K-cups Review: Celestial Seasonings English Breakfast Black Tea

So, this one's the first Celestial Seasonings K-cup I'm reviewing, but not the first one I've tried.  Now, there's a reason for this, but that's going to be in the actual review.  Now, Celestial Seasonings is not my favorite mainstream company, they just have a certain niche making interesting fruit and herbal flavors.  I'm honestly not a big fan of their plain teas since you can get a much higher quality at a much better price, but I have like 7 of these K-cups so might as well try one out.

Also, one of my baby kittens (Otto) is sleeping on me, making me type in a weird angle.  I'd take a picture but it would require me waking him up.  Still, it's pretty cute.  

Outsides:  It's a fairly standard K-cup that makes a very dark tea.  It smells...meh.  It basically smells like a cheap black tea.

Insides:  I took the first sip and thought "Dear god, this is bitter".  On the second sip, "Ugh, is it really this bad?"  Third sip, "Yeah, it's that bad."  This is, quite possibly, the worst tea I have ever had.  It's undrinkable bitter and yet, there's very little tea flavor.  I will say that it's SLIGHTLY more bearable cold, but that's only because I didn't dump it last night.  It's just awful and I can't believe a company would put out a product this bad.

Overall:  I have seven of these and I have no idea what to do with them (although the kittens like playing with them and they kinda make reasonable cat toys).  No, don't buy these.  Don't buy these for anyone as a gift, don't buy them for yourself.  Just stay away!

My Rating:  STAY AWAY!    

K-cup Reviews: Wolfgang Puck Creme Caramel

 

The 35 pack had a ton of Wolfgang Puck (in fact, the two it didn't include are the two I already have).  I was a little confused as to what the Creme Caramel is.  Is it supposed to be normal coffee or something like that Cafe Caramel?   Anyway, I (usually) like caramel and the few WP coffees I've tried have been good.

Outsides:  Your standard K-cup.  Whenever it brews, it's not as pungent as the Breakfast in Bed, but it does give off a nice sweet smell.

Insides:  One of the nice things about this is the balance between the caramel flavor and the coffee base.  It's not a very strong coffee base, but it's still rich and has a nice sweet, roasty flavor to it.  The caramel flavor isn't overpowering or fake tasting.  It's a flavored light roast, but tastes like real coffee as opposed to some of the gimmicky concoctions Keurig has.

Overall:  It's a pretty solid light caramel flavored coffee.  Try it out!

My rating:  Try it!  "Caramel Flavored Single Cup Coffee Pod (Pack of 18)"

K-cup reviews: Coffee People's Doughnut shop Decaf

I work two jobs, one at Big Lots and another at the university health sciences library.  It's been a bit of a rough week for me since I had a good 26 hours at one job and 20 hours at another, but that means extra money that I need and can use to help pay for my school.  But there are hard days and sometimes, you just want to enjoy a nice hot beverage.  Sometimes it's tea, sometimes it's coffee.  I was really in the mood for coffee but had to wake up at 7 in order to get to my other job so as exciting as that 35 pack was, I had to pick the one decaf I had.   

Outsides:  A normal K-cup.  This is one of those K-cups that actually smells nice while it's brewing.  

Insides:  So, this tastes pretty much how you'd want a doughnut shop coffee to taste.  It focuses more on the sweet, mild flavors of coffee but is still rich and slightly fragrant.  I actually think this is a pretty satisfying cup of coffee, especially with a pastry.  Plus, I wasn't up until four in the morning when I drank it. 

Overall:  If you like the original Coffee People Doughnut Shop coffee, you'll like this one.  Heck, if you like doughnut house blends like Duncan Doughnuts or Panera, you'll like this.  Plus, no caffeine, so you can drink it late at night or while pregnant or give it to your kids!

My Rating:  Buy it!  Keurig K-Cup Portion Pack Coffee People Original Donut Shop Decaf

K-cup Review: Celestial Seasonings iced Raspberry Black Tea

Yes, there is another.  I just ordered a 35 K-cup Variety Pack and one day later, I got it.  It's actually a really nice pack and surprisingly only contains about 5 K-cups I've tried already, but I'll write more on that later.  Raspberry Tea can be a tricky thing.  It's a sweet and rich flavor and can easily overpower.  Most of the time, tea has either way too much or way too little of the flavor.  When it's done right, raspberry tea can be fantastic, but it usually isn't.

Outsides:  Your standard K-cup.  It makes a dark iced tea that has a slight smell of sweet raspberry.  It doesn't come off as acidic like some raspberry iced teas do.

Insides:  Okay, here are some good things.  The raspberry flavor is very nice.  It actually tastes natural; slightly sweet and fragrant with a little bit of tang.  The tea is sweetened but not very much.  It's still quite strong after you put ice in it.  But you know what ruins it?  The actual tea and the absurd bitterness that comes with it.  Here's the thing:  There's a tea technique called rinsing in which you warm the teaware and tea leaves with a bit of water for about 5 to 15 seconds (I see the time vary, but that's not important right now), dump that water out, then proceed to brew.  This gets rid of a lot of the nasty bitterness.  Well, Keurigs really should have a tea setting because that would probably help this tea a lot.  Everything else is great, but the base makes it barely drinkable.

Overall:  I don't know what to do about this drink.  You can drink it and enjoy it for the first 2 seconds, but then you have to chase it with water or something.  I'm going to give it a try/pass because maybe I'm brewing it wrong and honestly, the raspberry flavoring, sweetness and overall strength is very nice.  Make up your own mind about this.

My Rating:  Try/Pass.  This isn't the sampler I got, but I do really like this company:  Crazy Cups Tea Sampler

K-cup reviews: Caribou Coffee Obsidian

Yesterday, I ordered a 35 variety pack of K-cups that SHOULD all be different as well as a 22 pack tea sampler.  I can't really help but brag since I got those two items as well as a 2-disk copy of the Dark Knight and an HDMI cable for 27 dollars (through a mixture of me getting free prime shipping for 6 months and forgetting that I had a 12 dollar credit left over).  The company I got the variety pack from is called Crazy Cups and hopefully, they deliver on their promises.  I did get this so I'd have a bigger variety of things to review but honestly, there's a lot of K-cup flavors I want to try but the big packs are expensive.  Most of the ones I review end up being good, but a lot of times, I buy by a trusted brand and things that don't look completely gimmicky.  Hopefully, the variety pack will bring some good and bad K-cups to light.

Anyway, I've heard a lot of good things about Obsidian.  I've seen it on a lot of best K-cups lists and it's a bit strange that it's discontinued (although Caribou has a Columbian blend that I'm assuming is similar).  Obviously, it's supposed to be dark and bold, which is saying a lot because normal Caribou Blend is quite bold.  Let's see how this is.

Outsides:  Your normal K-cup.  The coffee does give off a nice scent when brewed, a mixtures of sweetness and acidity.  When in the cup, it smells like a sweet, fruity-smelling dark roast.

Insides:  So, this coffee is very robust.  It tastes almost woody and a bit smoky, but isn't as strong as the Caribou blend in terms of the barbaque taste.  There's this acidic taste at the end, but it isn't overpowering and adds a bit of depth.  The sweetness seems to be more in scent than in the flavor because the coffee is rich, dark and almost savory.  This is definitely a "man" coffee.    

Overall:  So, I like this better than the Caribou Blend and it's definitely one of the more complex coffees available in a k-cup.  It's not for everyone but if you like dark roasts or manly coffee, this is definitely worth it. 

My Rating:  Buy it!  Unfortunately, it looks like it's discontinued but if you see the Columbian Blend, that's probably the closest one to it.  

TasTEA Time! Oishi Green Tea with Honey and Lemon

It's summer, meaning it's hot and I want to buy iced tea more than usual.  Today, I bought three different iced teas (Lipton Pomegranate Blueberry, Sweet Leaf Diet Original and this) and really, the only reason I bought this one was because I was curious.  I stopped by the Oriental Market today because I needed to get some fresh produce and it was by my work (and cheap with produce) and of course, the first two stops I make are in the tea isle and the drink isle.  Nothing looked too interesting in the teas but I really like these bottled green teas.  I haven't tried Oishi before but hopefully this one's good.

Outsides:  This tea is in a plastic bottle and is a lovely gold color.  It smells warm and citrusy.

Insides:  The first taste that hits your buds are the honey and the lemon, making this taste a bit like a Ricola, but not in a bad way.  It's a little strange because the honey makes this smell very sweet but it's only about as sweet as the Pure Leaf.  Maybe it's because of the lemon, which is also strong and bright.  It goes down very smooth and the tea is a better quality than what the price suggests.

Overall:  I really like this.  I saw other flavors of Oishi and this tea really makes me want to try the others.  If you like sweet green tea that still has a flavor past sugar, give this one a try.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Well, I can't find a real website, but um...here's this Youtube video.

K-cup Review: Newman's Own Extra Bold Special Blend

First off, Newman's Own makes some amazing cookies.  I love Oreos and all, but these taste like homebaked cookies and that puts them above anything.  They're also Fair-Trade and Organic Certified, wo theoretically you can feel good buying them.  Other than that, apparently, this is extra bold.  I guess that's cool.

Outsides:  Normal K-cup.  It's dark and it actually smells very nice.  Kinda sweet, a little smoky, all the good things about coffee.

Insides:  I would consider this coffee bold but not extra bold.  It's thick and slightly sweet with a slight acidic finish.  There's really not much to say, I mean, it's good coffee.  

Overall:  If you want a feel-good alternative to your normal dark roast, this one's pretty good.  

My Rating:  Try it!  You can purchase it here:  Keurig K-Cup 18-Pk. Newman's Own Extra Bold Coffee

K-cup reviews: Green Mountain Coffee Iced Nantucket Blend

So, this is the last of the Brew Over Ice samples I got.  I'm pretty confident about this one because it's just plain coffee.  I mean, you can screw up flavorings but Green Mountain Coffee Nantucket Blend is pretty solid.  Hopefully the iced version will taste similar to the original.  

Outsides:  It's your average K-cup.  It looks like normal coffee and smells like a slightly more acidic version of the original.

Insides:  It's not bad.  The coffee was probably put in at double strength and holds well with ice and cream.  It is a little more bitter and acidic, but not really to the point of hindering the taste experience.  Like the original, the coffee is a little smokey, a little sweet and a generally nice medium roast.  

Overall:  Just to recap, you should avoid the Vanilla Iced Coffee and Ice Sweet Tea but should try the Iced Half and Half and Iced Nantucket Blend.  It's not amazing, but it's good for an iced coffee fix.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's a link:  Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Gourmet Single Cup Coffee Nantucket Blend Iced Coffee Green Mountain Coffee 12 K-Cups

K-cup Reviews: Green Mountain Breakfast Blend

Ok Green Mountain, I'm back here reviewing something that isn't iced.  Breakfast Blends are supposed to be more mild than regular coffee and this particular one is a light roast (I've seen others that are medium roasts).  In my experience, they also tend to be sweeter and appeal more to people who aren't really coffee snobs (no offense to people who are).  Let's see how this one is.

Ousides:  Your average K-cup.  It's still dark and it's a lighter, sweeter smelling coffee than the Nantucket.

Insides:   The coffee is light and sweet but not as robust as I would like it.  My amount of cream practically overwhelms the flavor.  However, it does taste like normal, drip-brewed coffee and is still more robust than a lot of the light-roasts I've had on the Keurig.  When I say it's not as robust as I would have liked, that's a personal preference and honestly, this is still a pretty good coffee.  It's not that complex, just a little sweet and would be good for people who like more mild roasts.

Overall:  I'd say try it out.  It's not my thing but it's still a decent quality coffee.  Check it out.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's a site:  Keurig K-Cup 18-Pk. Green Mountain Coffee Breakfast Blend Coffee

TasTEA Time! Snapple Papaya Mango Tea

Oh Snapple, you and your limited editions.  Brett Michels has a tea made after him and apparently, so does the Amazing Race India.  But, this one has papaya and mango so I'm perfectly willing to buy a discounted case.  Now, I don't think Snapple is the best bottled iced tea (I can think of at least 5 companies that are better), but they're usually inexpensive and have a pretty decent quality product.  My biggest problem is that to me, their black teas are too sweet and strong.  But hopefully this one will be good.

Outsies:  This one has a nice festive bottle.  The tea is dark and it smells fruity and tropical.  

Insides:  I was pleasantly surprised at the non-attack of sugar.  The mango flavor is strong with this one and I think they put a little less tea.  It's still strong black tea, but the fruit flavors take front stage and really, I'm ok with that.  Looking at the back, they seemed to have cut back a little with the sugar (This one's 150 calories as opposed to 170-180).  I actually really like it and hopefully, can buy another discounted case.

Overall:  It's nice, fruity and an all around good summer treat.  Unfortunately, you can only find these in discount stores, but the newest batch isn't expired yet and I got a 6-pack for 3 dollars.  So yeah, buy it for that much.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site:  Snapple

TasTEA Time! Tea Fortè Honey Yuzu

So for those of you wondering what a Yuzu is, it's a citrus fruit.  That's really all I can tell you about them.  Anyway, this is my last Tea Forte sample.  I'm not particularly excited about it despite never having tried a yuzu before.  Maybe this one will renew my opinion on them.

Outsides:  Well, it's in a nice plastic wrapped sachet.  It's a normal green tea color but smells interesting.  It's a sweet citrus scent with a hint of spices, like a citrus scone or other desert.  

Insides:  The tea is that same "it should be better for the price" quality but the aroma is very nice to drink in. It brings a hint of sweetness and zestyness and is a nice tea for eating cookies with.  In fact, the tea itself reminds me of a biscotti.  Other than the scent, this is a bit boring.  

Overall:  This one's not bad but it's far from amazing.  I suppose if you want nice skin, try this and the Cherry Marzipan, but don't get the big pack.  This one's my second favorite of the three samples I've tried.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Tea Forte Honey Yuzu

K-cup reviews: Celestial Seasonings Iced Half and Half

I don't get Half and Halfs (half-lemonade, half-iced tea).  It's become this new fad and to me at least, usually just tastes like weak lemon tea.  Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing and it does show that people like their black tea a little less strong once in a while, but it's not something I personally go and seek out.   Now, these brew over ice K-cups...they haven't made a good impression on me.  I actually have a little hope for this one because at least the tea shouldn't be as strong and terrible and the lemon should hide it even more.  Still, this is only speculation.

As I said with the other Brew Over Ice varieties, my Keurig doesn't have a Brew Over Ice button so I just brewed it on the 8-9 oz setting, let it sit for like 10 minutes and added some ice.  

Outsides:  Your average K-cup.  It's slightly lighter than the black tea.  The thing about the smell is, you can still smell this pretty bad quality of black tea, but it's masked by the lemon.  Like, completely obliterated and overpowered.  

Insides:  So, I'm not saying this one's great, but so far it's the best of the bunch.  The tea flavoring is masked pretty well by the lemon and although the drink is a bit sour and bitter, it's not to the point of being undrinkable.  Also, it's sweetened pretty well, bot being overly sweet but still being sweet.  It's not amazing, but it's enjoyable if you want some quick beverage.

Overall:  I don't think this is the best thing since sliced bread, but it is the only Brew Over Ice thing I've tried that didn't force me to dump the rest of the drink down the drain.  If you want some Keurig Iced tea, get this one.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's a link:  Keurig K-Cup Celestial Seasonings Perfect Iced Tea, Half and Half

TasTEA Time! Teavana's Blueberry Bliss Rooibos Tea

Ok, so I wanted to review this before my trip and now I feel like I have to because A) the last few things I've reviewed have been awful and B)  I'm almost done with this blend.  This is the first tea I've bought from Teavana and I have to say, that place is expensive.  I know that I'm supposed to mix this blend with something else but you know what?  I don't care.  Plus, I love blueberry tea and have never tried green Rooibos before (it's supposed to be a more mild version of the red).  

Outsides:  Unlike pretty much all of the other teas I've reviewed, this one doesn't come in a container (unless you count a paper bag as a container).  If you don't have a local tea shop where you can buy loose-leaf blends, it's kinda cool that you can pick the amount you get.  Anyway, the smell is....AMAZING!!!  It's so sweet and blueberry-ish and just fills your room with sunshine and happiness.  It's kind of a darker pinkish-redish color.

Insides:  This, to me, is a good example of a tea that's expensive but worth it's money.  The blueberry flavor and scent is strong and it's almost like drinking a juice, resulting in something that can (if you want) be reduced to make a strongly-flavored iced tea.  There are other flavors mixed in, like hibiscus and the green rooibos makes a good non-bitter but not too heavy blend.  

Overall:  I think this tea is a good crowd-pleaser.  For loose-leaf, it is a bit pricy for 6.95 for 2 oz, but it's fruity and fun and doesn't disappoint.  I would buy it again as a gift for myself.

My Rating:  Buy!  Here's the site:  Teavana

TasTEA Time! Tea Forté Cucumber Mint Green Tea

The second of the free samples I've received, this is the most interesting one.  For one thing, how exactly do you incorporate cucumber into tea?  However, this tea is for youth recovery and has the added ingredient of blueberries to increase the amount of antioxidants within the tea.  

An interesting note from Alex from RateTea.com/fellow Blogger:  Tea Forte actually lists the country and region origin of the tea they use.  To me, this doesn't justify the price especially for the quality they provide, but it is pretty neat and I'd love to see other companies follow this model.  

Outsides:  The individual sachet is packaged in a plastic/cellophane material.  It's your average gold green tea color and smells slightly like vodka.  I'm assuming that this is because the blueberry and mint mixed together in such a way, but it's still pretty strange.

Insides:  Well, the mint only lends a little to the flavor.  I feel as though this tea was made only for people who want nice skin as opposed to people who want an interesting flavor.  It's not a terrible quality tea, just not what the retail price suggests it should be.  The flavor combination is interesting but is more noticeable in the smell than the taste.  There is only a hint of the mint and no other real flavor.

Overall:  Wow, today is not a good tea day.  It's not that I consider this tea bad and for all I know, this could make my 23 year old skin look like 18 year old skin, but I just judge these things on taste and this one is pretty....meh.  It's not exciting, it's only interesting because of the smell and if you want good green tea, you can get something cheaper than this.

My Rating:  Pass (unless you want more youthful skin):  Here's the site:  Tea Forte.  

TasTEA Time! Snapple Berry Herbal Tea

So, Snapple doesn't make tea-bags anymore, but they used to.  I actually like Snapple since it's cheap, they have fun flavors and their tea is generally pretty good.  It's not top-quality by any means, but it's enjoyable if you like fruity tea.  Also, I'm a huge fan of berry tea.  I am going to warn you that this is old tea so the flavor is probably going to be impacted, but it was inside a cellophane sealed box, so hopefully it isn't too bad.  

Outsides:  It's a paper wrapped sachet.  The tea is dark and purple colored with the smell of strawberries and blueberries.

Insides:  I think at one time, this was a nice herbal tea.  The berry flavor is still strong and you taste a few herbs in there.  But this is old tea and you can tell it's old tea.  Whatever tea background was there has only a hint of flavor left.  There's something that tastes like licorice and doesn't go too well with the berry flavor.  But still, it's not the worst old tea I've had.

Overall:  This one wasn't my favorite of the Snapple tea bags, but it's not terribly bad.  Honestly, I'd kinda like Snapple to bring these tea bags back.  Still, if you see someone selling this on eBay or something, don't buy it.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the Snapple site:  Snapple inc.  

K-cup Reviews: celestial Seasonings southern sweet black iced tea

Oh goodie, we have another Brew Over Ice...thing.  I figured I'd try a tea this time and in general, I like Celestial Seasonings.  The quality of the tea isn't the best but they really excel in their flavorings and offering a great variety.  Plus, their normal tea makes great iced tea.  Now, I'm not the biggest fan of sweet tea and I'm curious whether this variety is sweetened or unsweetened (the K-cup feels like it's full of powder or grans), but I'm willing to give it a try.

Like the other Brew Over Ice variety, I brewed it, waited for the liquid to cool and then added the ice.

Outsides:  It's your fairly standard K-cup.  The outside is a dark black tea that smells like tea that I don't really want to drink.  It smells like tea you'd get from someone who doesn't know how to brew good tea, full of chemicals and like it's just too strong.  

Insides:  First off, it is slightly sweetened.  To me, it's sweetened pretty perfectly, still being sweet but not overpowering or syrupy.  Now, the tea part is awful.  It's bitter, as in all I can really taste is the sugar and bitter.  The tea is a blend of Assam and the dumpster.  It does have a bit of fragrence to it, but this is not something anybody who's tried decent tea would drink.  Oh, and it's like 60 cents to make a CUP of this.  A SMALL CUP!  Most people can make at least a pitcher full of sweet tea with that money.

Overall:  Now, I've had sweet tea that was too sweet and could still tell was quality tea.  This isn't TOO sweet and I can tell that it's crap.  You know what, save your money from getting these K-cups and make your own put of sweet tea.  Use Lipton Tea Bags or  Seasonings if you want.  It'll be better than this.

My Rating;  Pass.  Here's the Link:  Keurig K-Cup Celestial Seasonings Southern Sweet Iced Tea, 16-Pack

TasTEA Time! Tea forte cherry marzipan

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I was on vacation visiting my boyfriend on the other side of Pennsylvania and just didn't really bring that much to blog about.  However, I have an iDevice now that can take pictures!  I don't understand why Blogger doesn't have an iPad app, but no matter.

I got this tea as a free sample along with Cucumber Mint and Honey Yucca.  I seriously doubt that this tastes like marzipan, but I thought the flavor combinations are interesting.  This is supposed to help with corrective repair of the skin, but I feel like the company is just trying to cash in on the fact that all green tea is full of antioxidents and can help with skin.  Anyway, let's try our first Tea Forte tea.

Outsides:  The sachet is in a nice elegant plastic bag.  It looks like an average green tea and smells slightly like cherries.  Real cherries.  

Insides:  Green tea spiked with a nice cherry flavor and a hint of almond is the best way I can think to describe this.  The green tea is warm and slightly sweet, but it really goes well with the cherry flavor.  The almond flavor is subtle, but still noticeable and goes well with the cherry.   Overall, I think this is a nice tea.

Overall:  This tea isn't amazing, especially for the price they ask for it, but it's good and I recommend people check it out if they can still get a free sample.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Tea Forte Skin Smart.

TasTEA Time! Lipton Green Tea with Orange, Passionfruit and Jasmine

Alright, we have the final tea in the Lipton Green Tea sample box.  I saved this one for last because Orange, Passion Fruit and Jasmine sounds like it would be the best of the bunch (however, I'm probably going to be proven wrong) and I like tropical flavors like passionfruit. 

Outsides:  Your standard Lipton bag.  It looks like a slightly darker version of the normal green tea and smells like orange. 

Insides:  Eh, it's not bad.  Definitely has one of the better balances in the bunch, although I wish it had more passionfruit flavor.  The orange and jasmine actually go really well together, making this sweet and bright, floral and fruit combination.  However, you can still taste the green tea through all of this, making this a nice tea as opposed to lemon drink with some tea flavoring in it.  I guess this and the Honey green tea are my favorites, and this would be a crowd-pleasing iced tea.

Overall:  If you see a bunch of different Lipton Green Teas and feel the need to have one, this is a good choice to make.  It's slightly fruity, has a little dimension and a good amount of balance and is just a nice tea to drink.  It's not good enough (for me at least) to justify buying on its own, but if you feel like something bright with a hint of tropical flavor, then check this one out. 

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Lipton Home

Summary of the box:  Overall, I think most of the teas were a good value for the money.  Oh sure, none of them were outright amazing, but if you want to try a few different flavors to see what they're like or want to get someone a cheap box of green tea to amuse themselves with for a few days, this isn't the worst one you could get.  I personally liked the Honey and OPJ the best while I found the berry to be terrible.  Personal opinion aside, I think you should get the mint if only for those people who get tummy aches.  I still don't care that much about Lipton's tea, but I'm a snob and I'll admit to it. 

Also, now i have to find other tea sampler sets.  Preferably cheap ones that are widely available. 

Review: 5-Hour Energy Pomegranate Flavor

This is for the people who don't care for coffee or tea.  I know you exist out there, and I'll admit that I think you all live a sad life.  How do your get your daily intake of caffeine (Note:  I am fully aware that caffeine does not have a daily requirement)?  Well, I won't exclude you anymore, or at least for this post I won't.  I know some of you don't drink energy drinks and some of you do, I personally don't blame you for not drinking energy drinks (most of the time, they're awful).  But 5 hour energy is for everyone!  It's quick, shouldn't be too painless and is supposed to give you energy.

Outsides:  I like the cute little bottle.  I mean, as much as I like my big honking cup of whatever, I think these are incredibly convenient and a nice thing to keep on hand in case of energy crisis.  The liquid inside seems thick and is a lovely pink color.

Insides:  First off, this is not a sipping drink.  Much like the alcoholic version, 5-hour Energy shots are supposed to be swigged and possibly drunk with a chaser (mine is the next thing I'm reviewing).  That being said, it's not bad.  The pomegranate flavor actually tastes like pomegranate, putting it above 75% of other pomegranate-flavored drinks.  It does have a LOT of artificial sweetener and a lingering aftertaste, but it isn't the worst aftertaste and I'll refer you to the point I made about this being a shot and you possibly needing a water chaser.  Other than that, it didn't really give me energy at first but after eating something, I do feel more energized (although maybe it was the food?). 

Overall:  It's ok.  I'd try this flavor since it's pretty solid and honestly, I've had worse energy shots.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  5 hour Energy Home

K-cup Review: Timothy's Decaf Columbian

You know, I keep avoiding decaf coffees.  It's not that I find them bad, I just always figued that coffee = caffeine and that was the end of it.  But today after work, I really wanted a cup of coffee.  Normally, I wouldn't care whether it had caffeine or not, but I have to wake up at 7 to go back to my job so staying up until 3 would cause me to have a bad time.  Timothy's is the same brand responsible for the Kahlua coffee, so it would be interesting to see how they handle dark roasts.

Outsides:  A blue K-cup but nothing out of the ordinary.  The coffee is dark and actually smells very smokey and rich, which is a good sign.

Insides:  I am going to preface this by telling you two things that may have affected the taste of this without being the coffee's fault.  1)  My machine stalled.  Occasionally, my machine will not spit out coffee like it's supposed to and will store extra water in it's container or something.  This normally doesn't effect the taste unless it adds the extra water, but I think I replaced the cup in time to prevent that.  2)  I only have non-dairy creamer.  Like, powder creamer.  It works great for tea but I prefer using half-and-half for coffee.

That all being said, this tastes really acidic to me.  Oh, it's slightly smokey and actually pretty sweet, but it also tastes like someone added some lemon juice to the coffee.  I know some people like coffee like this (Starbucks has a business selling it) but I prefer sweet or smokey flavors over the harsh flavor of acid.  But you know what, this is in every sample pack they put out for the Keurig.  Try it for yourself because maybe I screwed up.

Overall:  I don't care for it.  I drank it and maybe it's my fault it tastes so awful, but I don't recommend getting this.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the site:  Timothy's

TasTEA Time! Lipton Green Tea with Mint

Only two more Lipton Green Teas to go!  Much like lemon, mint tends to overpower the tea that it's mixed in with.  However, mint doesn't change the flavor of the tea as much so to me, it's a bit better as a mixer.

Outsides:  It's in the standard Lipton bags.  The tea is your average tea color and smells sweet and minty.

Insides:  It's just a nice, minty tea.  I can't exactly say that it's revolutionary, but the sweetness of the mint goes well with the tea.  The mint IS a bit overpowering to the balance, so if you're expecting a strong green tea flavor, you'll be disappointed.  But it's actually quite nice cold and seems pretty vesitile.  It's not very multi-dimensional but sometimes, simplicity is ok. 

Overall:  I think this is my second favorite Lipton green tea (after the "honey").  it's simple, sweet and refreshing.  Also, the green tea would be gentler on the stomach than the black one, so if you have a choice then get this one.

My Rating;  Buy it (I think I gave the honey a try, but honestly, I think this is just a solid mint tea).
Here's the website:  Lipton Tea Home

K-cup Reviews: Cafe Escapes Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa

That's right.  Two in a row!  I don't normally drink 2 cups of hot chocolate on the same day, but I'll consider one my desert.  I also felt the need to do a back to back with the Grove Square because...well, you should know which one makes the better cocoa.

Outsides:  A standard K-cup making a slightly darker than normal hot cocoa.

Insides:  Ok, the Cafe Escapes Hot Chocolate is not quite as sweet as the Grove Square and a little more chocolaty, but it tastes like it has artificial sweeteners when I don't think it does.  It's more of an aftertaste but  you don't get that with normal hot cocoa.  This is a bit sad because it's actually pretty good until that.

Overall:  Honestly, what's wrong with just using your Keurig to brew 8 oz of water and mixing a packet of hot chocolate in it?  It's gonna be cheaper than this stuff.  It's gonna be better than this stuff.  So yeah, don't buy it.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the GM affiliated site:  Cafe Escapes

K-cup Reviews: Grove Square Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa

I kinda think hot cocoa K-cups are a waste of money.  For one thing, it takes the same amount of time using an electric kettle as it does the Keurig.  Even a microwave takes what, a minute and a half.  And then really the only work you do is stir.  Now, I guess you can get these for the office for that one person who doesn't like coffee or for teh childrens, but to me, personal use of these seems a bit silly.

Outsides:  Your standard K-cup except it's brown!  It looks and smells like normal hot cocoa.

Insides:  Ok, this one isn't bad.  It's rich, chocolaty and sweet, plus it isn't too fake tasting.  From what I remember, this is better than the Cafe Escapes milk chocolate one (I'll review it next to make sure) in that it tastes like appropriate hot chocolate.

Overall:  If you feel like you need some hot chocolate, whether it be for your office or kids or even just something to pop in, this one's not a bad choice.  Plus it's cheaper than the Cafe Escapes.

My Rating:  Try it!  This brand's interesting in that it doesn't have a Green Mountain Affiliated site, but you can easily find them at Sams Club and here's the holiday pack on Amazon.

TasTEA Time! Choicest Golden Dragon China Green Tea

See that title.  I have no idea if that's right.  I do know that Golden Dragon Choicest Tea is distributed by Blooming Imports in Brooklyn, NY.  Normally, these things have a description of the region or type of process they used to make the tea.  Nothing.  However, this seems to be pretty common in the Oriental Markets around here and I do kinda want to review it.

Outsides:  I really like the metal tin this came in.  It's just an 8 oz metal tin with two sets of lids, but I think the design is really nice.  What's interesting is that the green tea leaves are rolled into little buds.  The tea is slightly lighter in color than some of the other ones I reviewed but smells like a slightly earthy green tea.

Insides:  I'm not going to say that this is the best green tea ever but I will say that this is slightly better than a lot of the brand-name teas.  It's a little bland to me but probably had the same amount of flavor as the Lipton, is slightly sweet with a hint of earthiness and warmth.  It also has no weird aftertaste, putting it above about half of the drug-store brands I've tried.

Overall:  This is working tea.  This is for when you just need a pot of something to drink while doing a paper and don't really care if it's the best thing ever.  I'd say at least try it out for the price and if you just want something to drink that isn't water.  It's not super exciting, but it gets the job done.

My Rating:  Try it!  I'd love to give you a site but there really isn't one.

TasTEA Time! Zhena's Pink Cherryberry Green tea.

Note:  The actual name of this is something like Zhena's Gypsy Tea, Superberry Tea.  Pink Tea for Women's Health Cherryberry.

I feel like this is some of the most proactive tea I have.  It's fair-trade, it's organic and a bit of the proceeds went to help support breast cancer research.  Plus Zhena's is pretty high quality.  I've only tried a few of their products but they would have been worth the money they ask for on the site.  But I shouldn't be praising this tea before I've reviewed it!  This blend contains sencha green tea, cherries, elderberries and blossoms.  It's also discontinued so you probably won't be able to find this fresh.

Outsides:  The sachets are in a nice metal tin and are made out of corn silk.  The tea is a light pink color and smells fruity.

Insides:  This is similar and yet opposite of the Loyd Tea with Strawberry and Raspberry.  Both are berry-focused teas that start out a little tangy, but the Loyd did not ultimately feel like a tea.  Zhena's has a good balance between the tartness of the cherries, sweet and floral notes from the blossoms and sencha backdrop.  It's multidimensional, light and versatile, having a nice fruit flavor that would go well with or without sugar, hot or cold.

Overall:  It's a pity that this isn't around anymore because it's fantastic.  I still encourage you to check out Zhena's and try at least one of their teas (they're a bit expensive but totally worth it).

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site:  Zhena's main site

K-cup reviews: Green Mountain Brew Over Ice French Vanilla Iced Coffee

Ok, I've got a confession to make:  I hate iced coffee.  It's actually not really the coffee's fault, it's because I hate it when the ice melts and makes my coffee watery.  There are solutions to this, drinking cold coffee without ice or adding ice cream instead of it, but on a hot day, I'll just order the hot equivalent (unless I'm at Panera's where I can get cold coffee through their fountain <3).   But how do you make iced coffee at home, you may ask.  Well, it's very simple.  You make a lot of coffee, put it in fridge or freezer until cold then add your stuff to it.  But now, we have the Keurig way!

I feel like I have to tell you guys how I brewed it because my mom got these K-cups and I'm sure it's a little more in-depth than just pressing a button and BINGO!  Iced coffee!  Looking at the website (also no instructions) I saw that people brewed the coffee in the cream and sugar, waited a bit then added the ice.  I brewed the coffee under the 9 oz setting and did as above.  Maybe that's wrong, but if it turns out horribly then I'll gladly take some blame for that.

Outsides:  It looks like coffee (duh) that came from a normal K-cup.  It also has a strong vanilla smell.

Insides:  After adding the ice, the coffee's still pretty strong and pretty decent except for this weird aftertaste (therefore my brewing method was not at fault).  It reminds me of those mixers you add booze to;  sweet, creamy and a little fake, but with those, at least you have the booze to get you drunk enough to not notice it. If  I magically ignore that aftertaste, I'd say it's ok but nut spectacular (it's not gonna stop me from buying iced coffees from Panera anytime soon).  The vanilla flavor is too fake and the coffee is just a tad too bitter to work well for iced.

Overall:  I think this is a gimmick.  If you want iced coffee, break out that drip brew, get some decent coffee and stick it in the refrigerator.  Don't pay a stupid amount of money for this.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the site:  Keurig's Brew Over Ice Subsite.

TasTEA Time! Lipton's Green Tea with Lemon and Ginseng

The Saga continues!  I'm not particularly excited about this one since our family always used to add lemon to our tea (I don't anymore, but it was a thing).  Lemon just seems so common, so mundane, and yet I see it everywhere.

Outsides:  Paper outside, plastic inside, individually-packaged sachets.  The tea itself is your standard green tea color, maybe slightly more yellow and smells lemon-y fresh!

Insides:  Well, if you like lemon then you should love this!  Ok, here's the problem I have with this.  There's so much of the lemon flavoring in here that you can't taste anything else.  Tea has its own distinct flavor and this blend also has some lemongrass in it.  But drinking this is like drinking lemonade.  Now, the lemon flavor is good and at the very least, tastes natural.  But subtlety!

Overall:   Despite my complaining, I don't actually think it's that bad.  I guess if you like lemon, give this a shot.

My rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Lipton Tea Home.

TasTEA Time! Loyd Raspberry and Strawberry herbal tea

Alright, so this is an interesting one.  This tea is artificially flavored.  Even brands like Biglow and Lipton all say that they're naturally flavored.  Even the no-name dollar tea brands say they're all natural.  Not Loyd.  Now I've red the ingredients and have to say, WTF is some of this stuff (Modified starch with waxy maize)?

Ok, ok.  I know I'm biased against the tea.  But yeah, most brands try to point out how natural they are, most even go organic or fair trade.  And I love Raspberry and Strawberry!  Alright Loyd Tea, let's see what you got.

Outside:  Oh polish tea with its cheap cardboard boxes with nothing between the box and tea.  The sachets are pyrimid-shaped for faster prep.  The tea smells nice, like berry candy as opposed to normal berry tea, but that's still kinda nice.  Lastly, the color reminds me more of a light raspberry juice than a tea.  It's a lovely pinkish red and a pity that I don't have my clear cup to show you.

Insides:  The tea is tangy and fruity, tasting less like a tea and more like a light fruit drink.  The raspberry flavoring gives off a more pungent smell but both berries seem equal on the flavor balance.  This may seem like a strange complaint, but the texture doesn't feel light like a lot of teas are.  It's heavy and not very smooth, partially because of the sourness (It's not really bitter).  But with added sugar, it's not bad and pretty tasty while cold.

Overall:  I think for the average human being who isn't too picky about what they consume and doesn't care about the subtleties of tea, this is good stuff.  I'll admit that this is my favorite flavor of the Loyd tea that I have tried since it's fruity and fun, plus doesn't taste as fake as some of the other ones.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Mokate's Loyd Tea

K-cup Reviews: Cafe Escapes Cafe Vanilla

I'm probably going to need some tea after this...

So, I got a free sample of the new Cafe Escapes Cafe Vanilla and Cafe Caramel.  As shocking as this may sound, the Cafe Caramel is horrible.  And you know what?  I don't have that much hope for this one either.  The one saving grace is that this is both naturally and artificially flavored as opposed to the CC's artificial only.  I'm not even a big fan of vanilla.  Oh, it's good mixed in with things or in the background, but it's just so...vanilla.

Outsides:  Your standard K-cup.  The liquid is a lighter color than the caramel and smells equally of instant coffee and vanilla.

Insides:  This one's better.  It still has a bit of that aftertaste but it's not as prevalent.  The vanilla flavoring isn't overpowering either and goes well with the hint of coffee that's in here.  It's not terribly offensive and I daresay that it's better than a lot of the cappuccino coolers that mix instant coffee with flavors, but I can't say it's amazing.  I think the natural vanilla helped though.

Overall:  I can drink this.  I don't feel the need to and personally prefer making real coffee if I want something that kinda tastes like coffee, but it's better than the other one.  Heck, I'll even suggest that this is kinda good.  Try and see if you can snag a sample.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Cafe Escapes

K-cup Review: Cafe Escapes Cafe Caramel

Sorry about the bad quality.  

Ok, lets get this straight.  I love caramel.  It's probably my favorite chocolate filling (assuming the chocolate isn't too sweet) and it's even good with tea!  There's nothing quite like pure sweetness and creaminess to end your day.  It's kinda nice thinking that there's an option using a Keurig, although the Cafe Escapes are obscenely expensive for instant coffee and hot chocolate (that's right, Keurig is obscenely expensive.  Who would have thunk it?).

Outsides:  Standard K-cup.  You'll smell the caramel when it brews and it looks more like hot chocolate than....I really have no idea if this is supposed to have coffee in it or not.

Insides:  It starts out good:  Sweet, creamy and not overpowering in flavor.  And then this weird aftertaste kicks in, probably because they use a non-dairy creamer (mixed with non-fat milk so screw you Lactose-intolerant people).  There's maybe a hint of instant coffee in here but this is probably good for non-coffee drinkers assuming you have no taste.  But man, that aftertaste.  It's not much but it kinda tastes like soap in your mouth.  You know what, this is awful.  It's creamy, I'll give it that.  But it's a little too sweet and just tastes so fake.  You could probably buy caramel-flavored hot chocolate that doesn't taste like drain cleaner instead.

Overall:  Sorry Cafe Escapes.  I appreciate your free samples but try making better products first.

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's the site:  Green Mountain's Cafe Escape Subsite.  

K-cup review: Emril's Big Easy Bold Coffee

I like Emril.  He's a good balance between all of the other Food Network stars, making good food that the whole family loves and isn't the most terribly unhealthy for them.  He also is one of the biggest sell-outs, but his products are generally pretty tasty.  If you get a sample pack, this will undoubtedly be in there with all of the other dark roasts.


Outsides:  Ok chefs, you know how to make a coffee that smells good while brewing.  It's not quite the 10/10 that was the Wolfgang Puck Breakfast in Bed, but it smells bold.   The K-cup is blue (don't know if that makes any difference to anyone who doesn't put them all in a grocery bag, but it's easier to find) and the coffee is...dark.  I think it smells slightly sweet for a dark roast.

Insides:  This was the first K-cup coffee I absolutely loved.  It's rich, smokey and slightly sweet, but doesn't have that much angry bitterness or acidity that a lot of dark roasts have.  Emril is right in that this is extremely bold, but isn't offensive.  I feel like there's a hint of chocolate in there but reguardless, this is incredibly smooth.  If you love dark or medium roasts, full-flavored coffee or BAM, you'll love this.

Overall:  This is an essential for dark-roast lovers. It's rich, smooth, smokey, sweet and not extremely bitter.  Even if you don't like dark roasts, get this for your guests.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site:  Green Mountain's K-cup site.

TasTEA Time! Lipton Green Tea with Honey

So, what made me pick the Honey Lipton next is the list of ingredients because it definitely doesn't contain just green tea and honey.  Other than the green tea, it has orange peel, licorice root, chamomile and chicory.

Outsides:  Still paper outside, saran inside.  The tea is a normal green tea color but has a hint of orange in the scent.  Orange and chamomile actually.  If i hadn't read the ingredients before, I would have been confused.

Insides:  Surprisingly, this is my favorite one yet.  The orange give a nice tang paired with the green tea, but isn't overpowering or paired with spices.  The licorice, chicory and chamomile are more background flavors, experienced more when you let the tea sit in your mouth as opposed to a hearty swig.  The one complain is that this doesn't really scream "Honey" to me, maybe a light citrus or calming green tea.  The chamomile adds a bit to the sweetness but the tea itself isn't overly floral, which is what i associate with honey.  Still, it's good.

Overall:  I like it.  It definitely hides any problems you might find with the green tea and it's nice and flavorful.  Try it out.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Lipton Home.

TasTEA Time! Honest Tea Honey Green Tea

Oh Honest Tea.  Fun fact:  This is one of Barack Obama's favorite drinks (I also think the Tea Party slanders the good name of tea).  It's all natural, organic and even Fair Trade!  Heck yes I'll pay full price for you!  Plus they're generally delicious.

Outsides:  PET Bottle.  It's this nice yellow-green color and smells like green tea.

Insides:  It's slightly sweet with a hint of floral and plant flavors.  This is the "Just a Tad Sweet" variety, which still has sugar but is cut in half compared to brands like Snapple and Lipton.  I'm actually a big fan of this since quite honestly, a lot of those teas are too sweet.  This has decent quality tea leaves with a hint of honey flavoring and a little sugar, making it extremely refreshing and naturally better for you.

Overall:  It's a repeat buy from me, but I recommend most people try it first since it isn't as sweet.  Still, check it out as well as the other Honest Tea flavors.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the site.

K-cup Review: Timothy's Kahlua-flavored coffee

After I buy more K-cups, I always think "That's enough.  I should have enough coffee to last me a while."  These things are kinda pricey and I have a whole grocery bag full of them.  But when i went to Big Lots the other day, I saw this and the Green Mountain Sumatra Reserve and swore in my head.  I have enough coffee, I thought.  I'm not even sure if they're going to be good, I thought.  And yet, here I am with 36 more K-cups.  I justify this by "I'm just stocking up for the schoolyear" and with the Kahlua one, White Russians are some of my favorite drinks.  

Outsides:  As you guessed, this is your standard K-cup.  This coffee smells unlike any other coffee I've brewed in that it's a combination of sweet smells.  There isn't so much of the coffee smell, but it serves as this undertone for the vanilla, caramel and rum.  

Insides:  So, this is one of the more unique coffees I've tried on the Keurig because it tastes like a coffee mix and yet it also tastes like normal coffee.  I've added cream and sugar and have to say, this tastes like what you want those Cappuccino Coolers to taste like except those instant coffees are awful.  It's a bit of the opposite of most flavored coffees in that this Kahlua coffee has an undertone of coffee with the flavors taking the main stage.  Quite honestly, it tastes like a White Russian made with Kahlua; creamy, smooth and with a light coffee flavor.  Plus it's non-alcoholic, which can be taken as both a good and bad thing.  

Overall:  If you're a fan of light-roasts or have guests that like light-roasts, this is definitely a crowd-pleaser.  It's fun, sweet and a great pick-me-up.  Get it if you can!

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's the Bed, Bath and Beyond website with it.    

BONUS!


Here are some pictures of my babies.  I've had them for a few weeks but just never took good pictures of them (these ones aren't good either).  Their names are Otto and Selena, Otto has a bigger white dot on his chest and belly and Selena is almost all black.  They're both incredibly sweet and get well with our dogs as well as Thomas and Anya.

This one's Otto BTW