My tastebuds have taken several sabbaticals lately
. Now that they have decided to get back to work, I plan to drink tea and savor every sip, catching up on what I’ve missed!
This green tea is a breath of summer today on this dreary day. The description on their official site says there is a hint of tartness, but it isn’t at all sour or astringent like many green teas. In fact, this is a tea i could easily chug, even from a teacup. The light briskness just makes me want more.
The primary aroma and flavor is coconut, with the pineapple coming in at a close second. The added cream flavor makes this a super smooth and creamy cuppa, a nice foil for the green base.
I am drinking it hot, but it is amazing iced as well, with or without sugar. I always go without! Now I am going to pretend I am on a beach, basking in the sun with a little umbrella in my drink!
This is available without the tin for a lower price, but spend a few extra dollars sometime and treat yourself to Nina’s beautiful red tea tins. I have a row of them on my tea shelf and they are gorgeous. Their Marie Antoinette blend comes in an exquisite pink tin – so romantic. Pour Maman is a perfect gift for a new mother, a Mother’s Day gift, or just because. Grand Amour is truly one of my great loves among flavored black tea and is a fun to give for weddings or engagements.
But the important thing is that Nina’s knows how to do quality tea and well-balanced blending. Even if you see a dozen flavors listed in the tea, it won’t be a muddy mess. It will be a beautifully blended cup of tea that leaves you wondering how the French achieve this level of mastery just as they do in their finest parfums.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Nina’s Tea
Description
Pineapple, coconut The magical combination of pineapple and coconut. This tea, with a hint of tartness, will pleasantly surprise you. An exotic blend that will satisfy all seeking enchantment.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Big Easy from August Uncommon. . . . .
Everyone in my office is sick, and I’m trying to fend it off with a mix of witchcraft* and green tea. The green tea is probably the more socially acceptable of the two.
* This is a joke, though if you saw the way I dressed, you might believe it.
Today I picked the green August Uncommon Big Easy from my “Treat Yoself! Try It!” pile. And it’s a SUPER choice. It’s got zippy lemongrass, juicy pineapple, and this roasty under note that might be the barley. If I were to choose a color for this tea, it’d be the Pantone Color of the Year.
It really is a tea with oodles of flavor and personality. It’s like a cartoon character, so vivid and distinct. It seems a bit perky for August Uncommon, a company I associate with “coolness.”
But then again, maybe I think of “coolness” as “that guy who wears leather and rides a harley and cares about NOTHING.” Maybe I should redefine “coolness” as “someone who cares about stuff and enjoys life.”
If those two definitions of cool were people, I’d definitely want to hang out with the latter person. If those two definitions of cool were substances, the first would be cigarettes, and the second would be tea. Tea is about caring about flavor, and is used as a tool for enjoyment.
This turned into a digression about what constitutes “cool,” and I apologize for that.
Please feel free to weigh in on your current definition of “cool” is.
Or if you think “cool” is conceptually irrelevant for adults.
Anyway, try the tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: August Uncommon
Description
Tastes Like: pineapple cake, caramel beignet, dried lemon peel
Feels Like: a lazy stroll through the french quarter
You’ve never had a green tea this rich and sweet. When you taste it, you’ll swear you just had a bite of pineapple cake and a caramel beignet. If you’ve ever thought green tea is too bitter, try Big Easy. It’s as simple and delightful as a stroll in New Orleans.
A tea for those sweet and easy days
Ingredients: chinese sencha green tea, thai pineapple, rosehips, german barley malt, lemongrass, caramel, dried orange, flavoring
Contains gluten from barley malt and dairy
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Barbados Beach from Tea Taxi
Shortly after discovering Tea Taxi, I found out they were starting a monthly subscription program. Each month they send 10 tea samples, all selected to fit the particular theme chosen for that package. At just $7.45CAD per month (for 12 months, it is slightly more if you order for fewer months), I found myself signing up. Now I have a giant pile of Tea Taxi blends that just keeps growing as I am slowly making my way through the many different choices.
This particular blend is a green tea with cherry and pineapple. It brews up a bright yellow and the smell of fruit is strong. The base, though slightly vegetal, is rather timid in flavor. What stands out is the cherry. It is the star of the show and though it is quite sweet at the start of the sip, it has a tart zip at the end. The pineapple is not particularly noticeable but this tea does have a distinctively beach-type flavor to it and I think that is in large part a result of the pineapple in the leaf. At times, this can get a little cough syruppy because of the cherry but that is really quite fleeting and inoffensive.
All in all, this is a nice blend. Bright and flavorful with a lovely cherry quality to it. It screams summer and the beach, which provides a nice escape from the snowy Winter Wonderland that is Toronto right now. I don’t think I will be stocking this blend anytime soon since I just don’t drink green tea that often but I certainly would not turn down another cup.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Tea Taxi
Description
Come visit Barbados and have a sip of this exquisite blend! Barbados cherry, from the acerola tree, and pineapples will have you travel south to discover the most amazing beaches in the world!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peaceful Pineapple from Treehouse Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Treehouse Teas
Tea Description:
Peaceful Pineapple Organic Green Loose Leaf Tea
Relax, unwind and find your inner peace. Organic Blue Mallow Flowers, Organic Chinese Green Tea, Natural Mango Flavor, Organic Marigold Petals, Natural Papaya Flavor, and Natural Pineapple Flavor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Peaceful Pineapple. That name kind of struck me as a bit odd only because when I think of pineapple, I think of parities and fruit trays. Not relaxing and unwinding. But hey, I’m nothing but one to take in all experiences. So if this tea will help me unwind, I’m good with it!
This green flavored tea was quite lovely to look at. I enjoyed the pop of purple amongst the green tea leaves. I steeped this up with the green tea setting on my Breville and was excited to try a pineapple flavored tea. In the past these have been hit or miss with me. A lot more times than not, the pineapple flavor either doesn’t come across as being true pineapple-more of a tropical papaya flavor.
First sip and I’m a bit confused by the tea. All I am really getting is a green tea flavor and a confusing one at that. I’m not really getting the mango, papaya, or pineapple flavors. More of just this more or less bland green tea. No real flavor is singing to me or even one flavor I can discern from another. I’m wondering if there is too much going on or if I need to try cold brewing this pineapple tea to make the flavors pop. As it sits, the flavors just aren’t there for me so I’m going to dump this cuppa out and try experimenting with this tea a bit more down the road. I was hoping I would have a nice tropical flavor to drink this afternoon. Looks like I need to keep looking or need to keep experimenting!
