Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fusion Tea Room
Product Description:
This mouth-watering herbal blend is sure to delight. Wonderful with a splash of cream and a pinch of sugar. It doesn’t have to be winter to enjoy this gingerbread treat. Aromatic and naturally caffeine free.
Taster’s Review:
As I sit here, the fragrance of this tisane is enticing me to take a sip. I have never had freshly baked gingersnap cookies before, but, this is what I would expect them to smell like if I ever happen to try my hand at baking them myself. It smells so wonderful.
And it tastes even better than it smells! It is sweet and delicious – and yes, it tastes very much like gingersnaps.
The flavor is nutty and spiced just right. The ginger is warm and slightly peppery, but, it isn’t a spicy-hot ginger taste. The fruit in this lends a nice depth to the flavor. It doesn’t taste fruity, but it tastes sweeter and a little richer because of the fruit.
After my first cup – which I drank without any additions – I decided I wanted more of this amazing tisane, so I brewed another cup. This time I felt a little adventurous so I added a little bit of turbinado sugar and a splash of milk. What a treat! Yes, it was delicious straight, but with a little milk and sugar the flavors really come to life!
This one is going on my shopping list! I must have more!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Green Kiss (Green Chocolate) from Life In Teacup
Where to Buy: Life In Teacup
Product Information:
These are not just tea-flavored chocolate. They are Green Chocolate – a certified organic product made in German, with Japanese organic green tea powder and 29% cocoa butter!
Ingredients (all organic from natural agriculture)
– Premium, organic green tea powder and green tea leaves (6%) from Japanese Kabushecha (half-shaded grown traditionally)
– Organic cocoa butter (29%)
– Organic raw cane suger
– Organic milk powder
– Emulsifier: soy lecithin, vanille
May contain traces of nuts, gluten and cereal componentsEuropean Union Certified Organic Product!
Taster’s Review:
These are AWESOME!
I like Matcha. I like white chocolate (it’s alright, but, if given the choice, I’d choose real chocolate every time). But… when the two are brought together like they are in this product, they become amazing! I can easily say that I prefer this to a cup of Matcha or a piece of white chocolate. It is absolutely sublime!
The color of the tiny bar (or “kiss”) is olive green, and I can see tiny particles of leaf in the bar. It is soft to bite into (but then, it is summer! It might give a bit more of a “snap” if refrigerated or in cooler weather), and immediately, I can feel the creamy white chocolate texture.
The flavor is sweet and it has a nice Matcha flavor – vegetative and smooth, with hints of bitterness that is a very pleasing contrast to the sweetness of the white chocolate. It is so smooth and creamy. YUM! This doesn’t really taste like white chocolate – it tastes like “Green Chocolate.” It takes on its own unique flavor.
And that means that you don’t have to be a fan of white chocolate to enjoy these tasty bits of joy! If you are a chocoholic, you really must try this. It’s a whole new take on chocolate!
Earl Grey Lollipop from The Groovy Baker
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!
Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
Had some extra genmaicha (and a little bit of uji (matcha mixed with-) genmaicha that we blended together to create this awesome blend. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough of anything to make it a tea of the week, so here’s a bonus blend (VERY LIMITED EDITION) for this week.
We’ve blended genmaicha (Japanese sencha (I got it before the earthquake, so no worries) blended with toasted rice) with mini marshmallows and natural flavors. This blend is going to go FAST, and we won’t be able to blend any more for a while, if we ever do, so DO NOT drag your feet about this one.
Taster’s Review:
I want to preface this review by saying that the package of Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha that I ordered was from the original batch, not the re-blend. The re-blended Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha is slightly different in that it was made vegan, using marshmallow root rather than mini marshmallows. In addition, the re-blended batch did not contain the Uji Genmaicha (Genmaicha + Matcha). It is the original batch that I will be reviewing here, and I don’t know how different the flavor will be from the re-blended batch.
Now, with that said, let’s get to the review!
This is AWESOME! I think I have only tried one other flavored Genmaicha from 52Teas (the Malted Genmaicha) and while I did really enjoy that one, this particular blend takes Genmaicha to a whole other level. It is amazing.
The Sencha is light-bodied with faint vegetative notes. It tastes fresh without tasting too grassy. And I really am enjoying the hint of Matcha in there – it lends a creamy, smooth flavor to the cup that melds perfectly with the other flavors. The Matcha contribution is not a strong one, but, it is enough to keep the palate intrigued. And, of course, the toasty, sweet flavor of the popped rice is right on target with the Marshmallow Treat concept.
The mini-marshmallows melt in the hot water, and give just a little bit of creamy texture to the cup, as well as the expected sweetness. (No additional sweetener is needed here!) I really love the addition of the mini-marshmallows, they do really enhance the flavor of the cup. It makes me wonder how the marshmallow root compares.
Yet another example of why 52Teas is my favorite tea company!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Lemon Curd from Heavenly Tea Gatherings
Where to Buy: Cupboard of Blessings
Product Description:
In my review of Heavenly Tea Gathering’s Organic Scone Mix, I compared the flaky, tender texture of the prepared scones to my grandmother’s pie crust. Well, this Lemon Curd from Heavenly Tea Gathering is almost (almost!) as good as my gramma’s lemon meringue pie filling! Put the two together, and you have the most delectable tea-time treat imaginable!
This lemon curd is sweet with just the right amount of lemon-y tartness. The lemon flavor is bright and sunny but doesn’t come off as pucker-y. The curd is very custard-like, just like the smooth filling of a lemon meringue pie.
Sweet, silky … perfect!
I have tasted a LOT of lemon curd, but I can honestly say that this one is the best I’ve ever tried. I love the creamy, custard consistency – I could eat it right out of the jar! Yeah – it’s that good!