Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Just in time for Halloween! We’ve blended Young Hyson and Gunpowder green teas, freeze-dried blueberries and organic flavors to create the most amazing blueberry cotton candy flavored green tea EVER. I will NOT be able to reblend this one right now, as this used up the last of my green teas for the moment, so don’t miss out!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It may seem a little weird to be reviewing a tea called “Boo-Berry” in December, especially for those of you who – like me – are fans of the General Mills Monster cereals that are re-released every year around Halloween. Yeah, I’m a bit behind on reviewing my 52Teas … but I am trying to get to them in order of their release, and I do like to wait a little while for the teas to have time to cure. Something that I learned from my days as a tea artist is that when you flavor and/or blend a tea, the flavors need time to develop. I found that three weeks is usually sufficient, but as I said before, I am a wee bit behind.
So that is why I am reviewing this tea now and scheduling it for December 9, two months after it’s release for the week of October 8.
But I am glad I did wait a while, because based on the review I read from my SororiTea Sister Azzrian, this tea seems a bit different from what she tasted back when she did her review of it. I can taste the flavors and they’re strong! The cotton candy shines through, as does the blueberry.
The combination of Hyson and Gunpowder give this tea a pleasing dimension of flavor that is sweet, slightly vegetative and what I want to call “perky.” Yes, I said Perky! By that I mean – it has a vibrant, invigorating and even uplifting kind of taste. I feel it perk me up as I sip it.
Of the two flavors, I taste the sweet, sugary notes of the cotton candy just ahead of the blueberry, and only the sweetest notes of the blueberry. I find that this does lack some of the tart, tingly notes that I’d expect from a blueberry, this tends to taste more like the candy-ish blueberry taste of Boo-Berry cereal, which seems appropriate since that’s what inspired this tea. I notice a tart note in the aftertaste only … and only after waiting about a minute into the aftertaste do I notice it. In other words, if you want that tart blueberry taste, finish the sip, and then wait about a minute, and you’ll feel the tingly berry note develop on your tongue.
But, don’t take that as a criticism or complaint, because it isn’t intended to be. I don’t want my cotton candy to taste sour or even very tart. And I’m glad this doesn’t. Overall, I’m really pleased with this cup, it’s certainly a very good representation of what I would think a Boo-Berry Cotton Candy would taste like.
Now, if you’re getting ready to rush over to the 52Teas website to purchase some of this tea for yourself, you’re going to be a bit disappointed to learn that this tea is now sold out. That happens a lot with 52Teas blends. He only blends a limited quantity of each blend, and since he does a new blend each week (hence the name 52Teas) … he couldn’t possibly keep all the teas in stock all the time. So, if you are fed up with wanting to order a tea from 52Teas that ends up sold out before you can get to it, here’s what I recommend doing: Subscribe to their tea of the week or monthly tea package program. That’s what I do. That’s how I’m able to try each and every tea that they offer. Now, I’m not going to lie and say that I fall head over heels in love with every single tea that they create. I don’t. But, I do at least enjoy most of the teas that they create, and there’s never been one that I just do not like. And occasionally, there is one that I’m crazy about. And best of all: I never have to worry about the teas selling out before I have a chance to snag a pouch for myself.
PS: The subscriptions also make killer gifts!
Hysson Green Tea (Chá Verde) from Gorreana Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Gorreana Tea
Product Description:
A rare premium grade lightly steamed green tea that stands in a class of it’s own for over a century.
Gorreana’s organic green tea is grown hundreds of miles away from industrial pollution and plucked fresh annually during the summer months of June and July on Europe’s mid-Atlantic volcanic islands known as the Azores.
Noted for it’s long twisted full leafs, sweet flavor and delicate smooth notes this organic green tea is plucked from the bush using only the finest summer leaves then is lightly steamed and sealed immediately all at our eco-friendly estate for optimal freshness.
Taster’s Review:
Like my SororiTea Sister, TeaEqualsBliss, I too had a pretty terrible experience with Hysson in the past. (Perhaps it was with the same tea!) It tasted dusty and downright disgusting. So, I didn’t really have high hopes for this Hysson from Gorreana. Imagine my surprise when I found it really delightful!
The aroma from my cup is vegetative, smelling a bit like a combination of freshly cut grass and roasted vegetables. Yes, there is a hint of roasted goodness in there too.
The flavor is sweet and not nearly as vegetative as the fragrance suggests. Mere hints of grassy tones, but more of what I would describe as a fresh taste. What do I mean by “fresh taste”? Well, think of the air on a bright spring morning following a light rain, when the plants are showing signs of new growth… that sort of light yet vibrant experience… now imagine that as a flavor. That is kind of what I’m tasting from this Hysson right now.
There is also a nutty tone to this tea as well as a fruit note to this that reminds me a bit of green apple. Crisp and sweet, but with a hint of sour too. Not a pucker-y sour, but the refreshing sour you experience when you bite into a granny smith apple.
This is a delicious Hysson, one good enough to change my impression of Hysson tea!
Cha Verde Hysson Green Tea from Gorreana
Tea Type: Green Tea
Where To Buy: Gorreana
Product Description:
Plantações de Chá Gorreana is a tea plantation in the Azores, Portugal.
Gorreana’s single estate organic green tea, grown on the island of Sao Miguel (known as the green island) off the European coast, is a unique premium green tea that indulges even the most sophisticated palates. Green tea can be enjoyed as an afternoon tea up to a evening tea, since it is naturally low in caffeine and rich in both amino acids and antioxidants. So, enjoy a cup of Gorreana’s single estate green tea today, and taste why it’s the only place in Europe green tea has been grown for over 125 years!
Tasters Review:
It seems I have a lot to say about this tea. For many different reasons. One being…the last Hysson Tea I tried from a different company was down right awful. This one from Gorreana was breath of fresh air (which I will get to in a moment!) Another reason I have quite a bit to say about this one is that I tried Googling it and there weren’t a lot of Tea Review Sites that have reviewed it as of yet. Here at SororiTEA Sisters we are very excited to be one of the first! I will say that our friends at Steepster have a few people sipping on this one – in case you were interested.
Like I said above…I was surprised, happy, and satisfied with this one. Maybe the word “Satisfied” down plays it a bit…maybe “delighted” would be a better word. Regardless…this was tasty and different…here’s how it struck me…
Dry – this smells fresh and airy. It also smells slightly of herbs but also of veggies. Not overly-so but there are notes present. After infusion was complete this smelled mellow but refreshing or spring-like even.
The taste was wonderful. Very pure, quite crisp for a green, although it had hints of herb and vegetal flavors as well as being a little nutty – yet sweet – and slightly juicy but also a little chewy, even! This was the surprise for me! I was surprised but totally stoked that this had a slight chewy quality to it. You don’t get “chewy” often in a green…not this kind of chewy, that is. This is really special!
The after taste is a little floral and a little vegetal and herbally. The more I drink this one the more I like it! Very nice, indeed!
