Banana Cheesecake Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas

BananaCheesecakeGenmaicha

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

Following the success of our Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha, I’ve decided to try another genmaicha blend. The toasted rice element in genmaicha seems to make it okay to blend it with flavors like cheesecake and banana. (Normally I tend to think of fruity green teas, but I think the genmaicha is more agreeable with ‘heavier’ flavors like cheesecake and banana.) Of course, you, our customer will have to be the final judge. This being a cheesecake blend, and given the historical swiftness with which our cheesecake blends disappear, I did make a little extra of this, but don’t drag your feet, it won’t last long.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

OK … not that I had my doubts or anything … but this Banana Cheesecake Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas is SERIOUSLY yummy.

Having enjoyed Frank’s Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha, I knew that I’d like this one too, after all, I love genmaicha – that roasty/toasty, popped rice flavor together with the sweet flavor of green tea, and I love Frank’s cheesecake and his banana teas.  So I knew I’d like this.  But … it still is blowing me away at how good this really is.

The banana comes through nicely.  It is sweet and the creaminess of the banana melds beautifully with the toasty, nutty flavor of the genmaicha and the deliciously creamy, tangy flavor of the cheesecake notes.  The nutty flavor of the genmaicha also plays to the buttery crust flavor too.

The creaminess of this cup seems to emerge more as the tea cools slightly … it becomes more mellow and creamy, but that zesty cream cheese flavor comes through at the finish … reminding you that you’re eating … (err … drinking!) cheesecake.

The genmaicha is a perfectly delightful base for the cheesecake flavors.  The lightly buttery, sweet taste of the green tea works nicely with the sweet, creamy cheesecake notes and as I mentioned, the toasted nut flavor of the genmaicha also brings out the crust notes well too.

This is definitely one of Frank’s best cheesecake offerings yet.  I love this!

Kyobancha from Tealet

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Tealet

Tea Description:

After the long cold winter tea growers in Kyoto Prefecture harvest tea leaves and twigs to produce Kyobancha. It has a deep woodsy flavor that is sure to warm you up on a cold holiday night. Many tea-growing regions refer to Kyobancha as ‘bancha for babies’ because it is so low in caffeine because of its late harvest date. It is very difficult to find this tea in stores because tea-growing families usually just drink it themselves.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I don’t think I’ve ever had a Kyobancha before, so I was excited to try this tea from Tealet.  The leaves are large and remind me a bit of a white tea, actually, like a darker white tea such as a Shou Mei … a really high quality one, where great care was taken to preserve the whole leaf.

The aroma reminds me of a Houjicha tea – its got a toasty kind of scent to it.  The flavor is also kind of roasty-toasty like a Houjicha.  In fact, if I were served this “blindly” … I would guess it was a Houjicha, although there are noticeable differences in the overall flavor. This Kyobancha tastes lighter, and seems to have a little less body and texture to it than a typical Houjicha.  It’s a lighter roasted taste, and just overall a lighter tasting tea.

In this video from Tealet, Elyse from Tealet discusses the differences between Kyobancha and Houjicha.  It’s a short but informative video, check it out!

I love the sweetness of this tea!  It tastes a bit sweeter to me than a Houjicha, with very little vegetative taste.  It kind of tastes like raw sugar cane, with some nutty notes and hints of a hay-like vegetal note.

The best way I can describe this is this:  Imagine Houjicha and White Tea had a love child.  That child would be named Kyobancha!

I really enjoyed this new experience.  Thank you, Tealet, for making it happen!

Hua Gang Oolong from Tea From Taiwan

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Oolong

Where to Buy: Tea From Taiwan

Tea Description:

This premium-quality oolong tea is grown in the Li Shan mountain range at an altitude of 2400 meters. The climate of these high mountains is ideal for growing fine oolong tea. The cool air and high humidity produce a tea with full, robust flavor and long-lasting aftertaste.

The brewed tea has an exquisite aroma and brews to an appealing amber liquor. The leaves can can be re-brewed many times while maintaining a full flavor.

Tea grown on Mount Li (Li Shan or Pear Mountain) is the most prized oolong tea in Taiwan. It is ideally suited for gong fu style brewing.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

The aroma of this tea is so sinful. Sweet, dreamy, creamy, like buttered popcorn. Before even taking a sip, I’m in love.

The after taste is of such a crisp green grassy flavor, like after a light morning rainfall. Not a gloomy rainfall but a summer sun shower. Everything is bright, clear, and clean smelling.

Like a summer shower, spirits are lifted and worries drift away when sipping this lovely tea, and like the summer sun, the color of this tea is golden yellow, beautiful.

There is an element to this tea that reminds me of genmaicha, its that toasted rice taste that resembles popcorn. Its one of my favorite flavors.

I also want to mention the floral aspect of this tea. A Steepter friend of mine mentioned geranium flower and I could not agree more!

There are also spicy and herbaceous notes to this tea as well. Slightly like cinnamon that tingles the palate and leaves it just a tad bit warm. The herbaceous notes come through most in the after taste and linger with the geranium note.

The only thing I am saddened about right now is that my sample is gone. This is truly a tea to be coveted and I would love to see this in my regular stash.

It is truly a complex and complete tea, layered in flavors, each time you peel back one layer another presents, all cumulating into one delicious experience.

Matcha iri Genmaicha from Harney & Sons

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Harney & Sons

Tea Description:

We blend powdered green Matcha into our Genmaicha. It has been a hit at our tasting room with a brilliant green liquor and toasted notes.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Mmm!  The roasty-toasty character of Genmaicha just screams AUTUMN to me, and I love the added sweetness of the Matcha in this blend.

The flavor is light yet comforting.   It’s the kind of tea that you like to have with you when you’re curling up under a warm, fluffy blanket.  The toasted nut flavor speaks of fires roaring in the fireplace and roasting nuts over the open flame.

But beneath it all is a delicious freshness that whispers reminders of spring.  The gentle sweetness of the green teas that are just barely vegetative in the presence of the the stronger nutty and toasty notes.

This is really good (and very refreshing!) served as an iced tea, although I do prefer it hot, if for no other reason than the comfort factor.   It’s one of those teas that is wonderful to enjoy no matter the season.  That’s what I love most about a Matcha infused Genmaicha like this Matcha iri Genmaicha from Harney & Sons.  It’s simple and delicious … like tea’s answer to your favorite comfort food.

Toasted Nut Cafe Black Tea from Simpson & Vail

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Simpson & Vail

Tea Description:

For some people, desserts can only be served with coffee. For others, desserts and tea are perfectly complementary. With our Toasted Nut Café you don’t have to be one or the other! This blend combines black tea, almonds, coffee beans and flavors to produce a hearty cup that has a toasty coffee flavor. The black tea flavor comes through with the coffee and toasted nut flavors as an aftertaste. A perfect beverage to accompany a wide range of sweets: truffles, tortes, pies, cakes and more. Or enjoy as is or with a little sweetener and a dollop of cream.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I was a little nervous as well as excited to try this new tea.  As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve had quite a tumultuous history with the coffee bean.  There was a time when I really enjoyed coffee and drank it every morning, but, by about eleven in the morning I would start to feel sick to my stomach.  It didn’t take too long for me to realize that it was my morning coffee habit that was causing the nausea, so, it was at that point that I switched to drinking tea.  I don’t regret that switch, of course, because I have fallen deeper in love with tea than I ever felt for coffee.

But that being said, there are still times when I miss coffee.   Specifically, I miss that bold, rich fragrance of coffee, and I do also miss the robust flavor – but not so much as I miss the aroma.  Tea aroma is – of course – amazing, however, there is something that is very eye-opening about the smell of coffee.  I miss that sometimes.  But I certainly didn’t miss it this morning when I deeply inhaled the bouquet of this tea!  It smells rich and delicious with notes of coffee and almond.  The faintest smell of black tea is there too, but the coffee notes do overwhelm it just a bit.

My first thought when I smelled it was YUM!  Then, thoughts of dismay came to me … what if this makes me sick just like coffee did.  I know I’ve had this thought before with other coffee flavored teas, and I think that this will always be a worry whenever I encounter a coffee flavored tea.  I guess, when a person goes through that … that always stays with them, right?

Anyway… after brewing, I took a tentative sip, but, was very pleased by the flavor.  Yes, it tastes of coffee!  Rich, bold coffee notes are the strongest that I taste, followed by a hint of toasted almond that sort of weaves its way through the sip, but is most noticeable toward the finish and in the aftertaste.  The tea flavor is there too, and it adds a nice complexity to the cup.  I find that this coffee-ish tea is much more flavorful than I remember my morning cup of coffee ever being – even when I’d splurge and indulge in a mocha!  The tea really seems to bring out more of the complex notes with hints of dark cocoa, and a smooth earthiness.

Overall, the cup is rich, smooth, and delicious. There are hints of a savory bitterness from the coffee, a sweet undertone from the tea as well as the almond flavors, and a very roasty, toasty sort of feel that is invigorating.  It’s really very good.

The word is still out on whether or not this will leave me feeling sick in an hour or two… but, after that time has lapsed I’ll come back and edit this post to add the update!

UPDATE:  Well, it’s about four hours after finishing a cup of this tea, and I’ve experienced no nausea.  Yay!  A great alternative to those who need to steer away from coffee, but still want to experience that flavor every once in a while.  This tea gets two enthusiastic thumbs up!