Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
Laoshan Green Tea is the epitome of humble beauty, a tea cultivated on the slopes of a Taoist holy mountain, naturally shaded by ocean mist, and sweet and creamy like a comforting dessert, yet unknown outside Shandong province where it grows. As Laoshan Green grows into its role in the west as one of the top rated, most highly praised green teas available, we thought it was time to return to its humble roots with a Laoshan Genmaicha.
This Genmaicha is warm, comforting and savory, a perfect balance of toasted rice and creamy green tea. We take a mixture of fragrant jasmine sticky rice for its sweet, thick milky quality and blend it with our own locally harvested Minnesota wild rice, picked on canoes on our northern lakes, and carefully toasted in tiny batches in-house to yield the perfect puffed rice for Genmaicha. The wild rice adds a deep nutty and vaguely floral sweetness that perfectly compliments the green-bean taste of our fresh Laoshan Green.
Taster’s Review:
Laoshan Genmaicha Green Tea from Verdant Tea is not available from the vendor at the present time, but, I decided to do this review anyway, in the hope that it will become available soon! It’s a really lovely Genmaicha!
It is also one of the more unique Genmaicha teas I’ve ever come across, and for that reason, if you are a “purist” and are looking for the traditional Japanese style Genmaicha, you may find this to be a bit too different for your taste. There’s nothing wrong with being a purist, mind you! I’m just saying that this tea is certainly different from the standard Japanese green tea blended with toasted, popped rice.
I infused these leaves twice, and the two infusions really tasted very much like two different teas! The first infusion tasted very much like the Laoshan Green tea with very subtle toasted rice notes. The vegetative tones were prominent, with creamy notes that melded quite beautifully with the vegetative tones. However, it was difficult for me to taste the “Genmaicha” in this tea … that is I didn’t taste a lot of the toasted rice flavor, and I found myself wanting to taste that sweet, nutty flavor together with the luscious creamy tones … because I thought they would just be … heavenly together!
The second infusion was definitely my favorite of the two, and that’s because this time, I could taste the toasted rice! It was still not quite as prominent a flavor as I normally experience with a Japanese Genmaicha, but it was more prominent than the first infusion. The Laoshan Green tea was not quite as creamy or vegetative this time. It was still very flavorful, but the flavors were more mellow this time, and I suspect that this is why I could taste the rice.
I found this Laoshan Genmaicha to be a really unique Genmaicha experience … perhaps one that is a bit too different for the purist, but for someone like me, who enjoys trying teas that take a twist on a classic favorite … this one is right up my alley!
Matcha Infused Genmaicha Green Tea from Aiya
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Aiya
Tea Description:
Matcha Infused Genmaicha is a traditional Japanese Sencha blended with toasted brown rice and premium Matcha green tea. The refreshing flavor of Sencha combined with the nutty flavor of toasted brown rice, plus the resilient color and mild sweetness of Matcha make this tea distinctly delightful.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Revew:
Having previously tried Aiya’s Organic Matcha Infused Genmaicha, I was happy to have this opportunity to try this: their conventionally grown Matcha Infused Genmaicha Green Tea, not only to compare my tasting notes from the two teas, but also to experience more of Aiya’s exceptionally high quality tea!
The dry leaf smells a lot more vegetative than I expected … I noticed very little of a toasted rice scent and more of a leafy/grassy green scent with notes of warm, nutty toasted rice in the background. Once brewed, however, the toasted rice notes really came forward! My kitchen was filled with the deliciously roasty-toasty scent of genmaicha, and my mouth began to water as I anticipated my first sip.
Similar to the Organic Matcha Infused Genmaicha from Aiya, I noticed that the brewed tea did not have a cloudy appearance, nor was there Matcha sediment at the bottom of the cup or the teapot. I also noticed when I measured the Genmaicha into my teapot, that there wasn’t a lot of loose powder to the dry leaf. Usually, with Genmaicha blends that have been enhanced with Matcha, there is a powdering of green dust as well as a cloudy cup of tea. This is one area where this tea from Aiya is remarkably different from other Genmaicha teas of this sort.
The flavor is so lovely! No wonder this tea won second place in the North American Tea Championship. This is deliciously sweet, nutty, and warm! Genmaicha usually evokes thoughts of autumn for me because of its warm, roasty-toasty taste, and this experience is no different. And because I am hoping for a speedy spring and summer so that I can enjoy autumn once more, my thoughts of autumn this afternoon are definitely welcome!
But there is also a freshness to the taste, courtesy of the Japanese Sencha base. The green tea tastes sweet, grassy, and has just a hint of savory bitterness that sort of perks the palate up and keeps the flavor interesting. I taste the sweet notes of the Matcha as well, and there is the slightest creamy note from the Matcha which is quite a nice complement to the warm, toasty rice flavor.
I found this experience with the conventionally grown Matcha Infused Genmaicha to be similar to that of the Organic variety, but I think that the flavors here might be a little less distinct. The tones of the rice, the savory quality of the Sencha and the sweet, creamy notes of the Matcha are less defined here, providing a more homogenized flavor that is at once sweet, savory, warm, toasty and creamy, with the toasty rice notes standing out as the strongest notes, and the savory notes lingering on the tongue in the aftertaste. And to tell the truth, I enjoyed both teas very much, and this experience was not so unlike the other that I would choose the other over this one based solely on taste alone. However, I probably would choose the organic because it is organic. Both teas are of excellent quality and superior taste!
Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha Blend from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
This batch of Laoshan black is particularly malty and sweet, qualities drawn out by hand-crafted Minnesota wild rice and organic fair trade jasmine rice toasted in small batches. We add organic cacao nibs to give a darker and more comforting aftertaste, and a touch of Shui Jin Gui Wuyi oolong for its nutty caramel notes and savory aftertaste. All together, we think this new take on Genmaicha very much embraces the tea’s humble origins and stays true to the warm and satisfying nature of toasted rice tea.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! Wow! This Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha Blend from Verdant Tea is AMAZINGLY good!
OK, so, what do you think of when you think Genmaicha? Green Tea with rice, right? Well, forget everything you think you know about Genmaicha … because this totally unique blend from Verdant Tea challenges everything you thought you knew about Genmaicha.
Instead of using a green tea for a base of this “Genmaicha,” Verdant Tea chose a rich, malty Laoshan Black tea and added toasted jasmine rice. Then Verdant added a touch of Wuyi Oolong which lightens the Black tea a little while giving the overall cup a smooth texture. And then … just to make it absolutely irresistible to this chocoholic, Verdant Tea added cacao nibs! Yum yum yum!
And that’s really what this tea is reducing me to … murmuring “yum yum yum” as I sip it. It is so good … so darned good that I find it difficult to come up with wordsy prose to celebrate it … it summons my inner child with its sweet, toasty, chocolate-y, caramel-y delightful deliciousness.
But since I am writing a review … I’ll try to tell you what I’m tasting. The black tea in this blend is most prominent, and as I mentioned before, it is rich and malty. Not bitter. Having tried the Laoshan Black Tea from Verdant previously, I know that not all of the chocolate-y notes that are dancing on my palate are not due to just the cacao nibs. The Laoshan Black Tea has a pleasing chocolate-y note as well. The chocolate notes and caramel notes of this tea really take this blend to an “over the top” status … this is so delicious and decadent!
The Shui Jin Gui Wuyi Oolong (which I haven’t yet reviewed but my Sister Azzrian has) brings a touch of fruity character as well as a nutty undertone and a touch of caramel to the cup as well. The rice adds a delicious toasty taste to the cup as well as dimension to the nutty tones of the cup.
And then … as if this tea needed another reason to drink it … there is CACAO NIBS in it … which means MORE chocolate. And you all remember my chocoholic’s equation, right? Some chocolate = good and more chocolate = better. This blend takes it right to BETTER with more chocolate!
This is just totally yum. I am sad now that I only purchased the sample size of this because I know I’m going to be craving it!
Chocolate Rooibos Black Tea Blend from Fashionista Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tea Description:
A profusion of flavors all come together in this rich chocolaty blend, with an exotic twist of coconut, perfect as a dessert tea with or without milk.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the tin of this Chocolate Rooibos Black Tea Blend from Fashionista Tea, I expected it to be an “ordinary” chocolate rooibos blend … what a surprise when I discovered that it was not just a rooibos blend, but a black tea and rooibos blend.
It’s really tasty too! The combination of black tea and rooibos offers a lighter tasting base, and I am of the opinion that this lighter base allows the chocolate flavor to taste richer.
And when it comes to teas with chocolate … a strong, rich chocolate taste is just what I want! The overall cup is chocolate-y smooth and creamy and positively decadent! YUM!
I also like the addition of coconut and vanilla to this blend. These two ingredients add a creaminess to the cup, and this makes for a very pleasing “latte-like” taste without adding milk. I suppose this would also taste really good with the addition, but, I perfer to drink my teas without adding dairy, so I like that this tastes rich and creamy, just like a latte, but without adding the milk or cream. I mean, why add fat and calories if I don’t need to?
And I also love how sweet and delicious this is without sweetener! Another addition that doesn’t need to be added … making this a luscious dessert tea that is low-calorie and low-fat. Awesome!
Browncoat Genmaicha from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Our Browncoat Genmaicha is a premium Japanese genmaicha with organic cacao nibs and organic chocolate flavors. (Yes, it’s vegan too!) I’ve been doing some experimenting with genmaicha and while I normally would never think of blending green tea with chocolate, the toasty rice element in genmaicha makes it perfect for some rich, sweet chocolate tones. This being one of our nerdy homages, I don’t think it’s going to last very long, so get yours while it lasts.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t watch Firefly. I don’t know what the Browncoat references … and I lose 50 nerd points.
But even though I don’t get the whole “Browncoat” thing, when I first read about this Browncoat Genmaicha from 52Teas – their tea of the week for December 10, 2011 – I was very excited and looked forward to trying it. Chocolate PLUS Genmaicha? Oh yeah! Sounds great to me.
And it is indeed great! The bittersweet flavor of chocolate melds beautifully with the sweet, toasty notes of the genmaicha. The result is a cup that is a little bit sweet, a little bit bitter (but in the way that chocolate is a little bitter) and a whole lot delicious.
The natural creamy notes of the genmaicha work well with the chocolate-y notes. It is a very comforting cup … and it’s tasty hot or cold! I know this because I got busy doing something, and my first cup of this tea went cold before I could enjoy it as a hot beverage … but I tasted it cold and it is really good like that! YUM!