Where to Buy: The Groovy Baker on Etsy
Product Description:
The candy base on this one is a nice vanilla cream, sweetened with just a touch of honey
~ flecks of high quality Earl Grey make it awesome.
Added bonus? They look all spooky and cool. =)
Taster’s Review:
Of the six different lollipops that I’ve tasted from the Groovy Baker thus far, this one was perhaps the most confusing. I think I was hoping for a little more Earl Grey flavor.
Don’t get me wrong, these are still really tasty. And I love the vanilla/honey flavor of the candy. But I think that I was expecting it to have a little more tangy bergamot citrus tones, a little more brisk black tea flavor. Those notes don’t come until you’ve licked on the lollipop for a while and some of the tea leaves that have been embedded in the candy have “steeped” some of their flavor onto the palate.
And when those Earl Grey flavors do finally arrive – YUM! This becomes a real tea lovers treat. The vanilla is creamy and smooth. The honey notes are a delicious addition to this confection, reminding me of my earlier experiences with tea when I still added quite a bit of honey to each cup. Now that my palate has matured a little, I am adding less of the sweet stuff (and sometimes no sweet stuff!) but my sweet tooth sometimes still wants it! This lollipop satisfies those sweet tooth cravings while still appealing to the tea lover in me.
On the down side, the larger tea leaves can be a bit rough on the tongue. I would suggest that the tea leaves be finely ground before sprinkling them onto the lollipops – I think it would also help to distribute the Earl Grey flavoring a little better. But even with the larger pieces of leaves, these are still really delicious.
Here’s an idea: use this lollipop as a tea stirrer – letting the lollipop dissolve in the tea. YUM YUM YUM!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Matcha Green Tea Lollipop from The Groovy Baker
Where to Buy: The Groovy Baker on Etsy
Product Description:
*Real* Matcha Green Tea imported from Japan ~
With just a touch of lemon and creamy vanilla ~ a bit of pear adds depth and the toasted almonds some crunch and complexity.
Pretty clear green ~ just really nice.
Made with pure cane sugar, never any corn syrup.
Taster’s Review:
I found these beauties on Etsy one evening while I was browsing on the site, looking for new tea products. And, yes, they really are as beautiful as they look!
The first thing I taste with these is the pear. It doesn’t dominate the confection but it does come on strong at the start. The Matcha flavor starts off much softer – the flavor is there from the start it is just rather delicate in the beginning. After several licks I noticed that the green tea flavor started to really come through nicely, and by the time I was about halfway through the lollipop, the Matcha was prominent.
One thing that this lollipop does lack verses a bowl of Matcha tea is the bittersweet characteristic of Matcha due to the sugar in the candy. I think that this is where the almonds really play their part well. The almond slivers are embedded into the candy, and I found myself nibbling at them. It offered a tasty nutty flavor as well as an interesting feel and look to the lollipop. Moreover, the almonds helped bring out some of the less distinctive notes of the Matcha.
I just loved these lollipops. Sweet (I guess that is a bit obvious, since it’s candy!) but with a delicious complexity that I wouldn’t get from an ordinary confection. The perfect candy for someone who’s “nuts” about tea!
PS: You can read more of my reviews of other flavors of lollipops from The Groovy Baker here.