy. Notes of hay, and of fresh air, it tastes clean and fresh. These flavors seemed to meld well with the sweet, lush notes of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot and cherry.
And I like that I can taste each of those flavors in the cup in front of me. It tastes a bit more like a medley of fruit flavors rather than distinctive, individual notes … but I can taste each of them. The peach and nectarine are the most prominent – and it really is difficult for me to tell the difference between one and the other when it comes to these two fruits, when I was young, we had a peach tree and a nectarine tree, and when it came time for “peach” cobbler, my step-mother would combine the two fruits in the cobbler, and really, it just tasted like peach cobbler. They’re both so similar.
Even though the peach and nectarine are the strongest notes, I also taste the plum, which adds a nice, tangy note to the cup. And the cherry adds a hint of tart. The apricot adds a smooth, sweet undertone. It is – as I said – much more like a stone fruit medley than the individual flavors of five stone fruits.
This white tea blend from 52Teas is a stone groove (sorry, I don’t know why I felt the need to say that, I just did.) And it’s even better iced than it is hot! The flavors REALLY POP once it’s chilled and become more distinguished. I taste more natural, juicy sweetness from the peach, nectarine and apricot … and more sharp tartness from the cherry and I like this contrast. The plum flavor really shines through as well.
So delicious, naturally cooling and just … pure refreshment from start to finish! YUM!
Black Raspberry Tea Blend from Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & White Teas
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
This is one of our own tea blends. Green and white tea is combined with black raspberries.The combination of China green and white tea brews up to a light and sweet liquid that combines perfectly with black raspberries. Ingredients: Fair Trade Certified TM Organic China Green Tea, Fair Trade CertifiedTM Organic Pai Mu Tan, and dried black raspberries,and Organic Natural Flavoring
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
YUM! OK, first of all, I have to admit that I found the name a little confusing. I form a lot of pre-tasting conclusions and/or opinions about a tea just by reading the name of the tea, which is probably something I shouldn’t do. But I can’t help it. And when I read “Black Raspberry,” I jumped to the conclusion that this would be a flavored black tea blend. So imagine my surprise when I opened the pouch of this Black Raspberry Tea Blend from Trail Lodge Tea and immediately recognized the Pai Mu Tan and Green Tea leaves! Not so surprising were the big, whole, dried black raspberries … but I expected to find black tea leaves, not white and green tea leaves!
The aroma is positively delicious. It’s one of those fragrant teas that just got my taste buds excited by taking a whiff and taking in the amazing black raspberry notes. My mouth was watering, and I could hardly wait for the three minutes infusion time to pass. (I infused this tea using a low temperature water – just 170°F and steeped the leaves for three minutes, and I’m very pleased with the results!)
This is YUMMY! The green and white teas pair up to create a delicious base that is smooth and slightly creamy. The creamy notes accentuated the raspberry tones very well. The tea tastes a little vegetative, a little earthy, and very crisp and refreshing! It has a light taste that sort of dances over the palate; it’s invigorating … but not in the same way that a black tea invigorates and energizes… this is more of a gentle, inspiring invigoration. Like a sweet cleansing of the palate.
The raspberry is the star of this show, but, even though it is the “key note” here, it does not overwhelm the base of green and white teas. Trail Lodge Tea has achieved a delightful balance with this tea. This is one of the nicest raspberry teas I’ve tasted in a while. The raspberry is sweet yet tart, and there is that tingly, tart note that rests on the palate in the aftertaste … but, it isn’t as powerful as *other* raspberry teas tend to be. And as one who is not typically a big fan of tartness, I find this gentle tingly sensation to be quite refreshing and enjoyable.
My only complaint? This tea disappeared way too quickly from my teacup! It is one of those teas that I just can’t seem to stop sipping until it’s gone! Delicious!
Snow Maple Flavored White Tea from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
A winter tradition for Ottawa residents, sugar bush season! The silver lining to the cold winter months and a great introduction to spring. It is a chance to see the production of pure Canadian maple syrup and enjoy the many delicious uses. Possibly the most memerable part of joining in is the taffy in the snow where children (and people of all ages) get some warm maple syrup to pour into the snow and make their own snow maple taffy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Snow Maple Flavored White Tea from Shanti Tea is AWESOME! I love maple … and it’s been my experience that far too often with maple flavored teas that the maple flavoring just isn’t strong enough to satisfy me. That is not the case with this maple tea! This tea brings the maple, and brings it on loud and proud!
Well, as loud and proud as is appropriate for a white tea, which is, in itself a fairly delicate tasting tea. And the maple flavoring does not overwhelm the tea … but it is strong. This tea is less about the tea and more about the maple, but, I’m not minding that because I’m loving the way the maple is represented here!
It is sweet and deliciously maple-y! The white tea gives notes of earthiness to the cup that I think really accentuate the maple notes deliciously. It tastes warm and delicious – very autumnal! It is a very crisp and delectable maple tea.
If you like maple teas … this is one you MUST try! It’s oh-so-good!
White Pomegranate Tea from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
One of the most subtle and elegant teas that you will find, White Pomegranate tea has delicate flavors which hint at the rejuvenating properties it contains. This white tea offers a blend with an almost indescribable taste, and a pale, naturally sweet cup that has gentle fruity touches. The addition of vitamin C by way of the rose hips gives a boost to your immune system and the safflower provides essential acids that are known for their health giving properties. While the infused pomegranate is a boost to your health as well as a spike of flavor to this loose leaf white tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love pomegranate, but it’s not always easy to find a well-crafted pomegranate tea. I’ve found a few that I’ve really enjoyed, but, I’ve also found several that have been very disappointing. This White Pomegranate Tea from Red Leaf Tea is one that I’m really enjoying!
The delicate character of the white tea leaves is a perfect match for the tangy flavor of the pomegranate fruit. The softer flavor of the white tea allows the flavor of the fruit to really shine through, while the bright flavor of the pomegranate does not obscure the pale earthiness of the white tea.
When I measured out this tea, I noticed how fluffy the leaves looked, each pale, silvery colored leaf was covered in the tiny, soft fuzz. The flavor of the white tea is a soft flavor, lightly vegetative notes that are more “hay-like” than grassy. The taste is earthy and pleasant, and I like how these notes meld with the pomegranate.
The pomegranate tastes a little bit sweet and a little bit tart … just like the fruit itself. I like the juiciness of the tea – and it has a very refreshing quality to it as well. I enjoy this one served hot or cold … but my preference is iced! It makes an awesome, thirst-quenching iced tea!