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Jan 31

Grüner Tee Vanille from Lord Nelson

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Lord Nelson,Tea Review 11:00 pm | 3 Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Black Tea
  • Name Of Tea: Grüner Tee Vanille
  • Available From: Lord Nelson

Gruner Tee Vanille from Lord NelsonI received this in a tea swap from a girl who lives in Norway.

Prior to steeping it reminded me of a vanilla scented doll I used to have as a kid…I think it was something from the Strawberry Shortcake Cartoon Series/Themed-time type thing. Either way the scent brought me back to my childhood. The taste has just a hint of vanilla, not much though It’s calming and creative and a nice relaxing cup!

All the info I Googled came up in a different language and I was unable to get a good translation for it.

A fellow tea lover on another site I frequent said and I quote:

In Europe, you can find this brand at the ubiquitous German LIDL Supermarket chain.

I would love to try more of Lord Nelson’s Tea just because it’s different to me and I’m intrigued.



JenniferB
JenniferB
http://teaequalsbliss.blogspot.com


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Jan 31

Yamamotoyama Genmai from Stash Tea

Green Tea,Stash Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea 4:00 pm | No Comments

Yamamotoyama Genmai As I’ve mentioned previously, I love genmaicha tea.  But I have never tried it in the convenience of a tea bag, until now.

The aroma is as expected:  green tea with a fresh, grassy scent and the roasted essence of the popped rice.  It is that toasty quality that I find so irresistible.  For me, it’s the same sensation of smelling freshly popped popcorn, I’ve just got to have some!

I’m not going to lie to you and suggest that this is the best genmaicha tea I’ve ever had, because it isn’t.  However, it is very good, and certainly worthy of a positive review.  Not to mention that it is much more convenient than a loose leaf genmaicha, and sometimes, convenience is a very important factor.

The green tea is a mellow, vegetative flavor.  It’s not an overwhelmingly strong grassy flavor, rather, it is a pleasant, delicately sweet green tea.  The real star of this tea is the popped rice, which provides a very delicious roasty-toasty flavor to the green tea.  It’s a very delightful combination.

Stash Tea describes this tea as

A convivial drink in Japan shared at home with friends. This unique tea is made with green tea and brown rice. Light golden color and nut-like flavor and aroma. The Rosengarten Newsletter* gives this tea 5 stars and says, ‘devastatingly delicious…wild nose that goes beyond toasted rice, almost to the buttery popcorn at the bottom of the bag. Huge and complex toasted flavors on palate. Smooth, round, non-astringent, thoroughly satisfying feel. A must’.

*The Rosengarten Newsletter, winner of the 2003 James Beard Award as the best food and wine newsletter in the country, covers the most exciting, undiscovered food products, restaurants, wines and travel destinations in the world.

I agree with the description provided by Stash, and I think that is why I find genmaicha teas so appealing, it’s that toasty, buttery flavor that is so much like popcorn from the movie theater — except that this is much better for you!

This is an extremely light-bodied tea, much lighter than other genmaicha teas that I’ve sampled.  The flavor is exceptionally soft – I mean that in a good way.  It is not astringent, it is just buttery soft, and delicious.

However, you do want to be aware of your tea to water ratio here.  If you usually brew your tea bags in a large tea mug, you’ll want to use 2 of these tea bags – otherwise you’ll be left with a liquid that tastes more like warm water than hot tea. No sugar or other sweetener is needed with this tea, it has a natural occurring sweetness in the green tea as well as the sweetness from the rice.

If you like genmaicha tea as I do, then you certainly should give this tea a try.  It is a very delicious yet convenient genmaicha tea.



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jan 31

Chocolate Almond Allure from Talbott Teas

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Talbott Teas,Tea Review 8:00 am | 1 Comment

Chocolate Almond Allure Tea by Talbott TeasOh-My-God!  I think I’m in LOVE…

This smells and tastes totally wonderful!  The name really DOES say it all!  It’s a flavored black tea so you can still taste the black tea with the chocolate and almond notes added in. I think the almond is more noticeable but it’s still a wonderful treat.

Talbott Teas describes this tea as:

Bit by almond bit, you let the rich flavor overwhelm you. Pieces of cocoa and caramel envelop your senses, and black tea, as you know it, is changed forever.

All natural premium ingredients: Full-leaf black tea, almond pieces, cacao nibs, natural caramel, chocolate and almond flavors.

Price: $12.00 – free shipping on all orders

Satisfaction- Guilt Free

Who doesn’t love chocolate? We all love chocolate so much that forecasters predict that the chocolate business in the US will reach 18 billion in sales by the year 2011. So, obviously no one needs convincing to dip into some sort of tasty chocolate treat. No matter how full I am, I can always fit in some chocolate every day. In fact, pairing chocolate with just about anything is gratifying to me.

But, combining tea with chocolate? I wasn’t a believer until I tasted black tea blended with cocoa, and infused with strawberry, almonds, or caramel pieces… WOW! It was the perfect taste without any calories. “That’s what I call “Satisfaction- Guilt Free!”

-Dr. Steven Nakisher

I have found with other chocolate teas the chocolate can be to dark tasting, too bitter, too fake tasting, or even barely there.  The chocolate in this tea pairs really well with the almond AND the black tea.  Usually I can take or leave almond and other nutty flavors in teas but this blend works and it’s a keeper!

The only negative!?  I’m already out of this and will have to purchase some SOON!  Two thumbs up!



JenniferB
JenniferB
http://teaequalsbliss.blogspot.com


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Jan 30

Yunwu Cloud and Mist from Zhi Tea

Green Tea,Tea Review,Unflavored Tea,Zhi Tea 11:00 pm | No Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Green Tea
  • Name Of Tea: Yunwu Cloud and Mist
  • Available From: Zhi Tea

Cloud and MistThese tea leaves are really quite beautiful:  thin, long and graceful, these forest-green colored leaves are so green that I can see a slight blue hue in them.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen tea leaves quite like these.

The aroma of the leaves is quite vegetative, reminding me a bit of freshly mowed grass after a drenching rain.  The flavor is also quite vegetative, but, strangely, it is an agreeable vegetative essence.  Perhaps it is the sweetness that accompanies the fresh, grassy notes.  The flavor is very bright, and offers hints of fruit and floral tones creating a nice complexity for the palate.

What differentiates this from so many green teas is its body.  It is certainly lighter than a typical black tea, and with less mouthfeel than a typical Oolong, it has a more substantial presence to the mouth than a typical green tea.

It  also has an immense complexity of flavors, and when brewed properly, offers very little astringency, and a slight, but not off-putting bitterness to the overall profile of the tea.  This is not the kind of bitterness that one might get when dealing with too many tannins (a result of over brewing the tea) but more of a pleasant herbal sharpness.

Zhi Tea describes this tea as

In our search for superb and unique organic China Green tea we stumbled across this gorgeous delight from Zhejiang Province.

Nestled in the Tian Mu mountains lies a pristine tea garden that lovingly creates this outstanding organic tea. Stylish, long and wiry emerald leaf produces a light green infusion which is quite herbaceous, with distinct honey/peach notes.

This is a very savory and luscious tea full of body and charm. Simple, yet elegant.

This tea offers three very flavorful infusions that I recommend drinking hot.  As it chills, it maintains quite a bit (but certainly not all) of its flavor, thereby making it a decent tea to use as an iced tea, but for my money I’d rather drink a tea of such outstanding quality hot.  Sweetener is not needed here, the naturally-occurring sweetness is quite enjoyable without adding more, and in my opinion would ruin an otherwise perfect cup of green tea.

These thin leaves do expand quite a bit, so don’t use a small infuser.  Give these leaves some dignity and brew them properly in a teapot and then strain, or use a smart brew system.  This is an excellent green tea that belongs in every tea connoisseur’s tea cabinet.



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jan 30

Artichoke Green Tea from Adagio Teas

Adagio Teas,Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review 4:00 pm | 1 Comment

Artichoke Green Tea from Adagio TeasArtichokes?  But I thought this was a tea review blog!?  OH!  But it is!!!

When I found out Adagio was coming out with a few savory teas I was very intrigued!  I had to try them, especially this one!

I’m not too fond of the dry loose leaf scent but the aroma morphs, thankfully, as it steeps.  It’s a typical green tea coloring once infused.  The taste is sweet and green but without the harsh green aftertaste you can sometimes get with green tea. It’s hard to believe that this tea is an artichoke tea. Thumbs up for the creativity. It’s a pretty tasty tea.  Sometimes fruity, sometimes floral, and other times both fruity and floral.  It’s also good on multiple infusions!

Adagio describes this tea as:

Have we gone too far? Perhaps, but considering the culinary appeal of savory and sweet artichoke we thought it married particularly well with a nice green base tea. Complex and completely different, this tea will please a sophisticated palate looking for something unusual.

The only sad part of this tea is that there are people that will look at this and make a funny face and not try the tea because of the artichoke backing…please don’t be one of those people or you will miss out on a great flavored green tea!



JenniferB
JenniferB
http://teaequalsbliss.blogspot.com


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Jan 30

Boulder Blues from The Tea Spot

Flavored Tea,Green Tea,Tea Review,The Tea Spot 8:00 am | No Comments

Boulder BluesThis is a very unique green tea blend which brings together the flavors of two exceptional green teas:  Sencha and Dragonwell.  The smooth sweetness of the Chinese tea (Dragonwell) and the vegetative note of the Japanese tea (Sencha) creates a pleasant flavor that is representative of both of these teas.  Very fresh-tasting and light,  grassy, with a sweet, roasted, nutty flavor.  Its a very delicious contrast.

The strawberry and rhubarb flavors add their own sweet yet tart qualities to the teacup.  I am not extremely familiar with rhubarb, in fact, unless someone told me I was eating it, I wouldn’t know it or be able to recognize it by flavor.

But I am familiar with strawberries.  And the strawberry flavor is sweet and juicy – just like a red, ripe berry.

However, what really excites me about this blend is not the added flavors, but the teas itself.  I really love the base of this tea – the Sencha and Dragonwell are simply divine when blended together.  There is a very light astringency, with a tartness that rests upon the palate in the finish – courtesy of the strawberry and rhubarb.  It reminds me quite a bit of the tart aftertaste left on the tongue after eating a strawberry.

The Tea Spot describes this tea as

Our best selling green tea! This blend of fine Japanese Sencha and high grade Chinese Dragonwell combine to create a rich yet refreshing base, while wild strawberries and rhubarb flavors add a subtle twist. This tea yields a bright liquor with a luxurious aroma and brisk, vivid flavor. The ideal accompaniment to dark chocolate.

This tea is quite good hot, but I think it’s probably better iced.  I do recommend drinking it with sweetener, as it enhances the flavors of the tea.

I have been very impressed with the quality of teas that I’ve tried from The Tea Spot.  This is yet another tea that I have really enjoyed from them.  It is delicious, smooth, light-bodied with an appealing sweet-tart essence.  A very good tea.



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Jan 29

Mad Tea Party Blend from Disney Wonderland Tea

Black Tea,Disney Wonderland Tea,Flavored Tea,Tea Review 11:00 pm | 3 Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Black Tea
  • Name Of Tea: Mad Tea Party Blend
  • Available From: Disney Wonderland Tea

Mad Tea Party BlendMad Tea Party Blend from Disney Wonderland Tea – also known as The Unofficial Un-birthday Tea.

I bought this while at Disney World this past summer and I found this exact tin of loose leaf and also have it in the bagged version that I bought in a variety pack.

I like both but there is a difference between the bagged and the loose leaf.

First for the loose leaf…

It smells FAB.  It’s almost like “attack of the killer apricots!”  After the infusion the apricots and peach scents really come through.  The apricot and other flavors really create an usual but tasty sip.  It goes down nicely.

Bagged version:

It’s not as scented and the apricots aren’t as “killer” but it’s still a nice cup!  I will say it is fairly bold for a black bagged/themed tea!

I don’t have an official description for this tea from Disney but I know that the ingredients include: Indian black teas, safflowers, calendula petals, ginger bits, apricot bits, peach and apricot fFlavors.

I’ve very happy I bought this in both bagged and loose leaf…the tin is so fun and memorable!  The tea is memorable as well!



JenniferB
JenniferB
http://teaequalsbliss.blogspot.com


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