Today is the 4th day of our countdown for the 52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas promotion. With the winter weather we are currently experiencing, I was excited to brew up a pot of this tea to share. But first we have to find out what tea we have today.
So scratch off today’s sticker and see what today’s tea is!
Coconut Flan Genmaicha
This is reblend from earlier in the year. I have to say that this wasn’t a favorite tea of mine when this first came out so I”m curious to see what the reblend is going to bring. So far each of the re blends have been spot on spectacular.
Brewed this tea up with the parameters provided and in no time I was greeted with a yellow-green brew to enjoy. Poured myself a cuppa and sat down to write this review. Took my first sip and. . .
Notes of creamy lush coconut roll over my palate with a roasted toasted finish and a buttery rich feel. Each sip definitely provides a very decadent coconut flavor, so if you are a coconut fan, this tea has your name all over it!
I find that I’m liking this tea better than the original blend, but its not one of my favorites but that being said. . . 52Teas doesn’t create a bad tea. Just off of the heels of a few of the other blends, like Cranberry Soda Green Rooibos ( I completely devoured this one), this one just isn’t hit the mark for me.
I’m going to try this as a cold brew to see if the flavors pop more for me. I have a feeling this method will really make the this blend pop!
Here is the official description of this tea and the Mad Musings behind it. I write my reviews before reading the official tea description.
Coconut Flan Genmaicha!
Tea Description: As I mentioned above, I was happy to see this tea win a spot into our Christmas box this year. It’s always a joyful experience to see that one of my tea creations is so well received. It’s even more exciting when the tea that’s been so well received is one of my favorite teas because that means I get to drink more of it too!
My original description of this tea went like this:
For this Cinco de Mayo, I went with a favorite dessert inspiration: Flan! I love the stuff. But I wanted something MORE than just a caramelized custard – I wanted to go coconuts! Coconut Flan! (Seriously, how yum does that sound?)
For the base, I tossed around several ideas before I settled on my organic Matcha infused Genmaicha. I thought that the Matcha together with the toasted rice would lend a really nice nutty flavor to the cup – which I felt would complement the coconut as well as that hint of caramel that Flan is famous for and the Matcha would lend a creaminess to the cup to accentuate the custard.
This is totally yum! Matcha Infused Matcha blended with huge coconut flakes and the flavors of Flan. A perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
And really, I didn’t stray from the original recipe, except that I added some vanilla bean because you can never go wrong with a little more vanilla in a flan, am I right? So other than the vanilla bean, I kept true to the recipe because this is one that I was happy with when I first crafted it, so I stuck with my recipe. I hope you all enjoy it as much as you did the first time it was offered!
organic ingredients: green teas, toasted and popped rice, unsweetened coconut flakes, vanilla bean and natural flavors.
I don’t know that I really need to add additional tasting notes this time around since I did already write out a whole blog post about this tea once already. However, I do taste test each and every tea that I blend – each and every time I blend it. I put a great deal of time and energy into every tea blend I craft (including reblends and in many cases, especially reblends!) and it’s important to me that each tea tastes great when it’s sent out to my customers. I want to feel confident when I package up your orders, I want the confidence that each tea I send you is the best possible product. I don’t just blend teas and put them into pouches and slap a label on the pouch. I care too much about tea – I love tea too much to do that. I spend a lot of time taste testing the samples sent to me by vendors to ensure that the teas I use as bases are of exceptional quality. I hunt down organic ingredients to use whenever I can find them. I blend the teas and then allow ample time to cure before I taste test the tea and then if it’s not right – if I’m not satisfied – then I tweak the blend a little bit until I am happy with the product. I do all of these things before I package up the teas into pouches and put the label on it. A lot goes into each and every pouch of tea that I produce.
I’m not saying all of this to boast. I’m stating it to explain why it is that I take the time to write out these blog posts for every tea. I put forth this effort to give each tea the time it deserves in a taste test so that when I go to package it up, I’m confident of the product.
So here it is – this tea before me is one of my favorite creations from earlier this year – Coconut Flan Genmaicha. I created it for the week of Cinco De Mayo. Oh, who am I kidding. Cinco De Mayo was just a great excuse for me to create a coconut flan blend! Ha! I love flan and I love coconut and what better way to celebrate both these flavors than with a Genmaicha tea? My organic Matcha infused Genmaicha base was a perfect choice for the flavors of coconut and flan because the genmaicha offers a naturally sweet, toasty flavor that enhanced the notes of caramel to the custard. The creaminess of the Matcha brought out the creamy custard notes and the silky flavor of the coconut.
And that’s exactly what I’m tasting right now as I sip on this. Sweet, warm caramel and smooth, vanilla-y custard beneath a forward note of silken coconut. Delicious!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Green Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but these teas are!
Cherry Cordial from The NecessiTeas. . .A Hand Blended Treat!
Growing up, my brother was obsessed with video games. Obsessed. He used to drag my mom out to the stores for midnight releases and then pretend to be sick the next game so he could stay home and play the games. I never understood it…until now. Is it weird I feel that way about tea? Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of skipping work though so I spent the day thinking about my NecessiTeas haul sitting at home. More specifically, I spent the day thinking about this tea.
I wish I had the words to describe the smell of the dry leaf because it is beyond amazing. Truly awesome. And realistically, what could be bad. Cherries? Chocolate chips? Marshmallows? It all sounds pretty darn delicious to me.
And delicious it is. At first I got a bit of astringency from the base but now that it has cooled a bit, I am getting black cherry perfection. Sweet, rich and distinctive, this is certainly one of the better cherry blends I have tried. No cough syrup here. Add to that a fluffy marshmallow note floating on top contributing creaminess that is only further accentuated by the velvety smoothness of the melted milk chocolate. It’s all there and its all delightful.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
The combination of a sweet liquid cordial center with a milk chocolate coating is truly divine. Try with a splash of milk and rock sugar for an even more decadent treat!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Calling All Coconut Lovers!! Coconut Breeze from Harlow Tea Co
I find coconut is one of those polarizing flavors. People either love it or hate it. I am on the love it side of things but overtime I learned that there isn’t just one sort of coconut when it comes to tea. Coconut can be sweet and creamy but it can also be reminiscent of body lotion. Personally, I am a lover of coconut in dessert teas though I am wary as it can also go rancid much quicker than other ingredients. Though, when done right, it can be SO RIGHT!
With that in mind, I was both excited and anxious to try this tea. Unlike the coconut blends I tend to reach for, this is a more Island-vibe sort of creation with the addition of lemongrass, orange peel and the floral rose all on a bed of green tea. I worried that that might result in the weird lotion-type coconut flavor/mouth-feel since islands and lotion (or the sun protection variety) just go together. My worries were not eased by the thickness of the steeped tea. The liquid moved as one solid unit in the cup, looking like it had an almost gelatin-like consistency.
My first sip eased my troubles as there was no lotion to be found, and even though it looked thick, this tea is smooth and mellow in texture. However, what I didn’t expect is that not only was the coconut not lotiony but it wasn’t even all that present in the flavor. It is being drowned out by the lemongrass and just a hint of a vegetal green base. I believe the only thing it is contributing to is the texture of the brew as there is a silkiness akin to creamier blends that I would attribute to the coconut.
It’s a pleasant enough tea and more sunshine and brightness than the delectable dessert I hope for when I see coconut in a blend. So, this one maybe isn’t for me but I can see others enjoying it a great deal. If you want something more reminiscent of an island life to escape the dreary winter months, this might be a tea to reach for.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Green Tea
Where to Buy: Harlow Tea Co
Description
This green tea is light and perfect for a breezy summer day. If that breezy summer day is nonexistent this tea will take you back to those days with refreshing coconut and citrus flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hidden Meadow from BlendBee. . .A Custom for Me Treat!
A couple weeks ago, I reached out to Jamah at BlendBee and asked her if she could create a flavored green tea for me. I knew that part of her business was based on customizing tea, but I wasn’t sure if she had all the components I was asking for. So we chatted for a bit and about a week later, Hidden Meadow was born.
Hidden Meadow is a marvelous blend of vanilla, green tea, spearmint, and marshmallow root. I was wanting a tea that was a bit different than the other minty teas I had and thought this would be a good starting point. (I’m thinking we tackle a creamy orange dreamsicle tea but I haven’t chatted with her yet about this one.)
Brewed up this tea has such an inviting aroma that I literally huddle over the tea pot while the tea is steeping. I just adore the smell of the vanilla, marshmallow root, and spearmint combination. This is one tea that I allow to cool for a few moments. From my experience with this blend, allowing the tea to cool really helps bring together all of the flavors.
This tea is bright, vibrant, soothing and invigorating. All of the flavors are well balanced and not one overpowers the other. The vanilla is rich and creamy while the spearmint gives the tea a bit of pep. There is a specific taste that I adore that marshmallow root adds to a blend and I can tell its there but I really can’t describe it.
Hidden Meadows is a tea that I will need to have on hand at all times. I just adore it and its one that I’ve found myself reaching for again and again and again. I’ve even drank nothing but this tea for a few days and still can’t get enough of it!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Green Tea
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Breathe deep & fall in love…A simple yet intoxicating blend of green tea, marshmallow root and fresh spearmint delicately infused with warm vanilla. This is a creamy, minty & dreamy green tea blend for you to savor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blackberry Cobbler from Pinch of Geek
A couple weeks ago, my husband and I went out and had a mixed berry cobbler for dessert. We weren’t even that hungry, but we ate nearly to the point of tummy-explosion because it was just that good.
This tea tastes just like that ‘zert. The rooibos and spices make up the crumbles, and the rich berries fill in the rest. There are no artificial flavors in this, and you can really tell.
It’s like wandering around on a hiking trail and stuffing them into your mouth.
And wondering about whether that’s okay. Trails are always like “take only photos; leave only footprints.”
But what about a belly full of blackberries? Because I am basically foraging like a cavewoman every time I spot berries in the wild. My mouth and hands are covered in blood-like stains. Like I committed a heinous crime out there.
What I’m saying is basically that I love blackberries, past the point of acceptability, and this tea channels that. The people in charge of this blog definitely chose the right recipient for this tea. Except they only sent me ONE BAG, which was a little cruel. I’ve had my cup, and now I’m sniffing the mug in sadness. Next time I’m running low on tea, I’m definitely snapping this up.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos/Black Tea Blend
Where to Buy: Pinch of Geek
Description
Blackberry Cobbler is a secret blend of black, chestnut, Thai, and rooibos teas with dried blackberries and spices including cinnamon. It smells of holidays and home. Lovely blend especially when served with a touch of sugar and cream!
The tea has caffeine but no added sugar. The tea will appear brown from the very real spices added! This is not an artificially flavored tea because it is an actual blend of spices, fruit, and tea that taste and smell of the real thing.
Due to the complex blend or fruit, tea, and spices, this tea is only available in bags.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
