618 Tasting Notes
After I had read all of these raving reviews for Red Leaf’s matcha, I knew that I had to try one to see what the buzz was all about! Matcha, in general, has been on my shopping list for a while. I had wanted to try plain old matcha, black matcha and red matcha. After seeing these flavors and the different matcha options, I knew that now was the time to try a flavored red matcha!
If you’ve followed me for a while here on Steepster, you’ll probably know that while I do enjoy green, white and black teas, my main love of tea sits with oolong and the herbal rooibos. There have been a few rooibos teas that I’ve tried and that have tasted far too much like medicine (those teas leave me hesitant to try rooibos from new places). The kind of rooibos I like is creamy, almost with a hint of vanilla, rich and with a little bit of that drying wood flavor.
I ordered a small size of the French vanilla matcha with a red matcha base. The flavor strength I picked was “robust” – I like my tea to be with LOTS of flavor! When I opened the packet, I noticed that it didn’t smell much like rooibos. The scent actually reminded me a little bit of those pina colada LifeSavers. It wasn’t too powerful… but was actually a little bit muted.
When the hot water hit the matcha, that’s when the rooibos scent really came to life. Wood with just a little bit of sweetness! Sipping now… the rooibos isn’t as strong as I expected, but it’s smooth and sweet. It’s nice, but lacks a lot of dimension.
What I find to be most strange is that I do not taste any French vanilla. It seems like all of the flavor is in the actual texture and finish of the tea. I suppose I get some sort of creaminess during the actual sip itself… there is a little bit of a sweet flavor that fades quickly at the end… but it doesn’t scream vanilla to me. Hmm.. this makes me a little bit sad.
This matcha isn’t bad, but I was expecting so much more. Maybe I picked the wrong matcha base for this particular flavor or maybe the red matcha is just a little bit stronger…? I do want to try more matcha in the future, but maybe a different flavor and base.
If you are interested in trying this matcha, here is the link to purchase: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/french-vanilla-matcha.html
The scent of this tea is incredible! It’s all about peaches… still fuzzy, very ripe, juicy (maybe sweetened) peaches! P-E-A-C-H-E-S. Really, I feel like I’m sitting in a nice bin of plump peachy fruit! There is a bit of green oolong in the background, but that doesn’t overshadow the fruit at all.
The taste is a tiny bit disappointing. It’s not that the peach isn’t there, it’s just that the scent had me expecting that I would be bombarded with it. The peach is more in the background and the oolong pulls to the front. The oolong is rich and full – tasty on its own. I find that most of the peach is at the end of the sip. The finish is juicy, sweet and tart just like the real fruit!
What I also enjoy about this tea is that it seems to be natural and clean. It doesn’t seem artificial in the slightest. Thank you Will Work For Tea for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this tea! I’ll have to place an order with Lupicia soon!
Preparation
This tea smells brilliant! It’s mostly graham cracker that I smell, but I detect the tea base that kind of morphs into this delicate chocolate note. Sipping… there is definitely more flavor in the aftertaste than in the actual sip itself. The finish is graham cracker… spot on! I’m not tasting much chocolate or marshmallow, but I’m very impressed that a slightly sweet graham cracker can be tasted in a tea! Yes! The rest of the sip is uneventful, but smooth. Really I’m just drinking it for that crumbly, honeyed aftertaste.
Big thanks to Indigobloom for sharing some of this tea with me. I’m thrilled that I got to try it! It’s the perfect, comforting tea that I need this evening.
Preparation
I was a little nervous before taking a sip because the scent is a little strange. I’ve had weird experiences with banana teas — usually they end up tasting like banana runts, completely artificial and overwhelming. It doesn’t have the best smell, but the taste is another story! This tea is creamy and sweet. I love that the banana doesn’t overwhelm the cup, but that you can actually taste the oolong in the background. The first thing I taste is the banana (not terribly heavy, but still present) followed closely by the oolong. The finish reminds me of big banana leaves with little flowers — smooth, bright and creamy. This is a very yummy and refreshing cup of tea!
The rest of my weekend is filled with a bunch of studying for a big exam on Monday. This cup of tea is keeping me company while I work! The dry leaf smells incredible… a deep berry scent. It’s really beautiful and reminds me of something from my childhood. The fruit flavors are not overwhelming and mix nicely with the light tea base. There is a bit of a tart finish. I’m not sure if this is from the fruit or the tea leaves… but I don’t mind. This is refreshing and sweet! It’s a gorgeous tea that is just perfect for a summer night!
Preparation
This tea is refreshing, clean and sweet. It pairs perfectly with the pouring rain this afternoon. I need something bright! It’s very floral (I’m always terrible with identifying specific flowers) and more astringent than I expected. I wish there were more buttery notes.. in fact, I can’t really taste any in this cup. It’s nice, but there are other oolongs that are smoother and more enjoyable for me.
Mmmm. It’s raining this evening and that means that I can FINALLY have a cup of hot tea! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Paris blend! Many thanks to Will Work For Tea for sending me some in a swap! The tea is sweet with just the slightest bit of astringency. I am reminded of berries with a dash of sugar. Lovely, sweet and rich.
I haven’t been drinking too much hot tea lately because of the hot weather, but today was just a little bit cooler. I wanted a tea without caffeine as I have an early morning tomorrow and this one seemed like a good choice. I think that this is my favorite basic vanilla rooibos tea. It’s very easy to find at the store and I don’t have to pay any expensive shipping as a result. A good cup!
[Backlog] – I’ve had this tea quite a few times now (iced more often than hot). I think it’s best when it’s sweetened and iced. Without sweetener, it’s not all that special — tart & lacking a deep kind of flavor. It’s not a spectacular tea, but it’s actually one of the only Tazo teas I like. I might have to buy more of this tea to ice now that the weather is getting hotter.
First Steep: Color is a bit like a glass of white wine. This is smooth and very bright. The primary flavor is floral, but it’s paired very nicely with a clean and fresh note. There is a very faint sweetness towards the end of the sip. Yummy!
Second Steep: Darker yellow with more of a buttery scent. It’s not overwhelmingly buttery, but it’s definitely present. Floral notes are heavier as well.
Third Steep: Buttery scent has disappeared and now it’s all about those floral smells! Smooth, but more astringent. I imagine a big, fluffy flower that unfolds with each sip.
Fourth Steep: I’m not getting a large difference from my last cup. It feels a little bit heavier on the tongue, but otherwise I am just tasting mellow floral notes.
This is a nice oolong tea to have when you aren’t craving something more specific. It’s enjoyable… I wouldn’t go out of my way for this tea, however. There are other oolongs that I like more, but this hit the spot this afternoon.
