Tea Review: Hazelnut

Name: Hazelnut

Type: Black

Region: Sri Lanka

Bought At: Adagio

Price: $2 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Sweet, Nutty Smell.  Reminds me of flavored coffee.

Review:

Finally, something that tastes as good as coffee smells! I like this tea in no small part because it reminds me of the flavored coffee  that always smells so delicious, but tastes so bad. A darker black tea, it tastes very warm and nutty. It has an amazingly smooth finish for a black tea, and has just a hint of sweetness that leaves you crazing more.  I like this extra strong, a really nice way to put a hop in your step on and a smile on your face, especially on a cold winter morning.

My Rating: 4 / 5

Tea of the Week – Jasmine Green Strawberry Lemonade

Name: Jasmine Green / Strawberry Lemonade Blend

Type: Green

Region: Unknown

Bought At: Teavana

Price: $12 for two ounces (25-30 cups)

First Impressions:Fruity, Strawberry and Jasmine scents really cut through

Review:

First, I want to apologize for the long wait, life has been a little crazy lately and I just haven’t had the time to go out and get any new tea.  Second, I am very excited to have a new Teavana just a few miles from my apartment, it’s expensive but usually really good. Plus, they are always good for a few free samples!

This is a blend I picked up at Teavana: Jasmine Green Strawberry Lemonade.  It’s a blend of their Jasmine Dragon Pheonix Pearls and their Strawberry Lemonade Herbal tea.  I actually really liked this despite the fact that it is a jasmine tea, which usually send my brain into a tailspin because the overpowering floral scent.  The sweetness from the strawberries and tartness from the apple and lemon really blend well with the jasmine.  The green tea gives it enough of a base that it doesn’t come off as just a fruity herbal tea, and it balances really well.  All in all, this is definitely my favorite jasmine tea so far.  The only thing I wish is that I had not had the teas blended at the store, so I could try them individually as well and blend them as needed.

My Rating:

3.5 / 5

brent

Tea of the Week – Green Tea Ginger Peach

Name: Green Tea Ginger Peach

Type: Green

Region: Yunnan, China

Bought At: The Seasoned Home

Price: $2.79 per ounce

First Impressions: Smells amazing

Review:

Another tea from The Seasoned Home, this flavored green is rapidly becoming one of my all time favorites.  The smell of the unbrewed tea  is absolutely amazing, sugary sweet, fruity, and just right.  Once brewed the ginger adds a hint of spiciness that smells awesome in its own right.  As far as flavor goes, it doesn’t disappoint.  The sweetness of the peach mixes with the ginger to make a really well balanced and pleasant cup.  It also has marigold blossoms and roman chamomile, whose floral flavors add to the sweetness.  A really good, sweet green that everyone should try!

My Rating:

4 / 5

brent

Tea of the Week – Mocha Nut Mate

Name: Mocha Nut  Mate

Type: Herbal

Region: Brazil

Bought At: Adagio.com

Price: $2 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Chocolaty, hazelnut aroma

Review:

The last of my mate sampler, mocha nut mate was a pleasant surprise.  I am not sure why, but I didn’t have very high expectations going into this tea.  I was expecting something earthier, but to my surprise, this was a very sweet and pleasant tea.  The mocha and hazelnut flavoring is quite strong, and I suspect fans of those flavors of coffee would very much enjoy this. I did notice the caffeine was a bit higher than normal, definitely not something to try before you go to bed!

My Rating:

3.5 / 5

Tea of the Week – Sencha Vanilla

Name: Sencha Vanilla

Type: Green

Region: Unknown, Probably Japan

Bought At: The Seasoned Home

Price: $2.49 per ounce

First Impressions: Wonderfully sweet, vanilla scent

Review:

I recently have been trying several teas from a local tea shop – The Seasoned Home, located in Holland Michigan.  I received a few of their teas as Birthday and Christmas presents and so far they have all been very good.  Sencha green is a mild green, mixed with just the right amount of vanilla to give it a nice sweet taste without overpowering the tea.  It lacks any bitterness and has all of my favorite qualities of a green tea.  It’s very smooth, very sweet, very good, and I will be buying more!

Note: If you go into the store to buy this it will be labeled Green Tea Vanilla  not Sencha Vanilla – but it’s the same tea.

My Rating:

3.5 / 5

brent
(Teageek.org Founder)