Honey Ginseng

Haha I’ve got two teas going on right now because I got this for after dinner at Panera. I think I have some of the loose leaf of this from Cup of Tree that I haven’t tried yet, oops. So since this helped my boyfriend get his cinnamon cake slice for 99 cents, even better.

This is definitely honey flavored. That’s about all I taste. It’s sweet, but not cloying or anything.

Can’t wait to try it outside of a crushed up tea sachet. I hope it tastes more like green tea that way.

Oh, I really like this tea. I was not expecting to like this tea. I was expecting some kind of hibiscusy, bitter-crushed-up green tea, yucky herbal concoction. But the actual tea? It smelled like honey! Really! Like actual, from the jar, honey. And no hibiscus in sight! Along with the honey was a flowery taste, which I’m guessing is the ginseng. This tea would be any honey or sweet tea lover’s dream. I didn’t add any honey to my cup, but I’m sure this tea, with a bit of honey added, would convert any black/sweet tea drinker who thinks green tea tastes like water. This is a definite repurchase for me.

I got this yesterday as a free sample inside my ROT catalog. I figured a green would be a little gentler on my stomach (which still bothers me every day, which is why I haven’t been having much tea lately. I’ve made an appointment to find out if I have another stomach ulcer). Plus when I first started drinking tea, I didn’t like greens because of the grassiness. But I’ve seen my palate develop over these past few months, so I’m giving it another go. I really do want to like green tea. You see, I feel like I’m missing out on a whole huge part of the tea world. It’s something I want to experience, so hopefully things will be different this time.

It smells of honey and flowers. I don’t smell any grassiness. This seems like it will a gentle, soothing tea.

Hooray! It tastes like I wanted it to; floral with a touch of honey. I don’t taste grassiness, accept for a teensy bit in the aftertaste, which doesn’t bother me. Maybe my palate isn’t bothered by it anymore, or maybe this just isn’t a very grassy green. I’m going to happily finish this cup. This was my first experience with ROT, and I have been left a very happy customer!

We haven’t had water for the past day and a half so I’ve been going through tea withdrawls. So since it is back on and working now, I just wanted to make something really quick since the hockey game is on and I don’t want to miss anything (GO BLUES!). I’ve gotta admit, that was probably THE longest fight that I’ve ever seen, close to 3 minutes. But anyway… this tea…

I got my sample from the monthly ROT catalogue, and I opened the package and it smelled quite nice. I couldn’t really tell what the smell was from the package but it sure did smell sweet. Once I brewed this, I could definitely smell a honey scent, it was very sweet smelling.

Just like the smell, this tea tastes very sweet. Definitely can taste the honey in this one. I don’t get too much of a vegetal/earthy/grassy flavor of typical green teas. But this tea sure isn’t bad for a quick brew. I definitely think I could see myself buying a can of this for a quick fix of tea.

This tea would definitely go great with a tablespoon of honey or agave nectar… Definitely a great tea for someone with a sweet tooth.

Another great find in my parent’s house. The honey and green tea go so well together. I’ll have to look into other honey greens. Yum!

The Final Sipdown: Day 2[ish].3

Feeling guilty about my narcoleptic episode last night, I’m banging this one out before I leave for work.

This tea smells strongly of both honey and ginseng. Honey is something that I usually prefer as an accent to stronger flavors. [A little honey drizzled over some blue cheese? Fuggedaboutit.] However, this smells pleasant and like the kind of thing that would reek of heaven if I were ill.

The tea itself has a definite honeyed note to it, and also, apple juice. Didn’t expect that one. The finish is sweetly bitter, which I’m guessing is coming from the ginseng. Can’t taste a lick of green tea in it, though. On the breath, honey, honey, honey.

All in all, not unpleasant but I don’t find myself particularly impressed. I’m sorry, I know that I’m unsuccessfully attempting not to sound like a snot here, but reading their book is leaving me with a bitterly critical aftertaste. This is hardly the best thing that the tea world has to offer.

Anyway, it tastes as advertised but lacks finesse. I doubt I will find myself buying it, though if I come down with a cold this winter I suspect that this could be great for a sore throat and congestion; especially after adding a few drops of actual honey. The flavoring, while not medicinal in taste, seems medicinally inclined in a strange sort of way.

ETA: I should also mention that this was a free sample that came with their catalogue.

Samples Downed: 6

I got a sample of this with the catalogue, and it was quite good I must say. I mean the taste was comforting, and soothing. I don’t really taste honey, but it has a unique flavor to it that left me feeling good.

I received this as a free sample with the newest catalog! I must say it DOES smell like actual honey! I’m not a honey freak by any means so my rating won’t be out of this world based on my actual tastes. I thought the smell was more powerful than the taste. It was quite mellow which I guess is actually a good thing because I wasn’t looking for an over-the-top honey OR ginseng taste. At first I was thinking about rating this lower because it wasn’t memorable nor would I consider buying a tin of this stuff. But mixed with the green tea and the fact that I can actually drink the whole cup, I will give it an average rating…as it seems to be average all-round.

One thing I did notice is that I never took the bag out of the tumbler! It seems to be impossible to over steep…I guess that is a plus for those on the go.

So…ehhhh…it’s alright…

This is my favorite from most of the teas I’ve tried from RoT. I think its because of my sweet tooth! From the get-go, I can smell the honey. I add a tiny dab of honey or agave to this whenever I want some extra sweetness. Overall, delicious tea. It relaxes me. I can’t taste or smell the green tea leaves all too much though.

I have had a couple of sample bags of this for awhile, but haven’t tried it because it is a Chinese green. In the past, I typically have not cared for Chinese greens and I’m not sure this will be an exception. The bag prior to steeping smells very strongly of honey mixed with something else which I’m assuming is how ginseng smells. I may have let this oversteep, the bag was in the water for around 4 minutes…. The smell after brewing is very much a pleasing honey aroma and the color is a nice golden honey also. The first taste is a bit underwhelming considering the amazing aroma. I’m barely getting a honey taste though I’m mostly tasting the ginseng (I guess it is the ginseng, it sure isn’t the green tea base). Overall the tea is pleasant and light….wait….oh my, the aftertaste is a bit funky. Must be the ginseng or something. Ugh, I almost want to keep drinking this just to keep the aftertaste at bay. Okay, it probably isn’t as bad as I’m making it seem. The tea would be very good without the aftertaste though. I may have to adjust the rating after I try this steeped for a shorter length of time.

This is one of my go-to teabags for when I want and quick, easy, soothing cup. Add a tiny bit of orange blossom honey and it’s perfectly sweet. The green tea is barely there as a faint sweet grassiness. I think it’s also a fairly forgiving tea since I know Panera Bread (where I was first introduced to it) makes it scalding hot.

Got a cup of this to go as we were leaving Panera, because my throat’s been bugging me. Added some honey to it, so I don’t know how accurate my perception of the tea itself was, but it was a very sweet and soothing blend. The green tea was vegetal without being fishy, and not very strong (which is good). I think I’d try it again.

This brewed tea smells wonderful! I love honey in my tea so was very excited to try it. The smell of honey really comes thru. Unfortunately even with a touch of sugar it was severly bitter. I brewed at the recommended 3 minutes so will try steeping shorter next time and see if it helps..then try cold brewing as iced tea. I didn’t taste any honey only bitterness when drinking this tea.

Another tea I still enjoy inbag. Probably one of the first teas that made me start looking at looseleaf, this tea gives a one of a kind experience and a good focus

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag 1.8g
Additives: none
Water: hot spigot water, 1/2 mug (6 oz?)
Steep Time: a little over 1 minute
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: Mango, fruity and floral, honey
Steeped Tea Smell: Floral, something else…
Flavor: Light, weak, watery
Body: Light
Aftertaste: none
Liquor: Translucent yellow green

Free sample included in the mail order catalog they send out.

Post-Steep Additives: none

gave another 1 minute (2 total) and it got very bitter

it was not grassy though

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/republic-of-tea-teabag-green-tea-honey.html

This is another sample from the Republic of Tea’s “Experience Sampler” cube. I didn’t expect to like this as much as I do! It is a flavorful but mild green tea with just a hint of honey flavor. It smells and tastes very soothing and refreshing, and has less of the sharpness that I’ve found in some greens. Very nice.

I wanted to like this tea, there ARE green teas out there I very much enjoy. The fragrance for Honey Ginseng is lovely. It’s a little earthy, a little grassy, a little spicy and a little floral. I can definitely feel the kind of musky background note of honey in it. Steeped, it reminds me of a incredibly tame chai, but a chai mixed with flowers? I’m not so sure about this one. It’s not bad, I just don’t see myself purchasing this again in the future.

A sample of this came with the RoT catalog in the mail today. It’s a light cuppa green tea. I can taste the honey and smell the honey but not getting any ginseng. They sell this at work, so maybe I’ll try it sometime with two bags and see if I get a better cuppa. Not a bad tea, but not tasting much from it.

We have a little British Tea Shop here in the quiet corner in CT. They serve all kinds of tea from the leaf to the bag. This I tried once and was hooked. I put just the tiniest bit of honey on with it and its the perfect flavor to me. Believe it or not the added honey doesn’t make it un bearably sweet :)

Maybe I got a bad batch, but yuck!
teabags smelt horrible..but went ahead and brewed. BIG mistake, the smell almost was too much for me, but I did manage a sip before I emptied my pot apologizing all the while for making such a horrible tea in her.