Red Leaf Tea, French Vanilla Matcha

Red Leaf Tea Description:
When anyone wants to partake of a snack that is deliciously sweet, perfectly healthy and unique in flavor, French Vanilla Matcha becomes an obvious choice. This is because, unlike Madagascar Vanilla Matcha, it has a creamier look and texture and is very smooth on any palate. This makes it a delightful treat for growing families with young children who need to get accustomed to enjoying sweet healthy treats as often as they require. It is also an excellent accompaniment for any adult who wants to revisit their younger days without the calorie overload. For senior citizens it the best choice for an enjoyable palate alternative that is very smooth and easy to partake. French Vanilla Matcha with its very inviting color, combines the best of both worlds because, it uses the exceptional Eastern Matcha tradition with the top notch European practices for delectable daily treats. This makes this unforgettable snack an absolute favorite for anytime of the day or night when both adults and children need to kick back and relax while they treat their taste buds to a unique creamy Matcha that goes down so smoothly that one serving is never enough. This special Matcha treat can also hold its own among many edible alternatives in any social setting. Its ultra-smooth texture and bright coloring make it a favorite for many children parties and other adult gatherings, where people want to venture away from the traditional and experience the exceptional together with their friends and loved ones. French Vanilla Matcha becomes the perfect incentive to bring many people together.

My Review:

I already had my morning cold matcha latte. Lunchtime snuck up on me before I realized (I looked it up - snuck has become an acceptable usage of past tense sneak, at least in the US and Canada). Nothing sounded good, so I finally fixed a small bowl of white rice. Afterward, I started craving another latte. Red Leaf Tea French Vanilla Matcha to the rescue.

Once the sample pack was opened, the air was filled with sweetness like icing. Removing a spoon of powder, this is a yellowish spring green. Mine is the regular basic grade matcha.

I used a half mug of cold 2% milk and my frother to blend it together. The mug was nearly full of froth. When I make my morning latte, I use a 16 ounce tumbler. When a tea froths as well as the French Vanilla, I can put the straw in the tumbler and it will stand straight up. I tried this in the mug, but it is not tall enough so the straw fell over. It is so thick that I fully expected it to work.

Filled the mug the rest of the way with milk. Man, this smells good. It is kind of a clay color. That is typical of a cold milk latte made with basic matcha.

This tastes a lot like iced white cake. Like a big slice of cake was thrown into the blender with some milk. Yes, it is near heaven. Oh wait, except for the milk there is pretty much no calories, as this is simply pure matcha powder from green leaves and French vanilla natural flavor, so maybe it is heaven. Well, at least heavenly.

There is some spicy note present that reminds me of Christmas. I have read no other reviews making that statement, so this is obviously a memory connection for me. I'll take it.

This is smooth creamy, sweet, and obviously vanilla without going over the top in any way. I am pretty sure this will satisfy just about any normal sweet tooth. For those of us that want our dessert even more decadent, it will take additional sweetening in stride.

I highly recommend trying this one.

You can find Red Leaf Tea French Vanilla here.

Good Earth, Starry Chai

Good Earth Description:
One sip of Starry Chai ™ and you’ll look heavenward as the sweet, luscious flavor makes your taste buds twinkle. Exotic chai spices are masterfully blended with a surprise touch of cherry flavor to create a lusciously organic tea experience.

Ingredients:
Organic black tea, organic natural flavor, organic cinnamon, organic cardamom, organic nutmeg, organic ginger root, organic licorice root, organic raspberries, organic cloves, organic black pepper, natural cherry flavor with other natural flavors, organic star anise, natural flavor, organic chicory root.

Sample provided by Good Earth

My Review:
I am trying to space my Good Earth reviews out a little rather than hitting you all at once with them. They currently have supplied me with twelve different teas and I will eventually review them all.

I am still enjoying the return to my roots with these tea bags. I have only recently started to see this brand locally. Seeing them on the shelf, I had avoided them because my experience in the earlier days taught me in general to avoid teas that had more than 3 ingredients. The rule had served me well, but it appears I need to revise it. My new rule is never buy tea with more than 3 ingredients, unless the blender has proved they know what they are doing. So far Good Earth has earned a spot on that list. They have been a pleasant surprise to review.

On to the tea! The box contains 18 tea bags that are individually sealed in an aluminum envelope. Each contains right at 2g of leaf and spices. Plenty for a hearty cup of tea.

I used boiling water and a 4 minute steep. The brew is an orange/red. Dry the cherry makes this smell a little medicinal, but once steeped it is a warm cinnamon and cardamom with hints of cherry.

My wife liked the taste of this with no additions. I thought it was a little lighter in flavor than I wanted. I added a half packet of Splenda. To me this was a perfect balance of flavor to sweetness. My wife said it was just sweeter. Tinker with it yourself and see if it is better sweet or unsweet (cough sweet).

The taste is much like the aroma. It is a soft warm cinnamon, clove, and cardamom, with a light touch of cherry. Unlike the previous Good Earth chai I reviewed, the ginger and black pepper do not bring a spicy kick at the end. They are present but support the cinnamon allowing it to heat up the finish.

What is especially interesting to me is how quickly this disappeared from my cup. For chai that is a major accomplishment with me. I think there is still a at least one chai from Good Earth I haven't tried yet. There is still the possibility I'll be able to point and say, "Aha! I told you I didn't like chai". For now at least, I have to admit I kind of do like it.

You may find Good Earth Starry Chai at your local Walmart or Kroger store. You can also order direct from Good Earth

Jalam Teas, Bada Mountain Raw Sheng Puerh

Raw Cake

Jalam Teas Description:
This raw green Puerh is a classic Puerh with what Jeff calls 'great qualities that should serve as some sort of example of consistent joy'. From the hands and trees of the Hani people near the village of Manmai, the tea has some of those wonderful slight astringent notes that tingle, dissipate and flow sweet into the throat. Long flavor legs stay in the mouth for long portions and the leaves because of the quality of each stage of production can handle many infusions. It is one of the teas we intend to carry once a year at a minimum and hope to include on our permanent tea menu.

Sample provided by Jalam Teas

My Review:
I have been waiting for the right moment to open this tea and enjoy it. I was up early and got my other work done - 6:00 am I was transposing songs from one key to another for the Praise Team, then I spent a few moments destroying spaceplanes on the runway in Kerbal Space Program. I'm really bad at planes. Now I am home alone with my tea. I'm almost giddy.

Steeped Leaf

Something else to mention - Jalam Teas gifted me with this out of the blue back in April. It arrived at the height of a recent health battle. As you can see by my summer postings, I am just getting back up to speed. Thank you Jalam!

So, opening the (rice?) paper wrapper released a ton of aroma. More importantly it was a very fresh and green aroma with hints of sheng. I am not by any means advanced in Puerh, and I am certainly not used to a sheng having made such a positive impression right from the beginning.

The leaf is as interesting as the aroma. Look at all the color. See picture at top of page. It is green and brown with a plentiful amount of silvery buds.

I used a knife along the outer edge, in towards the center and began to work my way around the edge. I removed about 10g for steeping. Placing it in my clay pot, a few ounces of boiling water was added and poured off after 10 seconds. I then let the leaf sit in the pot and awaken before adding water for the first cup.

Lovely Nectar

The result is an apricot cup with a little sediment because I did not use a proper filter. It doesn't bother me. This is a 2014 pressing. I braced myself expecting a sharp astringent sip. What I got was a tasty cup with only slight astringent notes and as the description says it flows in and out. I caught faint straces of smoke. It is slightly sweet and nicely gentle for such a young sheng. The aftertaste reminds me of peach.

The second cup starts out almost syrupy. It is even sweeter and the peach aftertaste is stronger.

I intend to have many more steeps from this leaf over the course of the day. While I am by no means an expert on Puerh, I know what I like when I taste it. This I like. It is full of flavor without assaulting you with the usual astringent bite.

You can find Jalam Teas Bada Mountain Sheng Puerh here.

Good Earth, Sweet Chai of Mine

Good Earth Description:
Take a step back for a little “you” time. With smooth vanilla and decadent maple flavor infused with traditional chai spices, Sweet Chai of Mine™ is the perfect way to do just that.

Ingredients:
Black tea, natural flavor, cinnamon, natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors, cardamom, ginger root, natural peach flavor with other natural flavors, nutmeg, cloves, chicory root, licorice root, Chinese star anise, black pepper, steviol glycosides (stevia).

Sample provided by Good Earth

My Review:
Chai is kind of hit and miss with me. I don't hate it, but I never crave it. I have tried a few I can say I liked. Here's hoping Good Earth's twist on the classic speaks to me.

The box contains 18 tea bags, each sealed in an aluminum envelope. The box lists net wt as 40.5g. Divide by the number of bags (18), gives a per bag weight of 2.25g. That is above average for US tea bags.

Opening the envelope, I am hit with a medicinal aroma. Realizing the taste is often different, I proceed.

Water was heated to 200F and I steeped in the mug for 4 minutes. As it steeps the aroma becomes more of a traditional chai.

Tasting time. This is much lighter than the majority of chai I have tried. Personally, I like that. I taste the traditional spices of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, etc. I also taste light touches of vanilla. I am not getting the maple. With the use of stevia and licorice root, this is sweet but not overly. I think chai should be even sweeter.

I added the equivalent of 1 tsp of sweetener. This brings the mug to life. Besides sweetening the mug, it brings out the maple flavor and intensifies the vanilla. I am also catching the black pepper. Along with the ginger this adds a bite and some heat late in the sip.

My last tinkering was to add a splash of milk. This makes it taste even more maple. The chai spices are muted but still present, making the bite and heat more noticeable, though they aren't really any stronger.

Being generally not a chai fan, I found myself enjoying the mug in all the various stages of tinkering. Which was my favorite? It was a toss up between sweetened and milk added. Each was different but I liked them equally.

You can probably find Good Earth Sweet Chai of Mine at your local Walmart or Kroger store. If not you can order direct online from Good Earth.

What-Cha, Vietnam Red Buffalo Oolong

What-Cha Description:
A brilliant oolong tea with a creamy smooth texture and delightful honey taste.

Sourced by Geoff Hopkins of Hatvala, who regularly travels Vietnam in search of the best teas, all of which are sourced direct from the tea producers.

It is Hatvala's mission to raise awareness of the high quality Vietnamese teas which are often overlooked on the world market and it my pleasure to assist by making Hatvala's full range of Vietnamese teas available on What-Cha.

Sample provided by What-Cha Tea Redefined

My Review:
So today I am reviewing the last of the What-Cha samples I received from Alistair. My first review came as What-Cha was the new kid on the block. A year later they appear to have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the tea world. I love that they offer teas from around the world, places that I didn't even realize grew tea. I have loved almost everything I have tried from them. I also found that when I asked a question, if Alistair didn't know the answer already, he was willing to dig in to it to find out the answer. So, thank you What-Cha. Much continued success!

Beautiful nuggets

The sample is packaged in a resealable aluminum pouch. The suggested brewing parameters are clearly labeled on the front of the bag.

Opening the bag, I am met with a rapid fire hit of three aromas. The first passed before I could identify, though it was familiar. The second was a touch of a roasted scent. The final, well, it reminded me of a certain smell that often came from a room down the hallway in my college dormitory. Not sure what it was but the guys all coughed and laughed a lot ;)

The leaf is rolled into nuggets typical of oolong, except for the unusual color. I lightened the photo so you could see it better. It is very dark, almost black, with cinnamon streaks. It looks like some one rolled a Dian Hong. Just looking at it, this is a hit with me. (rolled, hit, college - I so amuse me)

Lovely fall colored mug

I  followed directions by steeping for 2 1/2 minutes at 203 F. The nuggets quickly began to expand. The leaf didn't so much dance in the water as it relaxed and stretched. At the end of the steep. looking into the glass pot was a bit like looking into a dark cinnamon colored jungle.

The result is a nifty fall colored liquor. It is bright, clear, and glowing. It reminds me of the colors outside my window today.

The steeped leaf has an aroma that again is familiar but I can't quite recognize. It kind of reminds me of grape jelly, honey, and brownies - kind of. Anyway, it smells good.

I poured the leaf out on a plate for a better look. The color is very neat with brown, cinnamon, and olive greens. The thing that caught my attention was the pile of leaf, through the camera, looked like a dragon on the plate. No college joke here. It is called pareidolia. It is when the brain tries to form a recognizable pattern, like faces in a cloud. So, bonus points for random dragons.

I don't see a buffalo, I see a dragon!

Once I take a sip, I am confused for a moment. This isn't like a typical oolong. It isn't black tea. It doesn't remind me of a green.

There is absolutely no bitterness. I am not noticing much if any astringency (drying).

You can tell words aren't coming to me. The taste is much lighter than I expected. I have gone through my reviews of oriental beauty and Bao Zhong teas, thinking maybe this was similar to those teas. Nope.

There is a woodsy taste. It also reminds me of stone notes, like stream water that has rushed through stones. It doesn't have a strong roasted note but more hints. It is honey and malt, yet only lightly.

I really hate that for my last What-Cha supplied review, I can't come up with a better description. On the other hand, it makes for a good mystery. Maybe you will be inspired to find out for yourself, the secret of the red buffalo.

You can find What-Cha Vietnam Red Buffalo Oolong here.

Good Earth, Citrus Kiss

Good Earth Description:
You don’t have to kiss a lot of green frogs to get the lift you’re looking for. Citrus Kiss™ brings lemongrass and citrus flavors together to brighten up top notch green tea for an amazingly good taste invigoration. Kiss your new go-to green tea hello!

Ingredients:
Green tea, lemongrass, natural lemongrass flavor with other natural flavors, rose petals, chamomile, citric acid, sweet blackberry leaf, lemon myrtle, steviol glycosides (stevia), natural flavor.

Sample provided by Good Earth

My Review:
I have had a lot of fun with these Good Earth teas so far. From what I have observed on other review sites, the lowly tea bag gets almost no respect. The fact is the vast majority of all tea consumed in the west is brewed from a tea bag. Someone needs to be willing to try them and give an honest appraisal based on what they are. I am not going to dis them simply because they come in a paper bag containing very fine cut pieces of leaf.

That said, I have looked at reviews of this tea around the internet, including Amazon. Wow, most have not been kind. The biggest complaint is the addition of stevia - a natural sweetener. Most reviews state it should be up to the consumer to decide if a tea needs sweetener. Personally, I disagree. As long as it is clearly included in the list of ingredients, the manufacturer is free to add or not add sweetener. Likewise, the buying public is free to buy or reject however they please. That's how a free market works people. Sorry, got off on a rabbit trail.

So with this tea, I used water heated to 190 F and steeped the bag for 3 minutes. The color is a golden yellow/orange. It is clear and shiny. The scent throws me off track for a moment. The combination of ingredients reminds me of the dish washing liquid we use. Red Alert! Red Alert! goes off in my head, but hey, I drink pu-erh and it usually smells like a horse barn, yet I still enjoy it. How bad can this be?

Another rabbit trail - the quote on the tag is from Frank Zappa. It reads, "I never set out to be weird. It was other people who called me weird." That fits perfectly with many of the reviews of this tea I have read.

Big boy pants on. I taste. I'm confused. Why do people hate this again? Yes, the stevia adds a little sweet kick at the end. It is not that big of a kick and it certainly isn't overly sweet. The taste of the tea is actually kind of light and airy. First I taste the combination of lemongrass and lemon myrtle. It achieves a very nice balance. Then I catch a brief brush of rose. It isn't perfume or gross. It is actually quite pleasant. Late in the sip I notice the chamomile and blackberry leaves. Possibly along with the citric acid, they add just a slight tartness before the stevia kick finishes it off.

I should add, stevia does leave a slightly bitter aftertaste that reminds me of saccharin. So I get why people don't like that taste. I don't find it that distasteful here - it kind of fits. I did not feel the need to have a snack with the tea to cover the stevia.

I honestly don't understand the bad reviews. I found this to be light and refreshing. I would definitely drink this again. If, it did not have stevia, I would give it a hit of sweetener. I don't think my Splenda would give it the kick. Instead it would be just evenly sweet. I think Good Earth made the right call. Feel free to disagree.

You can probably find Good Earth Citrus Kiss at your local Walmart or Kroger store. You can also order online directly from Good Earth

Red Leaf Tea, Banana Matcha

Red Leaf Tea Description:
The well loved banana is grown in many types found in most tropical climates. The banana fruit is vanilla colored and in its powder forms gives it the sweet enriching taste that bananas are well respected for. Adding Matcha to banana powder can give it an interesting twist and a flavor that is sweet light and out of this world.

Banana Matcha makes a truly nutritious drink with its lingering deep taste and imperceptible smell. This special beverage can be taken as both a hot or cold drink depending on the occasion. It can also be taken as an aperitif or with food at meal times. Furthermore, Banana Matcha provides its delighted drinkers with health benefits that linger as long as the drink is taken.

Ingredients:
Pure Matcha powder from green leaves, Banana Natural Flavor

My Review:

OK, I know I am bound to make a comment somewhere before this review is complete, so let's just get it out of the way. I am pretty sure I can never type or say banana again without seeing those little yellow Minions. Ba-na-naaaaaa! There got it out of my system.

Got this one from Red Leaf Tea because I happen to love bananas. Then as I grabbed it today, I began to be concerned. The ingredients don't say what Banana Natural Flavor is. In the case of the strawberry it was mentioned in the details that they used freeze-dried fruit. I don't know if that is what they did here.

Then my worry was, even if they used real fruit, at what level of ripeness were they? Many people want them far too green for me. I want them just beginning to get brown spots on the peel. They are far sweeter and easier on the system at this point. The taste is completely different between the two.

The powder is nicely green for basic level matcha. It smells very strongly of banana. I used one tsp in a mug with 8 ounces of milk. I frothed it at 4 ounces then added the rest of the milk. It foamed nicely but did not hold the foam long.

My first taste just seems weird. Sorry Red Leaf Tea, I have to be honest. It tastes banana-ish but has another note that reminds me of light rose water. I guess it is a clash between the banana, the matcha, and the milk. I don't dislike it so much as I find it weird.

Next I added a little sweetener. That almost entirely removes the rose element. Now what I am getting is like a banana marshmallow candy flavor. It is not too sweet but it is sweet. Much better.

My thinking, and I hope to try this later, is too add a big plop of ice cream to the mug, maybe even a drizzle of chocolate or caramel - maybe both. Yeah, that kind of defeats the idea of having a low calorie treat, but I consider such occasions as soul food. You know, things you eat or drink simply for the total joy of being alive. Continually denying yourself such pleasures should be a crime. Seize the moment and grab the ice cream!

You can find Red Leaf Tea Banana Matcha here.