Azzrian

White Chocolate Matcha

Get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/white-chocolate-matcha.html

White chocolate is one of those flavors that can be hit or miss for me in baked goods, tea, pretty much anything. White chocolate tends to be about 50/50 on if I will enjoy it or not.

This one is pretty good but it really needs sugar or some sweetener.

I made mine with a little vanilla sugar and milk and put it on ice and it was very good.

I got the robust flavor with basic grade matcha powder base.

I wish I had made more however because I did suck it down far too fast lol so it must have been pretty dang good right? I think the more matcha I have the more I fall in love with those special few flavors over and over but for many I can see this being their all time favorite!

This matcha reminds me of my grandmother – she never cared for regular chocolate and every Easter I would get her a white chocolate bunny. As a kid I loved white chocolate but now I favor the regular chocolates and dark chocolates more.

This one however will be fun to try baking with because when I was making it my daughter told me it smelled like I had baked cupcakes! It really did smell AMAZING in the house when I was mixing this one.

This tea is SO rich and flavorful – my favorite from Butiki!
I bought two bags of it its that good!
Great for your coffee drinking friends too! Full review coming up on http://sororiteasisters.com/ soon!

Get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/eggnog-matcha.html

So when I opened the package it was one of those OMG moments – it smelled SOooooo good! I instantly started singing Fa la la la la …
A huge smile came to my face. 
I knew this was going to be a re-order SOON!
Then I took my first sip.
It needed sugar.
I was a little deflated.
I mean it was good and all but its one of those flavors you just know needs a little push to make it POP.
So a little sugar was added.
Better but it does not have the wow factor I was hoping.
Now please, bear in mind, I about had a special moment when I smelled it in dry form. My eyes literally rolled back in my head so my expectations were REALLY high!
It is quite pleasing nonetheless but its not going to knock Butterscotch or Macadamia Nut out of my top two list.
I will play around with this one some more though to see what I can do with it. It may be better iced as I had this one straight with a little milk which made it sort of luke warm.
Still, this is going to score in the high 80’ as really there is nothing bad you could get from Red Leaf its just now that I have tried so many I do have my favorites that others need to stand up to.
:)

Get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/black-currant-matcha.html

This one is kind of hard to explain. Even with the robust flavoring it was not overwhelming nor sweet. I have never had black current so keep that in mind but I do like this – its very earthy and has almost an incense taste to it. Yet its not bitter at all. I am surprised by this one!
I think I expected it to be sweeter with more of a berry type flavor but its more like a grape but not really. Its very adult flavored would make an excellent wine out of currants I think. Maybe they do make wine out of currants. Now I need to find some to try on their own to get a better idea of what I should be tasting here in this matcha but for someone with absolutely no experience with currants other than in tea, and I’m usually pretty befuddled by it – yet always enjoy it – this is down right good.
I have a ton of candy like matcha and berry, citrus, etc but this stands on its own as a more earthy type of flavor. I did not add any sugar yet it has this very nice sweetness with a slight bite at the end – not bitter but sort of a tart essence that makes my mouth water just ever so slightly.
Wow this has been the hardest review for me to do so far just because I am so intrigued by this flavor. It does not even have to grow on me, I am a fan! The aroma from the dry form was a little on the chemical smelling side but it does not come though in the end result at all.

Get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/macadamia-praline-matcha.html

This may be one of the few matcha I can drink straight although that won’t keep me from enjoying it as a latte :)
Tonight I am drinking very small amounts of all the matcha I can to get my reviews done in time for the rewards cut off. With that said I am enjoying this one quite a bit. It does not taste better than straight macadamia nut to be but it is nice to have for a change because I do tend to reach for my macadamia nut matcha often!
This one is very yummy with the added flavor of caramel I believe. It could be just some sort of syrup flavor but whatever it is – its YUMMY!

I got mine in the robust flavor which I believe I would get again in the future. No need to have less flavor in a dessert treat like this!

I am savoring the tiny amount I have made for this tasting and drinking it without the typical latte and loving it. The sugary flavor comes through but there is the benefit of no sugar added and I don’t need to add it to make it taste like dessert!

Thanks Red Leaf tea keep bringing the new flavors!

I am now sampling the coconut matcha – very small serving as I don’t want to be climbing the walls lol
Here is where you can get it
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/coconut-matcha.html

So the aroma in dry form was a bit MEH … it smelled like suntan lotion.
HOWEVER once prepared it is VERY good so just either get past the aroma or don’t sniff it not that it easy to ignore any matcha smell as the powder sort of makes its way into the nose no matter what ya do!

My daughter and I got distracted singing “Put the lime in the coconut …” haha now you are all going to be singing that in your heads ….THE POINT however is in messing around I dumped the powder into my cup instead of my mixing bowl. YIKEs I thought I had made a huge mistake but I just went ahead and added straight milk to it – NO WATER!!!
Can you believe it – this stuff is GOOD! Coconut MILK hahah. I am sure you can pull this off with any milk product or almond, soy etc.. HEY maybe even COCONUT milk!
Oh and you know how I said sangria frothed up well?? WELL … This frothed up SUPER easy! HUGE foam! I may have to try doing more of my matcha this way – just skipping the water all together! Now this is what I call a HAPPY accident!
SO SO SO YUMMY!
I do wonder if it would have been AS good had I used water … hummmmmm …

You can get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/sangria-matcha.html

So I am having a mini matcha sipping party with my family here since we have to get our reviews in before the 14th and I have a ton left to review.

This one I decided to add a little sugar and sparkling water to – in order to make it more like a sangria flavor – as I recall sangria is sweet and sparkly but maybe I had something strange mixed with my sangria lol

Nonetheless – the aroma of this one is excellent – berry like fruits and a winey aroma.

I noticed that it easily frothed up which is something I notice more so with some flavors than others. For those who like a nice froth this is one of those that is easier to get frothy.

The flavor is really delicious very fruity and would be great with a luncheon with the friends.

It is only slightly tangy though I get a bit of an aftertaste almost like rind of a citrus fruit.

So somewhere between citrus and red berries is the general flavor here.

My matcha as always was with robust flavoring – I think I will keep ordering it at that level of flavor. It would probably do well at distinctive but I see no reason not to have it at this level – its very enjoyable.

So my tiny cup is empty, everyone else enjoyed this too but of course my daughter preferred the gingerbread :)


Buy it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/gingerbread-matcha.html

If you like gingerbread but not all the sugary sweetness of it – this is the matcha for you. This has all the spices you would find in ginger bread – or ginger snap cookies without the sugar attack.

For me its not sweet enough so I have to add a little something but it is good enough I could get away without adding it.
There is a slight bakey flavor in this tea but its mostly ginger, and an all spice blend sort of spice note in it.

I got the robust flavoring – I am thinking perhaps distinctive may have been enough here but there is nothing wrong with the robust level – just that you could maybe save a couple of bucks. I just always lean toward robust my first go around with a new matcha for the most part.

As always I got the basic matcha base and it is perfectly good, I am still new enough at matcha that I do not notice much of a difference as I have not had enough experience with various matcha qualities yet. However I have had BAD matcha so I do know enough to know that even at the base level this is very good!

Anyway this is excellent for the holidays although I am partial to ginger bread all year long.

Wow another win with me and DT today! Thank you Cedes for this sample! I rather like this one a lot!
Its creamy, sweet, and note I do not normally like the Stevia in DT but this is fitting here!
I could drink more of this! There is even a wine like flavor to it.
Very nice.
Thanks again Cedes!

Just enjoyed a pumpkin pie matcha latte – was out of creamer today so it was just matcha and milk but oh so yummy! This is not a sweet pumpkin pie matcha – very spicy and natural tasting. So perfect for the incoming fall weather! :)

Thank you Cedes for sending me some! I do love this cup! Its not as salty as I would like but I’m a total salt-a-holic!!
It is perfectly sweet, slightly creamy, and a nice black tea.
It could be more complex but it is what it is – a nice caramel flavored tea.
I just want MORE SALT!! LOL
Oh and I totally forgot to mentinon the coconut – never really had a chocolate coconut tea – its also very good! Great flavor balance here.

Thank you Amanda for requesting this in a trade! I have not enjoyed this in a long time and it was well overdue!
It is very pleasant!

Just indulging in a wonderful treat after a long day of getting dogs groomed. It was Dog Day Sunday here.
I took a decent nap and am now up to do a few things and watch some television – lol yup a lazy day for the most part.
Perfect for some Cotton Candy matcha! :)
This is so very yummy! I am almost out after sending out quite a few samples of this and other matcha.
I plan to order more soon.

This is a nice clean clear tasting oolong. Its a bit basic without a ton of complexity but its good. I feel like it is predictable but sometimes that is just fine, such as when with company, or serving with a meal.
This is a nice one to have on hand and would make an excellent starter oolong.
I got this in a tea trade awhile back I think from Michelle but it may have been someone else.
Regardless it was a nice oolong to try.

Enjoying a delicious cup right now. This tea is very rich almost like drinking dessert. A real treat – loving every sip!

Let me just start by saying this tea rivals my love for Butterscotch matcha!
I don’t know if I can put into words just how delectable this matcha is!
It tastes like popcorn (check)
It tastes like caramel (check)
It tastes like butter (check)
So we have here a caramel-y, buttery, smooth, popcorn matcha that tastes extra smooth and creamy due to the excellent matcha base provided to us by Red Leaf Tea!

I made mine into a latte with creamer, milk, and ice.

This is perfect for the upcoming season, fall, Halloween on the way, and it makes me think of caramel popcorn balls! You know you loved getting those as a kid. Well I know I did, still do haha, and now days you don’t have to make them at home but can buy them pre-made. Yet nothing is as good as making them at home, and the taste is by far better when you do! This matcha tastes like the homemade kind, where the sugars become caramelized and have that toasty just almost burnt flavor but its not burnt and don’t let that one word scare you away – its just caramelized like the crust on a creme brulee dessert! If you have never had one of those your totally missing out!

As a type 1 diabetic let me just say that with all these flavor selections Red Leaf Tea has its like a miracle to me! Now I am not sure about sugar content in the matcha since they are flavored and all, but I have not had any issues with my blood sugars related to drinking these matcha, of course if you have health concerns be sure you monitor yourself closely until you have an established base line. However, this is a way for me to indulge in so many temptations without suffering consequences. Now while nothing can replace a TRUE caramel popcorn or popcorn ball I will tell you sometimes, in some ways I prefer my yummy matcha from RLT to the real deal!

If you are a dieter, work out fanatic, into health, or even appreciate the wonderful benefits of matcha tea, you can’t go wrong with Red Leaf I mean with all those flavors there is surely at least a handful you will find as amazing I have this one and Butterscotch just to name my top two favorites right now.

When I opened my package of Caramel Popcorn …. Oh my eyes ROLLED back into my skull haha, and I felt so enraptured by the aromas! I am still sitting here with this matcha and it is one of the thickest creamiest matcha I have had to date and I have had a TON of matcha!

I got the robust flavor in the basic matcha quality and it is STELLAR!

Get yours here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-popcorn-matcha.html

Initially when I opened the package I picked up the aroma of butter – creamy melted butter! Like when you leave a stick of fresh butter out on the counter and it melts on its own, just perfectly soft and smooth.

The initial sip was of Hay, hay that has been warmed by sunlight sitting out in the field!
As the cup cools some the cinnamon starts to develop and I got a slight tingling sensation around the sides of my mouth.

Through out the entire cup I could feel a slight tingling sensation in my mouth along with a velvety mouthfeel to accompany the sparkle. This tea is a movie star! No, rather this tea is a voluptuous sexy lounge singer, female of course, in a long slinky yet classy dress with sparkles on it, on top of a piano.

Sorry – what I am trying to evoke here is that this tea will take you in and seduce you, if you allow it to, and give it time to temper as the longer I wait – the more this cup develops and this is only steep one!

This is the first cup today I have allowed myself to full enjoy, drinking every last drop so without further ado I am going to haul my behind over to the sofa and nurse as many steepings as I can out of this sample!

Anddd another backlog …
This is the tea sent to me from my UK friend LOVE HER!
So nice to have some GOOD (really good) bagged tea around in those morning crisis moments!
Today I was not even in a crisis I just wanted to have it.
This is of course a great bagged tea!
Malty and yes even some complexity here!
Proper English tea … perfect for those tea parties!

Another Backlog from earlier!
I still very much enjoy this tea blend.
Gurman’s is a fun place to order from.
Something about ordering from another country just makes me feel giddy and somewhat cool haha.
For me, its not TOO peppery at all, it has just the right lift, hardly even a kick to it.
Its sweet (naturally) and savory! LOVE that kind of blend in a tea!

Backlogging from earlier today – I have had so many teas today but have not drank all of the cups as I am doing reviews for the SoroiTea Sisters site.
Need to get some reviews built up for those days when I don’t have time to do them.
Therefore I am not tea logged yet but have a lot to log haha!
This one is a goodie – I have just enough left for one more cup from the generous sample they sent me.
Will have to put this on my shopping list soon! I really want to try this with one of those melting ice steeps I think Bonnie told us about!

Have not had this one in a long while – it was over due time!
Still quite delicious!
Love the juicy mouthfeel and mix of fruit flavors!
Not one that you can easily tell the different fruits in but they blend so lovely!

Another WIN from 52 Teas – tastes just like it should! I again added some rock sugar to this tea just to really make those flavors pop but I don’t feel it NEEDED it.
I get the caramel, the pumpkin and then just enough of the cheesecake flavor to make me want to chew on it.
A VERY aromatic cup! Smells DELICIOUS made my whole house smell good!
Daughter gives it a thumbs up as well :)

Yay!!! Its here!!
Its steeping RIGHT NOW as I type this!
I can’t wait – I can’t wait!
I’m like a kid at Christmas!
My Gooey Butter Cake tea came along with my Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake today!
Of course I had to try this first although honestly – that Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake tea smells SO SO AMAZING!
Not that this one doesn’t but I think the CPC has a stronger aroma.
Okay let me check my brew here…. Auggg who am I kidding it has not been long enough – but let me tell you its smelling GOOOOOOD!
I think the only thing that was disappointing about getting this tea was I was secretly hoping for some of Frank’s wife’s (wish I knew her name) home made gooey butter cake haha. Yeah I don’t want much do I!?!
Its time!
OKay this is one of those teas you really NEED to add a little sweetener to.
I took my first couple of sips and it was good but I was not getting that CAKEY or GOOEY flavor – added a little rock sugar – AMAZING!
I don’t mind having to add a little sugar now and then to some teas – especially when they are DESSERT teas like this one. Now if I had to add sugar to a tea from teavivre, or mandala, or verdant, or stone leaf etc that would be wrong, but this is meant to be decedent so its fine with me.
With the sugar added its quite lovely. A good black base to hold up the interesting flavors of the gooey butter cake. There is a lemony flavor here too.
Gooey butter cake can come in just the regular flavor or a multitude of flavors really ANY flavor you can imagine.
This one has a lemon zest to it. Its nice.
There is also a toasty quality to it as well.
I am not sure I am going to have to sit with this for awhile. I am getting a bit more of a creme brulee flavor from it which trust me is NOT a bad thing, but I need to just study this one a bit longer and maybe use more leaf – I was light on the leaf in this steep.
Oh and I am absolutely going to have to try this ICED as well like Frank had it!

Are you really missing Verdant’s Golden Fleece? (edited thanks to Kittenna!) Never got to try any and fear you may never get to? Then get some of this!!!
Its not the exact same tea, and there are noticeable flavor differences but this is as close to it as you are going to get in my opinion!
Stone Leaf Tea is quickly becoming a new favorite tea vendor for me. They have excellent customer service and quality teas!
Granted nothing will replace my love for Verdant or their much desired Golden Fleece but there is no reason we can’t spread the love around!
This is a quality black tea!
There is a slight bit more astringency here than GS but it is not bitter.
I love the flavor notes of pepper, olive, and I also get a buttery mouthfeel.
Its quite pleasing and I plan to keep it around!