Free The Tea, Organic Mint Bliss

Picture Credit: freethetea.com

Free The Tea Description:
A refreshing take on a classic green tea.  Made with only highly selective organic ingredients, this tea is as pure as it tastes.

Ingredients:
Premium organic green tea is blended with organic peppermint and dashed with organic spearmint leaves.

Sample provided by Free The Leaf

My Review:
Warm weather has at least briefly appeared, making me even more ready for spring. Of course with the warmth comes lots of rain and budding plants releasing their early pollen. So my head is a little stuffy and I am surrounded my people coughing. I need tea.

Today I look at Organic Mint Bliss. It is included in the Revitalize Teaser Box along with samples of three other teas. I have previously reviewed Sweet Matcha Vitality here. The Revitalize Teaser Box also includes an infuser. This pack is intended to introduce people to the world of loose leaf tea. That may sound unnecessary to you and me but the reality is the vast majority of the world's tea is bagged. Loose leaf is still a very small part of the tea world.

This sample of Organic Mint Bliss has its own neat little tin. The top is clear so you can see the contents. It should be stored out of direct light and away from heat sources. There is enough leaf in the tin for 5-7 servings.

Their is a plastic outer seal around the lid. After removing, the lid twists off. Go at it slowly to avoid sudden spilling. Once open I immediately catch fragrant mint.

The leaf is small broken pieces. There are a few larger leaf pieces and a stem or two. It looks like dried cut grass.

I used my French Press as my brewing vessel. This is my favorite way to prepare a mug of tea. I do not press the plunger all the way down but even if I did, it would not crush the leaf. I like the press because I can watch the leaf as it steeps. For me this is an important part of my personal tea ritual.

The leaf (about 1 1/2 tsp) was placed in the press, then 10 oz of clean filtered water heated to 175 F was added. I steeped for 3 minutes.

The result is a honey colored mug of tea. The aroma is mint. Mostly I smell spearmint, though the ingredients suggest there is actually more peppermint. I am not a big fan of spearmint in anything. That is probably why I notice it more. We humans tend to dwell on the wrong stuff.

Finally get to taste. Definitely getting a nice icy hit of the mint at the back of the mouth. It is a pleasant refreshing sensation. While I can't separate out the peppermint (maybe you can), I know it is here because the spearmint is held back to a responsible more adult level.

I only catch the green tea in fleeting moments. I can't hold on to it long enough to really describe any individual notes from it. It seems to blend in with the mint. I know it is there but it wants to remain a back up singer in this melody.

Normally, I'm told you don't add sugar to green tea. Pish-posh. Sure try it without additions first, but feel free to add sweetener and see if you like it. There is no wrong way to prepare tea - as long as you like the result. Here I thought it brightened the cup without taking anything away.

If you are new to the world of loose leaf tea, I do recommend starting with a variety of samples to get a better feel for what you like. The Revitalize Teaser Box is one such option.

You can find Free The Leaf Revitalize Teaser Box with Organic Mint Bliss here.

Free The Tea, Sweet Matcha Vitality

Picture Credit: Freethetea.com

Free The Tea Description:
Sweet Matcha Vitality combines the super-food of wheatgrass with the delicious taste of sweet matcha to provide a perfect wellness combination! Matcha can also be added to smoothies, baked goods and many other recipes.  This superfood will give any recipe a boost!

Ingredients:
Organic Cane Sugar, Premium Matcha Green Tea, Wheatgrass

Sample provided by Free The Tea

My Review:
Leap Day! So I get one last chance to review a tea this February. I am introducing yet another new to me company, Free The Tea. Reading through their About Us page, I don't learn a lot about the company, instead I get a grasp of their mission:

FreeTheTea concentrates its efforts on more than just providing great tea from all over the world at affordable prices.  FreeTheTea is deeply committed to spreading knowledge of the tea market and introducing the wonderful tastes and health benefits of tea into our customers everyday lives. 

I received the Revitalizer Teaser Box for review. Inside were four sample sized tins and an easy to use tea infuser. The tins are neat little things. They hold enough for 5-7 servings. The top of the lid is clear so you can see what is inside. For storage keep them out of the sunlight.

The ingredients are clearly listed on the bottom of the tin. The label gives basic instructions of add 1 tsp and whisk. Looking at the website it states to use 4 oz of just off boiling water.

Removing a tsp for examination, I notice two things. First the color is a nice spring green. The second is the sparkles that had me checking the ingredient list. This is pre-sweetened with organic cane sugar. The matcha experts might complain about the added sugar. I will not.

For most people their only exposure to matcha is probably limited to the Green Tea Frappuccino at Starbucks. I love those things but they are heavily loaded with calories from the excessive amount of sugar. This matcha by Free The Tea is listed as having only 15 calories.

While reading the ingredient list, I notice the matcha is from Japan (not China), I also noticed wheatgrass. I had to look this up as I am not a health food type. If I were I wouldn't know about the green tea frap, now would I? Wheatgrass is apparently chock full of vitamins and is often added to heath drinks including tea.

My thought on this was with the sugar and the wheatgrass, is there going to be enough matcha flavor in the cup for me to enjoy? Let's find out.

I used 175 F water and 4 oz of water with 1 tsp of matcha. I then whisked it with my handheld frother. While it mixed well enough it would not foam (I later mixed a tsp with milk and it frothed very well). The color however is nicely green.

Tasting this I wasn't sure what to expect. Would it be a really sweet drink? Would it be flavorless, or really bitter? For those new to matcha, it can be a bit of an off putting taste. Traditionally it is made unsweetened and strong. It is often rather bitter. Amazingly this is none of those things.

Yes it has sugar, so yes it is on the sweet side. It is not overly candy level of sweet. It is actually near the same level as I would use when I make a cup. The main flavor is a really nice grassiness. The sweet grass lingers long into the after taste. I am noticing zero bitterness and no puckery astringency. I cannot taste anything that makes me think wheatgrass. Maybe it just adds nutrition or possibly it tastes grassy as well.

I look forward to trying the other teas in my review box as I am pleased with the taste of this matcha.

You can find Free The Tea Sweet Matcha Vitality here.