softrevolution

Finally tried matcha shaken up in a water bottle. It’s so delicious! Really refreshing, not at all bitter, with a good hit of both green tea and boysenberry flavour. I’m almost getting a cotton candy vibe from it prepared like this. This is so candy-like in flavour, but really fruity and natural too. Yum!

I really love matcha like this. I wasn’t sure if I would, but its fantastic. It’s strange, I like my iced teas straight and unsweetened, but I can never resist a bit of milk and sugar in my hot tea. I don’t think I’d like this sweetened. I love that matcha can act as a replacement for those little crystal light thingers. Much healthier and tastier. I never drink enough water, but I can see myself drinking more if it has TEA in it :D

I’m so glad I was able to grab some of the reblend of this! It is absolutely lovely. Everything an Earl Grey should be – lightly floral, good helping of bergamot, sturdy base – with a wonderful creamy note that isn’t particularly sweet, but really rich and full textured.

I didn’t really get a strong distinguishable cheesecake note, but the overall creaminess gives a sort of suggestion of cheesecake. I kind of like that, surprisingly.

This holds up as a really great earl. I was initially hoping for a more strong, sweet cheesecake kind of thing, I was pleasantly surprised by this blend. I can see it becoming a staple for me, which makes me sad since it’s not a part of the permanent collection. A real shame, this is such a subtle and classy blend.

I hadn’t tried iced matcha yet, so I figured I’d give it a shot tonight.

I added about a teaspoon of sifted matcha to about 3/4 cup of milk an about 1/2 tsp of powdered sugar in my magic bullet.

Ooh it’s super creamy! Well of course it is, I used all milk. Just a touch sweet and really rich. The caramel comes through really nicely like this. It had a really smooth froth on top, likely thanks to the magic bullet. I wish I had some ice to pour this over.

I really like the cold matcha latte. Need to try it with cheesecake. Tomorrow I think I’ll try the iced matcha in a water bottle method with boysenberry. Sounds so refreshing that way.

This is the best smelling chocolate tea. Probably ever. Mm, smells like mint chip ice cream! Creamy chocolate, plenty of mint, and a hint of vanilla coming through. I used to drink a lot more of this when I first discovered it. It was the first chocolate tea that I actually liked. I find a lot of them to be gross-artificial, and they end up giving me a headache. Not this one though!

My only real gripe with it, and the reason I stopped drinking it as often, is that it doesn’t taste anywhere near as good as it smells. It’s delicious, for sure, but after you’ve smelled the dry leaf, the tea itself doesn’t even compare. Sigh.

Still one of my favourite chocolate teas though! I had it at work today and it made my boring day a little nicer. I need to start bringing ‘real’ tea to work more often. I could get used to this desk job business, if it means drinking tea all day :D

Yet another incredible matcha from Red Leaf. I still can’t believe how quickly I’ve fallen in love with matcha. All of the flavours are so true to life, perfectly balanced, and darn addictive. I’ve even come to love the preparation process, whereas I used to find it a bit of a pain in the butt. Something about scooping out the fragrant powder, sifting it into my cup and then whisking like a madman is soothing, in a way. A nice little break from whatever I’m doing to just focus my energy on preparing my tea.

I was a little wary about trying this flavour since I’ve never had a boysenberry, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Blackberries are one of my favourite fruits though, and boysenberries look pretty much identical, so somehow I just assumed that they must be delicious. I was right! This matcha is the perfect fruity treat. The best way I can describe it is as a fresh, light, perfectly sweet/tart berry. When I opened my package of delicately flavoured matcha, I was overcome with a burst of sweet, almost candy-like fruitiness. I was reminded almost of
those delicious, chewy blackcurrant pastilles that I loved growing up.

Once prepared, I was treated to a nice balance of earthy matcha and bright berry goodness. The candy quality is a bit muted, and the fruitiness really shines. One thing I love about this matcha is that I don’t have to add as much sugar to it as I do with the more dessert-like flavours. With this, I like to let the tartness of the berry shine through, but with the dessert matcha I crave a good amount of sugar since they’re supposed to taste like something sweet and decadent. This is delicious unsweetened or with just a touch, and I never miss the extra sugar.

I have posted my favourite smoothie mix for the cheesecake matcha, which is strawberries, bananas, matcha, vanilla yogurt & pineapple orange banana juice. I haven’t tried a smoothie with this flavour yet, but I’m thinking blueberries, bananas, vanilla yogurt, and apple juice or cider would be absolutely perfect.

I’m hoping to make another matcha order soon, to try out some more unique flavours and experiment a bit with the bases. So far I’ve only tried traditional green matcha and the 50/50 base, but I am super curious about black matcha. I’m thinking it would make an amazing latte with one of the richer flavours, like pumpkin pie or mocha. And recent reviews have got me tempted to try cookies and cream black matcha. I love that with Red Leaf, the possibilities are truly endless.

Boysenberry matcha far surpassed my expectations. You can find it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/boysenberry-matcha.html

Cheesecaaake!! Oh boy. Cheesecake is my favourite dessert. There are so many different varieties, and I am in love with almost all of them. My mom used to make a no-bake version that was whippy and light, with a thick, crumbly, spiced graham layer, and topped with a good old fashioned can of pie filling. And of course nothing can beat a good slice of baked cheesecake. I remember one of my first baking projects I tried as a teenager was a cheesecake. It turned out amazing and I was hooked. The top cracked something terrible, but man was it goood.

I was surprised and thrilled that Red Leaf’s take on cheesecake tasted so much like a good quality slice of baked goodness. I have been wanting to try this flavour for quite a long time and I’m so glad I did! This is how I ordered my matcha:

Flavouring: Robust
Quality: 50/50 matcha

I am super happy with my choices. The robust flavouring is the perfect amount for me in this one, it’s nice and strong without being overpowering. I love cheesecake so much that I knew I would want it to be really, well, robust. And the 50/50 matcha base is really nice! It’s smooth and refreshing; really mellows out the green tea flavour. I ordered it in hopes of getting my girlfriend to try it (she’s not the biggest green tea fan, so I thought the 50/50 might be easier to convince her on) but no luck yet. I’ll make sure to get her to taste my smoothie next time I make one, because I’m pretty sure that would be impossible not to love!

Speaking of which, my favourite way to enjoy this matcha is in a smoothie. I have had this twice now in two days, it is pretty darn addictive! I make em with frozen fruit, yogurt, juice, and about a teaspoon of matcha for a single serving. The cheesecake flavour really shines, permeating the entire drink with its creamy goodness. The yogurt adds that cheesecake tang and the matcha flavour is subtle but delicious. I took a matcha smoothie to work with me this morning and it filled me up and gave me a nice bit of energy from the tea goodness. I think this will become my go-to breakfast.

Tonight I tried it as a hot matcha latte. The cheesecake flavour is a lot less prominent than in my smoothie, but it is still an amazing creamy treat this way. It is buttery, smooth, and a little toasty, in a way. I am finding I can never go wrong with a Red Leaf matcha latte.

Next, I hope to try an iced latte, because I think the cheesecake flavour pops best as a cold drink. Maybe I’ll try mixing in a bit of boysenberry or caramel matcha too! I love how versatile the different flavoured matchas are for blending. There are so many combos that I want to try, and steepster folks come up with some pretty inventive blends that look amazing.

This ones a winner. You can score yourself some cheesecake matcha from Red Leaf here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html

Ohmagerd.

My new matchas came in the mail today, and I had to rip into this one right away. I don’t have time to write a full review right now, but I couldn’t contain my excitement about the delicious concoction I made with this, and had to share with you folks immediately.

Ready for it?

Strawberry. Banana. Cheesecake. Smoothie.

It was possibly the best smoothie I’ve ever made/had. Sweet and tangy and creamy with this deliciously smooth cheesecake flavour that was waaaay more true to life and delectable than I expected.

Voila: my smoothie mix

-Generous helping of vanilla yogurt
-3/4 tsp sifted cheesecake matcha
-Handful of frozen strawberries & bananas
-Good pour of pineapple orange banana juice

All whizzed up in my magic bullet! It tastes like fruity liquid cheesecake (if liquid cheesecake were delicious. I imagine it would actually be kinda gross.)

This was my morning tea last year on my first day of school so I thought it was only fitting to bring some to my first class of the year today. Fall is my very favourite season and this tea is just synonymous with fall for me. This will be the third fall that I’ve enjoyed it and it is so lovely..warm and perfectly spiced, comforting and familiar, creamy-pumpkiny, and just the right amount of sweetness.

It took me a little while to fall in love with Pumpkin Chai. The first year I tried it, I thought it was much too weak. I’m used to a strong, bold, dark chai and this one’s a little more delicate. I like to add a little extra leaf and let it steep a bit longer to really bring out all of the flavours. I love it with a small spoon of brown sugar and milk but I had it with white sugar today since I was lazy this morning. Not quite as rich, but still pretty great.

The more I drink this, the more I enjoy it. Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor it’s beginning to have on me; bringing up memories of past falls, but regardless, I’m pretty darn smitten with this tea.

Mmm I am LOVING my caramel matcha. It is so rich and creamysmooth and satisfying! I have two more matchas on the way from Red Leaf that I can’t wait to try. Matcha addiction is working its way into full swing.

Tonight I’m having it hot with lots of milk and a touch of sugar. Reeeally helping my sweet tooth right now. I can’t wait to try an iced latte..maybe tomorrow. For those of you who put a bit matcha in your smoothies, do you just pour the sifted powder directly in the blender or do you whisk up a matcha base with water first? I’m curious to try this once my boysenberry and cheesecake matchas arrive :D

You know, this is much tastier than I expected. I didn’t think it could possibly be enjoyable with everything that’s going on in here. Pumpkin&cherries&figs&watermelon plus various leaves and petals. Oh dear. Seemed to me as if they were trying to decide between several different themes to go with while blending and then someone said “screw it, let’s dump ALLTHEFLAVOURS in!!”

When I tasted it though, it was lightly fruity and pleasant. Hum. A nice surprise! I don’t really taste many individual flavours but they do, somehow, seem to work. Not something I’d buy for myself, but I’m so glad I got to try it!

I thought I would love this when I smelled the dry leaf. It was sweet and bright and fruity scented, and strawberry rhubarb is one of my all time favourite combos. I also loved the strawberry rhubarb crumble white blend from a few years back, so this one seemed like a no brainer.

I had it iced, and felt pretty meh about the whole thing. The strawberry comes through nicely, and the hibiscus is well done as other people have said. But I don’t get a lot of rhubarb flavour and there’s this weird, sickly, almost sour dairy note that really hit me in the face on my first sip, which I can only imagine is the yogurt chips. I’ve never had a blend with them before so I can’t be positive they’re what’s causing it, but something is tasting seriously unpleasant.

The more I drank of it the less I noticed the weird taste, but it was still there lingering in the background. Too bad, I was looking forward to this. It was also much improved with some agave! I’m glad so many people are enjoying it, but I must just be the odd one out :P

I’m a little disappointed with this one, not gonna lie! Maybe because I hyped it up in my head too much. For some reason or another, it’s just not what I was hoping for or expecting.

The dry smell was pure maple for me, which was nice but a little off putting. I was expecting a buttery, bakey scent but all I could pick up was sweet maple.

Brewed up, I taste black tea and maple. Still a really enjoyable cup, but not the true pancake flavour that everyone else seems to rave about.

I think next time I’ll try a shorter steep and see if that helps bring out more of the flavouring. I’m actually sipping this as I type, and the pancake comes out a bit more as it cools. This is one I think I’d have to be in the mood for, though.

I was so happy to find my envelope from Red Leaf Tea in my mailbox yesterday afternoon. I was hoping it would come before the long weekend, and alas, it did! I was impressed at how quickly my tea shipped to Canada.

Oh boy. I’ve been wanting to try a flavoured matcha for so long, and now I’m left wondering why I waited so long! This is truly delicious, easier to prepare than I expected, and gives me a lovely natural energy boost to boot.

When I was placing my order, I was delighted to find all of the customization options. It’s really a nice touch and allows you to have your matcha exactly the way you like it. I opted for the starter grade matcha with distinctive flavouring. I was hoping to have a nice punch of caramel flavour, but I didn’t want it to cover up the sweet, grassy loveliness of the matcha itself, and that’s exactly what I got!

I love that Red Leaf’s flavourings are all natural. And the caramel is so very true to its name! A rich, buttery, dark caramel scent and taste. It really does satisfy sweet cravings in a healthy way, as advertised. It reminds me of the scents in the kitchen when I make my grandma’s special brown sugar fudge recipe. Sweet caramelized sugar with cream and a touch of butter. I am picky when it comes to caramel flavoured things but this one hits the mark!

I am quite new to matcha, and I can’t wait to experiment with making all sorts of different drinks and incorporating it into baking. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to make a decent bowl of it myself, but it is actually pretty simple to prepare. I started with a large, wide-mouthed mug, a tea strainer, and a mid-size springy whisk. Even with these less than ideal tools, I was able to make a really nice bowl of matcha! I’m thinking of investing in a bamboo whisk to make the process go a little smoother. I might just add one to my next matcha order. Can’t wait to try the cheesecake matcha! And the cotton candy, and the french vanilla, bavarian cream, boysenberry, pear, coconut..so many possibilities! But back to my preparation. I simply sifted a generous teaspoon of matcha over my mug with my tea strainer. Then I added a small amount of very hot (but not boiling) water and whisked vigorously. After it was fully dissolved and some bubbles had formed, I topped it up with more hot water. Simple as that! It’s a bit fussier than preparing a regular cup of tea, but it is SO worth it.

I tasted it plain before adding any additions. I generally like a bit of milk and sugar in my tea, and this one is no exception. But I thought I’d try it in its natural state first to get a sense of the true flavour. It was a bit too much for me straight up, probably because I’m not used to the strong flavour of matcha. It had a slight natural sweetness, which was lovely, with a smooth green tea taste. I got a nice hit of caramel at the end of the sip. I’m sure if you love drinking teas straight, you’d enjoy it this way. Adding milk and sugar really brought the caramel taste to life, completing the sweet creamy texture.

I’ve only had this matcha for a day, but I already find myself craving it. I had a cup last night in the evening, and then another cup when I woke up this morning. I was feeling a bit sluggish this afternoon so I made a bowl of matcha, and it really gave me some pep and made me smile! I can see matcha becoming a part of my daily tea lineup very quickly.

If you want to get your hands on some of this goodness, head over to Red Leaf Tea and get yourself some Caramel Matcha. It is pretty magical stuff!

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

I tried a 3 minute steep this time for my iced tea, and it was much better. Less of the cinnamon comes through, making it more of a true root beer flavour. I added just a dash of agave and that really brightened it up. I like this, but I probably won’t buy more when my 50g pouch is done. The novelty has worn off a wee bit.

Morning tea in my travel mug on the way to work! I love this one for when I’m in a rush. Especially in the mornings. It is so rich and bold for a bagged tea! Really wakes me up and puts a smile on my face. It’s not quite as good as my beloved Mayan Chocolate Chai from 52teas, but still a nice spicy cup.

Yikes! This one is just all around too much. Too much cinnamon, too much hibiscus, too many flavours going on. I’m not really sure what they were going for with this blend, but it really doesn’t work. None of the flavours really meld well together, making it a fairly confusing & unpleasant blend to sip on.

I did a little dance when I opened this one up. It smells SO sweet and sugary and a bit caramelized and just so much like cotton candy! And the scent filled up my kitchen. So I knew this was going to be good. I’m the only one in my house who drinks iced tea on a regular basis, so I didn’t want to make a full pitcher. That, and I wanted to be able to make this goodness last as long as possible! So I cheated and tore open the tea bag, poured the leaf into another container, and will be making this by the cup instead.

I also cheated by trying this hot for the first time, instead of iced! After smelling the dry leaf I knew I wouldn’t be able to wait for it to chill or cold brew. So I added a bit of milk, a touch of cream, and some sugar to my cup. Mmmm, it still smells so strongly of cotton candy after steeping! And it tastes divine. Strong black tea base followed by a smooth hit of cotton candy. It’s definitely pink cotton candy rather than blue (blue’s my favourite!) but I can overlook that due to this tea’s impossible yumminess. In comparison to the 52teas version, I find the flavouring to be a bit stronger in this one, and definitely pink cotton candy, whereas I found the other to have more of a generic cotton candy taste. I would happily drink either of them, and while they are definitely different, it would be hard to choose a favourite! Can’t wait to try it iced, as it’s supposed to be.

Thanks to tattoed_tea for sending me some of this!

I decided to try it iced first, and I think that was a good decision! The dry smell is lovely, I get a hint of chamomile, some rich, dark caramel notes, and a light fresh herbal scent that I’m guessing can be attributed to the lavender. Speaking of which, the lavender was an unexpected surprise! I love it in teas and it really adds something wonderful to this one.

I added just a dash of agave while steeping, and then put it into the fridge to chill. I really love the complex flavours going on in this! The rooibos/chamomile blend is lovely, and there is a sort of caramel sweetness to the blend, but not as strong as I would have liked. The lavender is so subtle and really just adds a little something extra and unexpected. So nice! I don’t really taste any banana though, which is a bit of a disappointment. This is still such a lovely herbal though, and I can’t wait to try it hot in the evening.

This is pretty tasty! I’d have to agree with the Tang/“orange drink” comparisons, because that’s the first flavour I noticed. Followed up with the grassy, earthy taste of the mate. I wish I could taste more of the other fruits, but the orange really seems to overtake the cup. I had it iced, and I can see myself drinking it once in a while in the summer, but it’s not as good as my beloved Honeybee as an iced mate. I think the Tang association just makes it a bit too artificial tasting for me.

I can’t imagine enjoying it hot, as I’m really not a fan of fruity teas hot, unless they’re balanced with something rich like chocolate, vanilla/cream, or nutty flavours. So I doubt this will make it into my cupboard, but the cup I had in store was enjoyable for sure!

Sipping on some hot Blueberry Jam with milk and sugar while watching some Doctor Who. It’s a pretty perfect companion. I’m still loving this blend as much as I did at first sip. It’s so fresh and sweet and fruity! Now it’s time to catch up with some tasting notes. It’s been a busy week and I’ve been a bit neglectful.

I’ve fallen out of love with this, a bit. I think next time I’ll do a 4 min steep, because at 5 min it was pretty bitter. I like my black tea to be strong, so 5 min is my standard, but this one can’t handle it. I added a bit of cream and sugar and it was drinkable.

Aside from the bitterness, I’m starting to find the nutty brittle taste a little fakey and overwhelming. I wish they had have gone for a cream note rather than the brittle to get the feeling of strawberry shortcake.

I’m almost done my packet, and I won’t be overly sad to see it go. It’s tasty, and I enjoyed it for a while, but it’s not something I’d want to drink regularly.

Uh oh. I think I’ve unleashed a new obsession. Why, whyyyy did I have to LOVE everything in my first 52teas order? It’s going to be so so hard to stop myself from going overboard. This always happens when I find an amazing new tea company (or bath product company or etsy seller or recipe collection). I convince myself that I need allthetea by sheer virtue of its deliciousness. Curse you, delicious tea, I’ve already placed a second order!

Anyway, this one. New favourite chai! Seriously. I’m always complaining in my tasting notes about chili or other spicy-based teas where the spicy factor is virtually nonexistent. Especially with chais..I want my mouth to be burning, people! There is a good amount of heat in this blend, but I wouldn’t complain if it were a tiny bit stronger. Even so, this is the spiciest chai I’ve had the pleasure of tasting, which makes me want to give Frank a high five. I like milk and sugar in my chai, which might have muted the heat just a little bit, but it still came through nicely.

The chai spices are spot on, I taste cinnamon (but not overpoweringly so), ginger, the cardamom, and they’re all in perfect balance. The almond and cacao nibs really add a little something too! Really rich and decadent tasting. I don’t taste much chocolate flavour, which is more than fine with me. I’m picky about chocolate teas, they can taste so artificial. The hint of cocoa flavour in this blend is great though, I find it just adds to the overall richness of the cup, rather than screaming chocolate. I also love that even with all this flavour going on, you can still taste the lovely black tea base in the background. Perfect!

I came home from yoga this morning to find my very first 52teas order in my mailbox! I just about squee’d right in the lobby of my building. I was expecting a longer wait to ship to Canada, but I think it was only about a week ago that I ordered. Tea surprises are the best surprises!

Of course this was the first one I wanted to get my hands on. Ever since I first read the Harry Potter series (and every time I’ve read it since then!) I’ve been dyyying to try some butterbeer. Anyone who has read the books knows how incredible the characters all make the drink sound. Found a few recipes online to make my own, but they all called for butterscotch of some sort. Blech!! I hate butterscotch and I don’t think it has any place in butterbeer, thankyouverymuch. So when I saw that Frank had come up with his own flavour concoction to try to imitate the legendary beverage, and had combined it with TEA no less, I knew I had to try some. And from what I’d read in reviews, it didn’t sound like this one would scream butterscotch.

When I first opened the packet my heart sunk a little. It smelled just like root beer. I love root beer, but I wanted it to be a note in the blend, rather than the dominant flavour. I had no reason to worry though, because once it’s steeped up, it is so perfect! I get the root beerish taste, but also the lovely creamy butteriness that everyone has been raving about. It’s so warming and complex and just delicious that I imagine this is the closest I’ll come to butterbeer heaven.

In conclusion, I’m SO glad this lived up to the hype, or else I’m pretty sure I would’ve been heartbroken :P I can’t wait to sip on this in the fall (my favourite season!) with a cozy scarf and a good book. It’s just that kind of tea!

This is probably my favourite rooibos blend. This is the first one I go for when I want a tea later in the evening. I love my caffeine, so I tend to go for black or mate blends throughout the day. But when I want something creamy and soothing at night this is perfect.

I love the combo of the sweet coconut with the herbal lavender, and they’re wonderful atop the rooibos & honeybush base. It’s delicious on its own or with a splash of milk and sugar. I’ve yet to try it iced, but I can see it being pretty decent. I will always have this on hand, better than any supposed relaxing tea I’ve tried.