Name: Raspberry Green

Type:  Green

Region:  China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $2 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Sweet and fruity, smells good!

Review:

I was really nervous about trying this week’s tea for a couple reasons.  First, the last  fruit tea I tried (Cherry Green) was absolutely terrible, and second, I love raspberries.  When I was growing up my parents owned a raspberry stand and ever since they have been one of my favorite fruits, and I was really excited about finding a good raspberry tea.  Luckily, Adagio nailed this one.  The tea is both sweet and a little tart, just like its namesake fruit.  The fruity flavors blend well with the mellow green they used as the base.  I found it interesting that they also included the raspberry leaves in the tea.  I’m not sure why they did that (If anyone at adagio reads this feel free to fill me in), but it seems to have worked.  A solid tea that nailed my personal tastes, try some!

My Rating: 4 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Name:  Anji Duet

Type:  Green

Region:  Anji Zhejiang, China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $3 for a 10-cup sample

First Impressions:  Grassy, Mildly Sweet Smelling

Review:

This week is Anji Duet, another green tea completely new to me.  I thought it would be similar to last week’s Green Needle, but it actually was quite different.  It is a very light green tea, though not necessarily sweet like most. It doesn’t have any bitterness,  just a crisp, light flavor.  It actually reminded me of white tea more than most of the darker greens I normally drink.  There is some flavor that I can’t quite put my finger on (maybe a hint of nuttiness?) that keeps it from being bland though.  A smooth and refreshing tea, I think this would be a great tea for anybody who enjoys white tea and is looking to expand into some greens.

My Rating:
3.5 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Name:  Green Needle

Type:  Green

Region:  Unknown

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $4 for a 10-cup sample

First Impressions:  Grassy, Hint of Fruitiness

Review:

Got a new order in today with some white tea and a few new greens, this is the first one I tried.  Before that though, let me clarify something that was confusing to me.  The tin I received is labeled “emerald green” but I had ordered green needle.  I chatted with adagio via their website and it seems they had to change “emerald needle” to “green needle” because they got sued by another company who owned that name.  Just thought I would share  that in case any of you were confused too!  On to the tea – It smelled grassy at first, but there was definitely a hint of fruitiness hidden as well.  As far as taste goes it is a milder tea, although it did go down very smooth.  Nothing really overpowering in the flavor category, it is just a nice mellow green with just a hint of a smoky aftertaste.  While it might not be ground breaking, I found it a good day to day tea that more often than not I had finished before I realized it.

My Rating:
3 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Name:  Genmai Cha

Type:  Green

Region:  Japan

Bought At:  Adagio

Price:  $3 for a 10 cup sample

First Impressions:  Popcorn!!

Review:

I was very interested to try Genmai Cha.  I was very intrigued by the popcorn/rice/tea combo and was hoping for something really different.  In that respect, I wasn’t disappointed – it definitely is different!  It has a heavy popcorn smell and taste.  It reminded me most of popcorn that is overcooked to just short of truly burnt.  The tea serves more as an undertone to the rice and popcorn, and was almost lost in their over powerful taste and smell.  Overall, I didn’t really enjoy this.  It was different, but not something I am in a hurry to have again.

My Rating:
2 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Name:  Kukicha

Type:   Green

Region:  Japan

Bought At:  Adagio

Price:  $2 for a 10 cup sample

First Impressions:  Staw like look and smell

Review:

Kukicha is a tea that I have had before and wasn’t overly impressed with, but I thought I would give it another try.  It does have an interesting appearance, combining stems with the typical tea leaves gives it a very unique look.  As far as taste goes it is okay.  The problem I have with this tea is there is just nothing that jumps out at you.  It’s not that it’s necessarily bad, just sort of “blah.”  It is little on the light side with a grassy aftertaste.  Overall, I’ll drink it, but I don’t think I will order it again when it’s out.

My Rating:
2.5 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Name:  Rhubarb Green

Type:  Green

Region:  Unknown

Bought At:  Adagio

Price:  $2 for a 10 cup sample

First Impressions:  Sweet, almost sugary smell

Review:

This week I tried a green I have had for a little while but never tried: Rhubarb Green.  I was curious at the sweet smell because I was expecting it to have a hint of sourness to it (Like real rhubarb).  It has a lighter taste, and is very pleasant and sweet.  I have to say it didn’t remind me too much of rhubarb.  It isn’t earthly or smoky like some greens.  It is sweet, with just a hint of sour.  Overall a good tea, it provided a nice break from some of the more intense greens that I have had.

My Rating:
3.5 / 5

–brent
(TeaGeek.org Founder)

Name:  Dongshan Dolce

Type:  Green

Region:  Zhejiang, China

Bought At:  Adagio

Price:  $3 for a 10 cup sample

First Impressions:  Sweet grassy smell

Review:

The second of my new green teas is Dongshan Dolce from Adagio.  The tea leaves themselves have a sweet grassy smell that reminds me of alfalfa.  The tea itself is a mild green with a very mellow flavor.  Slightly sweet, it is a very smooth cup of tea.  It is a little “grassy” tasting, but not to the point that it is unpleasant at all.  Not a new favorite, but still a nice cup of tea, especially for true green tea lovers.

My Rating:

3.5 / 5

–brent
(TeaGeek.org Founder)

Name:  Casablanca Twist

Type:  Green

Region:  Darjeeling, India

Bought At:  Adagio

Price:  $3 for a 10 cup sample

First Impressions:  Minty aroma

Review:

My second tea this month is a green from adagio: Casablanca Twist.  I didn’t really know anything about this tea before I tried it, and was surprised by its minty flavor.  It has a very smooth, light green tea feeling to it and by far the biggest taste you get is that of mint – peppermint to be exact.  I learned it is a “twist” (pun intended) on the older Moroccan Mint which uses gunpowder instead of Darjeeling as the base.  I would be interested to try Moroccan to see the difference between the two.  It isn’t overpowering like some mint herbal teas, just a cool feeling after you have taken a sip.  Overall it was pretty good, definitely refreshing.  It would probably make an interesting iced tea. While it was a good mint tea, mint really isn’t my favorite; but others who enjoy mint more might like it better.

My Rating:
2.5 / 5