Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tea Description:
This is a sweet treat
The powder smells peachy, that’s for sure. The first whiff caused fear that we were soon to be drinking fuzzy peach candies, but the green tea aroma comes out once you add water. Slurp it to get a full taste of the matcha flavour. It’s the rich vegetal character of matcha that balances the sweet peach flavour. Juicy hot or cold.
Learn more about this Matcha here.
Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had a few things to say about Amoda Tea and their Tea Tasting Box subscription … some good, and some not so good. For example, when I receive my monthly box and it contains mostly tisanes, I’m a little perturbed. And then, sometimes, I receive a box that has three teas … and I’ve not tried any of the three teas inside it. That’s when I do the happy dance. And even the months when I’m just a little disappointed, I still find myself thoroughly enjoying the teas and/or tisanes that were included in the box. So, really, even though there are moments of disappointment, overall, I am really VERY thrilled with the monthly boxes that I receive from Amoda Tea.
This month when I received my tasting box, I did the happy dance … because, check it out: Not only is there an Earl Grey variation (which I will review later this month) … but there is MATCHA! This Peach Matcha Green Tea Blend from Naked Teas Galore that I’m sipping now! Yay! MATCHA!
The insert with the teas this month suggests to me that this month’s box is based upon cravings – sweet, salty and sour. OK … I get those kind of cravings now and again, so, I can appreciate this month’s approach. This Matcha tea is a sweet craving. It is the first tea from Amoda that I’ve received that is pre-sweetened. I don’t usually sweeten my Matcha teas – even the flavored ones – because I think that Matcha has a sweetness to it that doesn’t need to be overpowered by the addition of sugar. And the sugar in this blend does make this rather sweet … like peach candy! I’m not finding the sweetness to be too much, but, it is rather startling because I’m so used to not having the sweet there. Does it overpower the Matcha and its natural flavor? Maybe a little, but not so much that I’m finding myself put off by it.
I do think that the sweetener here does affect the product though … as I had a hard time achieving any kind of froth with this Matcha. Not a huge deal, of course, but, I do think that if you’re going to introduce tea drinkers to Matcha (which is what Amoda Tea seemed to want to do with this, their first Matcha offering in their monthly box) they should choose a tea that will froth up. Maybe it’s just me, but, I love that foamy, light froth that sits atop my bowl of Matcha!
The peach notes are really wonderful here. Sweet and yes, like I said before, peach candy-like. It reminds me of peach Jolly Rancher candy. But I like that I can taste the slightly vegetal tone of the Matcha as well. It is somewhat subdued in the presence of the strong flavoring and the sweetness of the cane sugar, but, it’s still there. The citric acid is also noticeable, especially in the aftertaste … I taste a tangy note at the end. Like peach slices that have been sprinkled with a little bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning. The flavor is still primarily peach, but there is just a touch of citrus that is noticeable toward the end.
Overall, this makes a sweet, creamy treat … and I can see how this fits within the sweet craving category. Very enjoyable, and I’m glad that Amoda Tea has decided to venture out in Matcha offerings as well … I look forward to what they’ll include in the future as far as Matcha goes!
Lime Blossom from Jade Monk
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Jade Monk
Tea Description:
Some Japanese believe a fox can live for 100 years or more, acquiring additional tails the longer he roams the countryside. The faithful also say foxes can assume the shape of humans, playing tricks on friends and family. These mythic spirits-the Kitsune-possess supernatural powers, but luckily for you the Jade Monk
®matcha Kitsune are only interested in seducing your taste buds with the unexpected tang of lime and aroma of spring flowers, fortifying your body with enhanced matcha polyphenol potency, and calming your mind with clarifying effects of our shade-cultivated Jade Monk®matcha green tea. Phew!
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
When it came time for me to sample this packet of Jade Monk, I was very thirsty and feeling a little too warm. Outside it’s 95°F and while that may not seem very hot to some of you … it’s hot for me. And it’s humid. Maybe not as humid as it is in Minnesota (my husband is from Minnesota, and when I complain about the humidity he says “It’s not humid!”) but for this girl who grew up in Northern Nevada where there was next to no rainfall and even when it was raining the humidity was still zero… It’s uncomfortably humid to me. I wanted something to quench my thirst and hopefully re-energize me a little, while cooling me off.
So, I decided to get a little adventurous. I put a small amount of freshly drawn and filtered water in the pitcher of my blender, along with several ice cubes and the contents of this packet, and I blended it until I could no longer hear the rattling of the ice particles inside the pitcher. Then I poured it into a glass to enjoy some ice cold, lime flavored Matcha.
And I am enjoying it! It is really good like this. It ended up being a bit like a slush … the ice part did, anyway. There is still a good amount of green colored liquid to this too, kind of like when you get a slush and it starts to melt a bit … the liquid that forms at the bottom … that’s what I have in front of me.
Of the three Jade Monk offerings that I’ve tried thus far, this one is my favorite. I don’t know if it’s because I prepared it in the blender, or if it’s just that I like this flavor better. But this is cool and refreshing. The lime tastes tart and sweet … but not too extreme on either end. It isn’t too tart or too sweet. It’s a bit like a limeade, but with a hint of Matcha in it.
The Matcha is not real distinct, just as it has not been in the other Jade Monk flavors, and I’ve come to expect that. This is definitely a drink mix that has been designed with a broader customer base in mind, appealing to those who might find green tea to be a little too vegetative or not quite to their liking. This one is also sweetened with stevia, like the other two were, but I’m finding that the colder the beverage, the less funky the stevia tastes. In fact, with the first few sips … I didn’t really notice the stevia at all. I notice it now that I’m nearly finished with the glass, but, it does not interfere with my enjoyment of this cool, refreshing homemade slush … in fact, I think I’d take this over a slush from the convenience store, any time!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Cardamom Chai Tea Mix from Jaipur Avenue
Product Information:
Product: black tea – instant spiced chai mix
Where to Buy: Jaipur Avenue
Product Description:
A retreat into green/woodsy undertones, refreshing aromas and natural sweetness.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice!
In some chai blends, I have a difficult time discerning the cardamom because of the stronger flavors of cinnamon and ginger. Yes, cardamom on its own can be a strong spice, but when united with cinnamon and ginger, these two warmer spices can be very aggressive and often overpower some of the subtle complexities of the cardamom.
I’m loving that this chai mix focuses on the cardamom!
With this chai mix, I can taste the light citrus-y tone of the cardamom, and that sun-kissed fruit note gives this chai a brightness that I seldom experience with a spiced chai. This citrus-y flavor weaves its way throughout the sip, and is most prominent in the aftertaste where I can taste a light, orange-y kind of flavor. This tastes lighter and more refreshing while still maintaining that warm spiciness that I love about chai.
I can taste the other spice flavors: most notably, I can taste notes of ginger and cinnamon. But these spices that often dominate a chai have taken a back seat with this chai, allowing the cardamom to drive for a change. The black tea is also there, peaking its way through every now and then. This chai mix also has the latte already mixed in – giving it a smooth, rich, creamy flavor that is absolutely luxurious.
This chai mix has been sweetened, and while this is a little sweeter than I would have made for myself, my sweet tooth doesn’t seem to mind.
I’ve really enjoyed this … my only complaint? It’s all gone now, and I want more!
