Awkward Soul

Apparently 2 steepings of green tea didn’t wake me up and I feel like sticking to green tea today for some reason. Time to bring in the matcha!

Had this iced. I didn’t bother sifting, just dumped it into a tumbler with ice and water and stirred it with my straw. This matcha is just so dangerously easy to use. I sipped away at this while I finished up my wedding bouquet stuff. So goood!

I had this tea on my wish list for awhile and with my last Butiki order, I snagged it. However, Stacy informed me that I snagged the last of the Spring Twist! Sorry guys…

DRY: really interesting looking fine and crimped looking bright green leaves
STEEPED: Beautiful pale light light green. As I pour the tea into my cup, a strong aroma of sweet veggieness and peaches comes out. Peaches?

TASTE: Drool worthy sweet! Lots of great flavors going on of fresh peas, buttery, fruity and like other tea peeps, I got that freshly picked cob of corn taste! With all that said, the taste is strong and full bodied. No bitterness.

Second infusion: vegetal flavor and slightly buttery. Not as sweet or fruity. Bit of astringency creeping in.

COMMENTS: Mmmm, very good! I enjoy how strong the flavors are in this tea – so this would be great for someone who wants a full flavored but unflavored green.

Sorry tea peeps that I bought the last of this tea. I’m not sharing though (and I’m not sorry about that).

Mmmm pumpkin pie! I make a killer and SNEAKY pumpkin pie. I use tofu in the mix with pumpkin and lots of spices. No one notices the tofu and the tofu keeps the pie nice and moist. I love mixing pumpkin puree into smoothies and I’m happy this is the time of year that the stuff goes on sale! But now, I got it in matcha form!

Specs on the matcha I’m drinking:

Pumpkin Pie Matcha
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pumpkin-pie-matcha.html
Matcha Quality: Classic (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust

Out of the package, this matcha smells strongly like spicy whole cloves with a bit of sweetness.

Prepared as a traditional hot matcha, (1/2tsp of matcha powder whisked with 175f water) the spices are very present over top a pumpkiny mellowness. Slightly sweet in flavor as well. I’d call this more of a “Spicy Pumpkin Matcha” than pumpkin pie. I did not detect any bitterness in this matcha, however the green tea is pretty background level due to the flavoring strength. Overall not bad if you are in the mood for spicy fall flavors.

Now, this is where Red Leaf’s matchas shine – in latte form! I’m doing a iced latte as it is too hot in SoCal still! I used soymilk, ice, pumpkin pie matcha and a bit of sweetener shaked up in a blender bottle. The result: very amazing flavoring! I can taste the pumpkin pie spice more as a whole, with a bite of spicy cloves and ginger. The pumpkin is present and my brain is making me almost sense the smushy texture of the pie as a I drink this latte. The green tea is in the background and sometimes I cannot detect it – this pumpkin pie matcha is pretty strongly flavored!
The spicyness is a good level for me (but I like spicy) and lingers in my mouth after drinking.

Overall, pretty good and spot on! If you like spicy pumpkin pies (like how my Dad makes them), this is for you. If you aren’t into spicy, try the delicate or distinctive flavoring options as I think they will be less spicy.

This matcha does protein smoothie well!

I was a little heavy on the protein powder (or cheap on the milk) and the chunky bits reminded me of cookies to go with the whole flavoring!

A good matcha smoothie to end a horrible work out. I had to bail on the last set as it was just getting too heavy.

Mmmm, this tea looked really fun so I had to snag it during my last order! I love candy apples – especially the crazy ones with cheesecake, cookies, chocolate chunks and marshmallows on them!

DRY: very fun looking! Cubes of caramel and tiny sparkley red candy bits!
STEEPED: interestingly, I smell apple skin. The tea comes out a brown with a bit of cloudyness.

TASTE: Tastes like biting into a real apple (skin and all) with a hint of candy sweetness and caramel. The black tea is very light here.
With sweetener, this tastes more like candy apple and brighter caramel. No tartness or bitterness.

COMMENTS: Very well executed! I’m surprised how natural the apple tastes here. I’m a little torn as I do like this unsweetened, but sweetened it’s totally a candy apple!

I won this matcha as part of a drawing here at Steepster and I was like “Ho hum, plain matcha” since I’ve been drinking flavored matcha these days. I was totally wrong. This matcha blew me out of the water and into space! With enough energy to swim back!

The tin is sealed and when I cracked it open it was a blast of sweet smelling matcha! It is obviously high quality and very fresh! I tried it and went crazy and needed to blog about it on my jitz blog.

http://bunnyjiujitsu.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/matcha-a-bjj-endurance-blaster/

The matcha taste pure and natural, not grassy or bitter. It has a light and crisp green tea flavor, but yet full of flavor and not watery (if that makes sense). The sweetness is like a mix of sugar snap peas in it with the green tea! I’m almost reminded of the sweetness in iceburg lettuce as well.

Oh man, I needed another cup of this so I made one iced. The matcha powder is very light and I didn’t have to sift it really. I just dumped it over some water and ice and stirred it for a bit and it was good to go! It’s got a great natural sweetness that I don’t need to sweeten it or add milk.

If this matcha becomes a regular drink in my routine, I’m bumping this to 100 rating. Pretty good stuff!

I’ve been really digging pu’rehs lately. I’m not sure why.

The super creamyness of this tea I love! Rich, bold, earthy! Nice and inspiring for me to work on my wedding crap. Boo wedding crap!

ICED TEA MODE!

I’m finishing up my sample of this – 3tsp steeped in a little 175f water, poured over ice and honey.

The result: Up front green tea taste, crisp and veggie like. Aftertaste of fresh pineapple. I like this better iced than hot.

I wish the pineapple was stronger, but this is a good tea for someone who wants a lightly flavored tea.

With my last Butiki order, I had to try this tea, sounds delicious! I’ve had onle 1 grapefruit tea (officially) which I enjoy despite it being rooibos (ESP brand passionfruit/grapefruit).

DRY: tarty grapefruit! Big chunky green tea leaves with a pretty spattering of red/pink.
STEEPED: Pale yellow, smells like pink grapefruit.

TASTE: Crisp grapefruit, and I’m talking real grapefruit! Juicy! All that grapefruit taste over a background of mellow green tea. I would almost call the after taste tart, but more of a tingly citrus sensation that tickles my tongue and throat. What kind of magic is this?!?! I was too lazy to try this sweetened.

COMMENTS: Am I weird imagining theres a happy yellow and pink dragon tickling my throat with its back spines while I drink this tea?

I’m thinking iced tea with Grapefruit Dragon. Seriously that would be amazing! However, not sure if the tickle throat effects stays iced, I’m finishing up my cup which as cooled and it is not as tingly. Would be killer with a little sweetener and slices of grapefruit!

On another note, SHAWL OF DOOM is FINISHED! I was blogging about it, why my grapefruit dragon got cold, boo!
lace detail http://awkwardsoul.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/img_1838.jpg
blog entry http://awkwardsoul.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/cloudy-tea-shawl/

Ugg. Now what to do? I guess knit some socks.

Post weight lifting smoothie! YEAAAH!

I did good at weight lifting today, despite being off the routine from being sick last week.

This pistachio matcha is the bomb! Today’s post workout smoothie: 1/2tsp Pistachio matcha, 1 cup soymilk, 2 packets of splenda (Phhfhfffff!), 1 scoop of soy protein = killer smoothie! Nutty! That honey sweet pistachio yummyness! DROOOL!

Thanks to Zen Tea for a sample of this!

My sample / new teas to try pile is out of control! That’s what I get for being sick for almost a week.

DRY: Smells like sweet mint.

STEEPED: Very earthy sweet mint smell coming from a dark red brown cup of tea.
Annoyingly, this sample did not have steep times on it, but the other samples did. I was too lazy to walk up to my computer to check, so I guessed. Apparently I was wrong, it should be boiling + 5 mins. DERRRP!

TASTE: Creamy taste! Lightly earthy background (lightness could of been my fail steeping) that has a robustness to it – with the mint gently hitting me last. Lingering creamy mouth feel! oh yeah! No bitterness or astringency.
Zen recommends to prepare this with sweetener and milk, I added some rock sugar to a cup and found the creamyness was brighter and more vanilla taste. I personally like this without sweetener.
Second steeping I did for boiling, 5 minutes. Less creamy taste and much more earthy pu’reh.

WHO’D LIKE THIS: I’m thinking back to all the bagged vanilla mint black teas I’ve tried and this one kicks them! I think the pu’erh is a great idea to this tea with the vanilla and mint calming the strong earthy a bit. A great tea for a black drinker to try a good flavored pu’erh. I did mention I prefer this without sweetener, but sweetened it’s not bad – so this be good for someone who likes to sweeten their tea.

COMMENTS: Not bad! I love pu’reh earthyness so this was good!

WOOOWWWEEE!

I made an iced soy latte this morning with the eggnog matcha. Tried it on the tea hating husband (who dislikes any form of tea taste). He’s tried the bavarian cream, caramel, cookies and cream, cheesecake matchas – all of them he disliked as he could taste the tea.

He took a sip of my eggnog matcha. Long pause, looking confused.
“I guess I could drink this..” he quietly said.
“Really? How about I make a cup for you with your whole milk?”
He pauses again. “Maybe on a weekday to keep me awake.”

I then asked him what it tasted like. “Sweet egg? I dunno.” DERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!

Well, I guess this was a success.

Oh my! As soon as I saw this tea up for sale I had to get it!

DRY: Smells strongly like pumpkin pie spices, I can really pick out cloves! Reminds me of my dad’s pumpkin pie – lots of spice!

STEEPED: A nice dark brown, smells like more pumpkin pie spice with a hint of caramel sweetness.

TASTE: Spices (clove, nutmeg) with a depth of pumpkin taste. Also caramel flavor. The pumpkin taste I find impressive as I could almost sense the texture in my head, it’s that spot on. The cheesecake flavor is really in the background. Sometimes I notice it, other times I can’t – might be from the spices being pretty forward. Bit of bitterness, but I always seem to wrestle with 52 teas’ black teas for steeping times and temperatures.

Sweetened, the caramel comes out and virtually no bitterness.

COMMENTS: Very good pumpkin tea, that’s for sure! Great use of spice, the caramel is nice too! I wish there was more cheesecake twang, but could be moreso with tinkering with temperatures and steep time.
Great fall tea! yum yum! I love fall, but I wish here in southern california it was more fall looking. Apparently over the next few days it’s another 105 degree heat wave. UGGG!

I love eggnog! I’d drink the stuff all year round if I could! But I cannot drink it. I was vegan during university and vegetarian for a couple years after that and of course during that time I ditched dairy. When I stopped being vegetarian I found out I’m lactose intolerant, since I lost the enzymes to drink milk. Higher fat content milk hits me the worst. I still don’t drink cow milk. Plus, actual egg nog has CRAZY amounts of calories and fat. My husband, last year, trying to get some extra calories, spliced leftover egg nog with leftover heavy cream for a high calorie drink. Ew.

While being vegan/vegetarian I’ve ventured into Soy nog. IMO, the stuff is terrible! It’s watery, barely flavored, no depth and the eggy part tastes stale and weird. I’ve tried a bunch of different brands and never found one I remotely liked. When I saw Red Leaf Tea’s Eggnog matcha, hey.. this might have some potential to have an eggnog on my terms! I’ve been wanting this matcha for awhile, but kept procrastinating on purchasing it.

Specs on the matcha I’m drinking:

Eggnog Matcha
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/eggnog-matcha.html
Quality: Classic (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust

Out of the package, the eggnog matcha smells slightly eggy and spicy. I thought it would smell stronger, like the pistachio matcha I got recently.

Prepared as a traditional hot matcha, I can taste the eggnog, but in matcha form! The base of bold green tea is there, with a eggy taste second, with a vanilla and nutmeg hit. This matcha is also slightly sweet. No bitterness or astringency.

Now the best part, a Red Leaf Tea Matcha prepared as a latte! I made mine cold, whisking 1/2tsp of egg nog matcha into some soy milk and a little sweetener. I find the eggy taste is the strongest! I love eggy taste! Next is the creamy vanilla and a hint of spice. This was really sweet, so I’d go a little less on sweetener next time. And next time I should add a sprinkling of nutmeg or cinnamon ontop.

The flavoring in this is really strong, as a Robust flavor, I cannot taste the matcha in this in the latte. Good for me as I love the egg nog taste, but for others who want the matcha taste, I’d go to distinctive or delicate.

The only thing missing for this to be perfectly like eggnog is the consistency. This might go well with a thicker soy milk (like the very vanilla Silk soy milk) or whisk in a little instant vanilla pudding mix. Of course, this egg nog matcha latte is green, so more festive!

Tea peeps, give this one a shot!

Pistachio Matcha.. what, no one else here has tried this one? Psshhhhhh! I’m a pistachio fan, I doubt I’m the only one!

Specs on the matcha I’m drinking:

Pistachio Matcha
Quality: Classic (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Distinctive
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pistachio-matcha.html

The matcha straight out of the bag smells very strongly like sweet pistachio, reminding me of pistachio halva. Hey.. that’s an idea, sweetening this with some honey and a spoon of tahini? Ehh, that sounds a little too nutty. Very intoxicating smell!

The matcha frothed up well during whisking and is a lovely green colour, matching a perfect colour to pistachios too!

As a traditional cup of hot matcha, great strong earthy green tea base holding hands next to the pistachio flavor. The matcha isn’t astringent. Slight bitterness, but it fits the bill almost with a smokeyness of the pistachio. There is a sweet nutty taste at the end of my sip. The best part of this cup is that sweet nutty taste, very well done! I’m thinking I could drink this one as a traditional cup all the time.

As a iced latte (prepared with matcha, ice, soy milk and a bit of sweetner), this pretty much tastes like pistachio ice cream! Creamy, sweet, and nutty with strong green tea base. This one came out sweeter than normal because of the sweetness of the flavoring. With that said, if adding sweetener, be gentle.

I usually order “Robust” flavoring, this being my first “distinctive” flavoring. I found the matcha is near balanced with the flavoring, rather than the flavoring being in your face. This is a great flavoring selection if you want to enjoy the matcha earthyness more.

So my tea peeps, totally give this one a shot. I guess it sounds kinda weird since I think others might associate pistachios as just a salty snack, but this one is sweet, nutty and tasty!

ERRR! I was gonna make this iced, but then added too much hot water in excitement of having this tea. Hot it is then, still delicious, juicy watermelon! YUM!

Blocking the shawl of doom right now, here’s a pic of it I posted on Twitter https://twitter.com/awkwardsoul/status/251725214323445760/photo/1/large

Thanks to Kittena for a sample!

I get to look at my wedding venue today, 2 weeks before the wedding, lol! Yeah, last minute and totally laid back. More excited about eating beef tongue burritos afterward! Heheh! I’m not a wedding person and rather save the cash for a fun honeymoon… once I get my greencard and can leave the country.

I wanted to start my day with a nice black tea and Sweet Velvet Fog appealed to me.

STEEPED: Dark brown colour, malty caramel smell

TASTE: Smooth black tea and surprisingly sweet. Hit of caramel and vanilla. Not getting any astringency or bitterness. I can totally get the caramel and creamy creeping up on me.
Sweetened (not that it needed it, but I already presweetened a batch) the creamyness comes out more. Personally, I think the sweetness in the tea is perfect and does not need further sweetening.

COMMENTS: Very good! I think I might try more of iHeartTeas stuff! Overall, a good dessert tea for peeps who like black teas that are nice and smooth.

I just realized I’ve had this tea for close to a year! SHoot, better drink it up! Though, it looks like I got another couple cups to go.

Still good, but still just as finicky. I still remember the amazing steeping I got one time, tasted crust, spices and pie! Never again.. this cup is close, but not as strong flavored in the apple sense, but heavy on the cinnamon. Might of not added enough leaf. I love the direction of this tea, but I want it to work, mebe I’ll venture into other apple pie teas…

No notes yet.

ICED TEA MODE!

Thought I’d try and kill off older teas before the year ends.

Very oolongy, fruity and kinda weird earthy bite to it that remains as an aftertaste. Not bad iced with agave syrup, but I won’t be getting more of this tea.

I hope my sense of taste has mostly returned. Thanks to Rachel Sincere for this sampling!

STEEPED: Very fruity sweet smell. I think is pomegranate or grenadine. Dark brown colour.

TASTE: Spike of fruityness and slight bitterness over a base of black tea.
Sweetened (and cooled off) I can taste the vanilla and fruityness. Not as bitter.

COMMENTS: Maybe I’m still sick and tasting bitterness? But I could of oversteeped. Taste some good potential if I can get it brewed right!

I’ve been sick for days, but today it is starting to clear up.

Been kinda worried because it was a sinus cold and my sense of taste became bitter for everything! ARGG! So I stopped drinking tea and began crazy creations (straight grated ginger and chili pepper). Today, my sense of taste is returning, but my sense of adventure is still there.

I drank all of my uji genmaicha earlier, so I was thinking of making my own.. if that works.
So… a basic Genmaicha + light dusting of Red Leaf Teas “Raspberry matcha, white matcha” = nutty rice, with a tart bit of raspberry, with a slight astringency from the white matcha. Fun! I think this would of turned out better with a green matcha, but I wanted raspberry.
I suggest others to give this a shot with a flavored matcha!

My next plot: 52 teas Cherry Cheesecake genmaicha + Red Leaf’s “Cheesecake Matcha”

No notes yet.

SICK MODE! (still)

Another great sick tea! Something about earthy deep pu’erh thats great for colds. This one has some citrus and ginger too! I made a big pot of the Skinny this morning and it’s already almost gone! The citrus is making my throat better and the ginger is setting my stomach.

Now.. heres to hoping all this extra tea will make me ditch the extra pounds I put on over the weekend, which is probably in snot! EWW!