I am just waking up from a not too restful nap and thought to myself, I should write! Clearly that is why my nap was not a good one, I have too many tea thoughts floating in my gourd. Or it could be that I just wanted to drink some tea, that honestly tends to wake me up at all sorts of odd hours, and of course I have to listen to the leaf when it calls me.
Today we are looking at a very well loved kind of tea, a green that is also loaded with citrus! Trader Leaf’s Smooth Citrus fits that description to a tea (oh no, I am making half asleep puns) being a blend of Green Tea, Lime Pieces, Calendula and Sunflower Petals, and Natural Flavors. For years I thought I hated citrus in my tea, all those lemony iced teas in the South filled me with a great deal of displeasure, turns out I only really disliked black teas with citrus, though that does need to be retested since I am always surprising myself with new things I like that I previously didn’t. The aroma of the tea is a blend of lemonade and fresh cut grass, there is a hint of growing things, and the slightly more savory (at least to me) notes of limes. It is refreshing and evocative of summertime and sunshine, and this is why I like green teas with citrus, the smell just makes me happy! And if you are a follower of aromatherapy you are not surprised since citrus is notorious for doing just that.
Brewing the leaves turns them into a citrus explosion, boom, lemons and limes everywhere! There is a bright green undertone that reminds me more of lemon leaves and fresh grass then it does tea, well those notes added to a pile of fresh squeezed lemons. The liquid is a bit more mellowed out, not some much a citrus explosion, but more if lemons and limes added to things. There are notes of mown grass and lemon leaves, the tea smells more savory than sweet, which is making my mouth water a bit. But I am the kind of gal who likes her lemons and limes covered in salt or in savory dishes, so this is right up my alley.
Whoa! (and not in the apathetic Keanu Reeves sort of way) that is a lot of lemon, so much lemon taste. Like a blend of freshly squeezed lemons and limes and a pile of lemon leaves. After the initial citrus burst the green tea waves its little leafy hands in my mouth…that was a weird phrase…but it oddly works…with notes of freshly mown grass, a bit of sweet nutty sesame, and a very bright, clean presence. This tea tastes refreshing and clean, like a summer sunrise where there is just that tiny chill in the air and everything sparkles with dew. Once the months get warmer I am going to try this tea cold steeped, it is practically mandatory with it being such a summery blend.
For blog and review: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/02/trader-leaf-smooth-citrus-tea-review.html
