Zen Tea Genmaicha

 
Genmaicha is not really an uncommon sight for tea lovers but toasted brown rice paired with green tea can turn a few heads for those not accustomed to it.  It has a unique flavor similar to that of popcorn and has more of a savory flavor than most flavored teas.

Outsides:  As you can see, this is Sencha green tea with a TON of brown rice and puffed rice.  I brewed about a teaspoon in 8 oz of 80 degrees Celsius water for about 3 minutes.  The tea is a nice yellow green and smells like tasty popcorn.

Insides:  This is probably one of the better quality genmaichas I've had.  The tea has a nice subtle vegetative quality while not being too strong, and the popcorn rice adds just the right amount of nuttyness and roastiness.  As it cools down, the vegetative quality becomes more prominent but still keeps a good balance between flavors.  This isn't really made for iced tea so drink it warm.

Overall:  At the price it's at right now, this is cheap so get it at 50% off or try a sample.

My Rating:  Try it!

Zen Tea is a Canadian tea retailer that specializes in mid to high quality teas.

TasTEA Time! Prestogeorge Organic Japanese Tea Garden

From the website:  "Organic Japanese Sencha green tea, chamomile, cinnamon sticks, hibiscus and calendria flowers. Healthy, beautiful full-flavored green tea with a spicy berry flavor."

So, I had browsed the Prestogeorge website before going to the store and decided that this tea was something I'd get on my second visit.  Well, two things happened.  One was that I found out that I could get a minimum of two ounces instead of four and the other was that I got to smell this tea.  I know I was raving about some of the other teas, but this smells AMAZING!   I had work that day and would periodically pull out the little bag and smell it in all of its glory.  

Outsides:  Even with my crappy camera, you can see the rainbow of colors from the dark green tea, brown cinnamon, red hibiscus and yellow flowers.  It smells so warm and cinnamony and delicious, with hints of sweetness from both the cinnamon and the flowers.  There's a bit of a pinkish-tinge in this tea, making it a light orange color.  It smells spicy and sweet.

Insides:  This is definitely one of the more unique teas I have ever had.  Much like the tropical green tea, this is insanely smooth but the flowers and cinnamon add this lovely warmth to it.  This actually seems like a springtime tea with the added warmth.  It's actually quite naturally sweet between the chamomile and the cinnamon so you don't need to worry about it needing sugar.  

Overall:  Definitely one of my favorites.  Unique and a pure encapsulation of spring.  

My Rating:  Buy it!  Prestogeorge Organic Japanese Tea Garden.

TasTEA Time! Zhena's Cacaoberry Tea

What:  Zhena's Gypsy Tea:  Pink:  Tea for Women's Health Cacaoberry (to be exact)

Where:  California

Why Should I Care:  So, this is by far one of the most interesting teas I've seen.  Unfortunately, this was a special edition and is not available though the site (we got it about a year and some months ago).  However, Zhena's has a lot of interesting flavors and is generally a nice company.  They're fair-trade, organic, give you these cool tins for your tea and offer cheap(er) refills.  This particular tea is a mixture of Sencha (Japanese green tea), Rooibos, Raspberry and dark chocolate.

Packaging:  All their teas come in these nice metal tins, whether it be loose-leaf or sachets.  Unfortunately, the sachets aren't individually wrapped, but they are made of corn-silk meaning that if you don't have a metal ball for brewing tea, this gives you the same effect.

Non-Taste Senses:  It's darker than your typical green tea but lighter than Ceylon.  The smell is fantastic.  It's like you have a cup of raspberry hot cocoa in your cup.

Taste:  The flavors really blend well.  When you drink it, there isn't a specific taste that overpowers and makes you say "Oh, I'm drinking green tea" or "Oh, I'm drinking hot cocoa".  I'm thinking the rooibos is used to make the tea have a slightly thicker texture and add a bit of that sweetness.  The green tea itself is actually really high quality, having none of that grassy taste that a lot of green tea does.  It's naturally a little sweet so you don't need sugar, but you can add it to bring out the chocolate notes and personally, I think this would be a little weird as an iced tea, but you can try.

Overall:  Let's see.  It has a hit of chocolate without the calories and even boosts your metabolism, organic, fair-trade, tasty.  The only two real downsides are that 1)  it's discontinued and 2)  Zhena's is a bit pricey.  I'm going to counter the second point by saying that it's high quality, worth the money you're paying and you really shouldn't buy it for everyday drinking anyway.  If you see it, buy it or beg the person who has it to make you some.

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's Zhena's site.  I should also point at this sight for some great gift tea for holiday gift-giving, whether it be the tropical ones or the holiday ones.