Margaret's Golden Apple Spice Green T

This is another tea I got from Margaret's at a 50% discount.  To be honest, I haven't been feeling the urge to drink heavier teas despite the autumn weather.  This tea combines a lighter green tea base (they say sencha) with apple cider flavor.

Outsides:  First off, this is not on Margaret's site because a lot of things aren't on Margaret's site, but also possibly because it's on sale.  I also did a quick google search and could not find any teas that look like they have the same ingredients that I saw from the package.  From what I remember, the base is sencha and the add-ins are apple pieces, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, saffron threads and other things that I don't remember.  It's a very colorful blend and smells a bit like the spice of apple cider.  I steeped it in 185 degree water for 3 minutes.  It's a nice golden color as the name suggests and smells like fall spice.

Insides:  First off, the base is ok but nothing that you'd want to drink on your own.  It's smooth, has a medium body and isn't too bitter.  As for the flavorings, you get a lot more spice than apple.  There is a sweet and sour fruity midnote surrounded by the cinnamon and cloves and allspice and all the other spices that are in there.  These spices completely overwhelm the tea taste and the fruit taste.

Tilt:  I got this tea at a deep discount and can't find a good retailer online BUT I'm sure you can get some cheap sencha and jurryrig your own blend for some cheap price.  I think it's actually a lovely fall tea but I don't think I'll really drink it in the spring or summer months.  Because it's flavored, I think it's good to drink cold or with sugar.  I think my biggest problem with it is that it's pretty much a green chai with a hint of a fruity taste.  But, if I want something spicy then i'll probably get a chai and there are plenty of those with different bases (black, green and red).

Overall:  There's nothing wrong with it or bad tasting but if you want something like it, just get a green chai.

My Rating:  Pass.

Maragret's is a tea retailer in the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh.

Stash Jasmine Blossom Green Tea

When people tell me that they love tea, I tend to put on my snob glasses and judge them because too many people I know who say they "love" tea just drink Lipton bagged black tea (there is nothing wrong with that, but I would inform you that there are better options out there).  Well, one of my friends is a tea snob equal to my snobbishness but without a blog, and when we got into a discussion on Jasmine teas, she recommended this one to me because she said it tasted similar to dragon pearls but at a fraction of the price.   I then got this tea when it was on sale and now I have three bags of this stuff so I hope she's right. 

Also sorry for the crappier photos, especially my stained cup.

Outsides:  I got the 3 pack of the 3.5 oz loose leaf and they come in these foil pouches and the ingredients are just green tea and jasmine blossoms.  Much like any jasmine green, it smells strongly of jasmine.  I brewed a teaspoon in 8 ounces of 170 degree F for 3 minutes.  It has a more golden color to it and smells like sweet jasmine.

Insides:  My friend was almost right about this tasting like jasmine pearls.  The tea isn't as sweet as the ones I've tried but compared to other green teas I've tried, there's a more prominent sweetness and less astringency than normal.  The jasmine is very fragrant but you never get the feeling that you're drinking a flower.  Honestly, this is just a well-balanced tea that gives you a good feeling of zen. 

Tilt:  I bought the 3-pack on Amazon which is normally priced at $19 but since there was a 20% off Stash coupon, it would have cost $15.20, so a little more than $5 for 3.5 oz of tea.  Even at the regular price, it isn't too bad as another tea which is comparable is Adagio's Jasmine Chun Hao which is $8 for 3 oz plus cost of shipping (I will say that the Jasmine Chun Hao is better though).  This is a good everyday jasmine green that's quality is between "I don't care, I just want something floral and cheap" (Sunflower Brand Jasmine Tea) and "Oh god, this is too expensive so I'll just drink it for special occassions" (pretty much any Jasmine Dragon Pearl from a shop, Jasmine Chun Hao).  I'd save Sunflower for iced tea but this one would probably be good too and is just a nice tea to have around. 

Overall:  I like it and it will be consumed.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Stash Tea is a popular American tea company.  Also, they're having a 20% off Friends and Family Event until 11/12/13 by using the code FAMILY13 at checkout. 

Tazo Decaf Lotus Blossom Green Tea

 Excuse the extremely stained cup.

Outsides:  Tazo Decaf Lotus Blossom is in its own little individually wrapped little packet.  The ingredients are simple, just green tea and nautral flavoring.  The tea actually smells pretty fruity.  I soaked the bag in lukewarm water (I'd say 65-70 degrees C) for 3 minutes in about 10 oz of water and yes, I know that is very wrong of me (you're supposed to soak a green teabag for 2 minutes in 6 oz of water).  The tea is on the more golden side of the green tea spectrum and it smells fruity with a light, sweet mango scent.

Insides:  So, I never go into a Tazo tea expecting something good in hopes that I might be pleasantly surprised.  The green tea here is a bit lacking in flavor but that's as much of my fault as it is the company's.  It's not the worst green tea base though as there is no overwhelming bitterness or chemical taste, just a nice smoothness with a hint of sweetness.  The sweet smell gives it a hint of a fruity flavor and a small pinch of floral, but ultimately, it tastes a bit like a lighter mango green tea. 

Tilt:  Tazo can be found everywhere and isn't too expensive and considering good green tea flavor variations are hard to come by (they either all seem to taste very artificial and tend to either lack flavor or overwhelm the tea with it), this one is pretty unique if you want something with a bit of mango flavor.  That being said, I've had moon cake before and this tea doesn't remind me of the lotus used in that.  It's also not a very strong flavor so that can be a good or bad thing depending on whether you really love lotus and how much you want to share this tea with company.  The slight fruityness will make this nice cold.

Overall:  Surprisingly, I like this.  I wouldn't go out and seek this, but it's worth a try and will be one of the teas I get at the cafeteria. 

My Rating:  Try it!

Tazo can be found pretty much anywhere.

Speculations: David's Tea Fall Collection

Hey Tea Lovers!  I've decided to try something new and do a preview and speculation of collections from tea boutiques such as David's Tea and possibly Teavana.  I have not tried these teas yet so don't take what I say to heart, but feel free to voice your opinions about these teas and if you've tried them, share with us.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

The Teas:  

Pumpkin Chai

 

Ingredients:

Black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel bits, pumpkin candies, natural and artificial flavouring*. 

 

Mmm...pumpkin.  It's something a lot of people are polarized about and I'm on the love side of that polarization.  People also can be particular about their chai and honestly, very few companies deliver a good one.  This particular one looks a bit sparse on the spices but the squash, carrots and candies seem like they could add an interesting sweetness.  I imagine the strange ingredients also are there for color and the candies are there to weigh it down.  Still, this seems like something worth trying.

 

Mom's Apple Pie

 

Ingredients:

Green tea (China), apple pieces, cinnamon, artificial flavouring*. 

 

I'm actually pretty sure I'll like this.  The ingredient list (minus the artificial flavoring) seems simple compared to their other teas and I have been looking for a green tea flavored with apple.  This seems like something light and sweet and a good alternative to the heavily-spiced blacks and herbals you see for fall.  

 

Sugar and Spice

 

Ingredients:

 

 Black tea, apples, cinnamon cassia, cloves, carrots, marigold petals, natural vanilla flavoring*. 

 

I wish they added caradom in there so that it would be a chai because the world needs more unique chais.   I also appreciate the natural vanilla flavor.  Honestly, I wouldn't want to buy this and it seems like the least interesting in the collection.  There are tons of spice teas out there and this one just seems like a glorified apple spice.  These kinds of teas are also pretty subjective to taste.  

Pistachio  Creme

 

Ingredients:

 

 Mulberry leaf, pistachios, chamomile, natural cream, macadamia and pistachio flavouring*. 

 

This actually sounds really interesting.  I've only had a few nut-flavored teas and think they work quite well for the fall and winter when you want that roasty toasty flavor.  The chamomile is also an interesting but rational ingredient since I feel that it adds sweetness while also giving teas a slight increase in mouthfeel.  This is definitely one I'd love to try and I feel like this would be a wonderful herbal for a desert alternative.  

Cocoberry

 

Ingredients:

Black Tea, black currant, mango, barberry, coffee bean, juniper berry, hibiscus, roasted yerba mate, lucuma powder, acerola powder, baobab fruit powder, acai powder, coffee flavor, natural strawberry flavor, natural and artificial plum, sugar cane and cherry flavour*. 

 

Dat ingredient list!  This is actually a mate, so it's full of caffeine and David's Tea seems to be promoting this one as the healthy one.  Lucuma is supposed to be a natural sweetener that tastes a bit like maple.  Honestly, this seems a bit too crazy for me plus I haven't had good experience with coffee-flavored mates.  There just seems like there's so much going on with the fruit, coffee, hibiscus and random flavorings.  It might be good but I'm a bit meh about this one.

 

The Teaware:

 

 

 

 

I didn't include all of them, but this should give you the general idea of the patterns used.  

Adorable.

I love the colors but also the simplicity.  I love the leaves, birds and chevrons.  I just love them all.  In fact, I'd rather have these mugs and teapots than the sampler they have.

David's Tea's Fall Collection Website:  All pictures were taken from here. 

 

 

 

 

 

Bolthouse Farms Green Tea Soy Latte

I like green tea flavored soy milk.  Ok, I like a lot of green tea (matcha) flavored things, from cakes to chocolate, but I feel like green tea flavored soy milk seems to turn people off moreso than other things.  Maybe it's because people just hate soymilk, which is understandable if you're expecting it to taste like milk.  But I like soymilk, especially flavored ones.  It may also seem "gross" because strongly flavored green tea tastes a bit like lawn clippings (which may be a reason why I don't like green tea ice cream).  However, a nicely balanced green tea treat tastes almost citrusy to me.  Anyway, I saw this drink on sale for 3 dollars at Giant Eagle and my curriousity got the best of me. 

Outsides:  The bottle is plastic and resealable.  I found it in the refrigeration section but most soymilks don't need to be refrigerated.  However, since the vast majority of the Bolthouse products are juices, they probably just stuck it in this section.  I'd still keep in in the fridge though.  The color is a light green and it smells like a matcha latte. 

Insides:  This drink is a mixture of vanilla and green tea, which works really well.  The matcha flavor is more subdued and acts as a refreshing note to the sweet vanilla.  The texture is really nice too.  The drink is creamy and not too rich, but also holds up well with ice.  It's sweet but not too much so.  This would probably make a nice breakfast drink. 

Tilt:  I think these are typically about 4 dollars a bottle, which is pricy for what is essentially just soymilk and flavors.  That being said, I feel like this is more of a "treat" kind of drink as opposed to something you consume for pure nutrition.  I also like that it contains 7 grams of protein per serving, so it makes a nice little after workout drink.  There are cheaper green tea soy milks out there, but this one is actually a lot tastier. 

Overall:  I like it a lot and would recommend it for a lot of people. 

My Rating:  Try it!

Bolthouse Farms is a company that makes smoothies and flavored drinks.   This particular drink is under the cafe drinks line. 

Tea Forte Morrocan Mint Green Tea

 

Hey guys.  So, it's summer break and that means that I have enough time to blog again.  Yaaaaay!

So on April Fools, Tea forte had a sale where if you bought a tin of tea, you got the Kati brewing system for free.  Considering that the tins are $15 and the mug is also $15, I thought this was a great deal and I wanted a new tea cup so I went on board.  Now, there were a lot of cool flavors like Marzipan Cherry and whatnot, but I wanted something that I know I would drink over the summer.  What's better for the summer than some Morrocan Mint tea?

Outsides:  I actually got this partially for the tin as well since I have a pretty bad shortage of tins.  It's ok, kind of cheap feeling compared to the ones I've gotten from Zen Tea or Harney and Sons, but the tea is also in a plastic bag so it's packed well for freshness.  Since this is a blend with spearmint, you get that nice fresh mint smell that's more appropriate for the summer (whereas peppermint is more appropriate for the winter).  I brewed this at about 75 degrees Celsius for 2-3 minutes.  The tea still has a pungent spearmint smell and a light yellow color.

Insides:  This reminds me a bit of the Mild Mint from Touch Organics, although a bit stronger in overall flavor and a bit fresher.  The mint is prominent but not overpowering and goes well with the green tea flavor. The green tea in here isn't very distinguishable but isn't very offensive either.  It's simple and it's a good drink for a crowd since there isn't really any astringency.  I've cold brewed this a few times and think it works really well for that.  You definitely don't need any sugar with this.

Tilt:   Ok, this tea is kind of expensive.  It's $15 for a 4 oz tin when you can pretty much find Morrocan mint tea anywhere.  Unfortunately, I don't have another one for comparison, but I'll probably end up getting some from one of the locals.  I've also been trying to associate teas with seasons and this is definitely a summer tea, so now is the time to buy.

Overall:  I like it, although it's a bit boring.  Still, I'd check it out if Tea Forte is having a sale and you don't have any in your cupboard.

My Rating:  Try it!

Tea Forte is a fancy tea company with nice packaging and interesting flavors.

Temple of Heaven Special Gunpowder Green Tea

I think the company for this is Shanghai Tiantian, International Trading Co. LTD.

So, I moved.  I'm now able to wake up at 7 and enjoy a cup of tea and a proper breakfast before going to school and let me tell you, it's awesome.  What's more awesome is that I finally have a teapot as opposed to constantly making tea in the Keurig.  However, I don't want to use up all of my good tea if I just want to make something to chug while doing work so that's where this tea comes in.  I got it at the Asian market for $2.75 for 8 oz(?) and was just hoping that it was drinkable.

Outsides:  The tin is actually really nicely sealed:  There's an outer lid, an inner lid and paper surrounding the tea leaves.  The tea itself is shaped like little pellets and smells a little smokey, which is what gunpowder is supposed to smell like.  I get about 4-5 cups from this teapot but like my tea strong so I put about 6-8 teaspoons worth in either my basket or giant ball infuser and let steep for about 3 minutes.  The tea gets a bit darker as it cools down, but it goes from golden to a light orange-brown and smells like your typical Chinese green tea.

Insides:  For the price I paid, I think this is actually pretty good.  The smokey flavor is a bit of an aftertaste and is nothing like a Lapsang Souchong.  I've made about 3 pots of this already and it's not very astringent, even when oversteeped for like...5 minutes.  The tea itself is sweet with a bit of an earthy flavor, but is not too complex other than the smokey aftertaste.  And honestly, it serves my purpose.

Overall:  I like it.  I was scared at first of this but if you need some cheap tea to chug while doing work, this'll do.

My Rating:  Try it!

This was the only tea I found from this brand and I didn't find a website.

Biglow Pomegranate Green Tea (K-cup Review)

This is one of two random tea K-cups that i just had sitting around and decided to review today.  I'm just going to be honest and say that I was never a big fan of Biglow.  I mean, you can buy it at Big Lots and for 20 cents more, you could get Twinnings, which uses a higher quality tea and actually individually wraps tea bags.  But this is weird because Biglow is one of the cheapest name-brand teas and Keurig sells some of the most overpriced expensive coffee.  Let's see how this turns out.

Outsides:  A standard K-cup (a few of them have little rings on the bottoms to prevent the liquid from dripping as fast, but those are mostly the espresso K-cups).  I brewed it using the 8 or 9 oz setting.  As you can see, the liquid is pink and not a green tea color.  Also, this thing smells like candy.  Not pomegranate, but like hard candy.  I'd actually be pleased if it tasted like this, despite me trying to be more of a tea snob.

Insides:  Well, this definitely isn't for the tea purists but it's actually surprisingly good.  The pomegranate flavor is nice and strong and gives a sweet and sour taste to the liquid.  The tea is weak and a tad too bitter, but the pomegranate flavor kind of overtakes that.  Ok, you can buy better quality for less money but for those people who want to have a few fruity teas around the house for their Keurig, this is not a bad option.  Congratulations Biglow, you have impressed me.

Overall:  Still overpriced as hell for what it is, but it's fruity and not offensive like some of the other ones.

My Rating:  Try it!

I don't feel the need to put a website here because Biglow is a brand of tea that can be found in the vast majority of supermarkets.   

Zen Tea Jasmine Dragon Pearl

So, my last 4 days have cinsisted of 7 to 9 hours of baking cookies (we have at least 13 different kinds right now) and honestly, I need a break.  NO MORE MOM, I'M GOING ON A DIET!  Anyway, I need some jasmine tea to relax and this one looked interesting. 

Outsides:  The tea is just chinese Jasmine Green tea buds, but it's shaped like little spheres.  The instructions say that you can use 3 to 5 of these per cup, so I put in 4 big ones and one derpy looking bud in 8 oz of 80 degree Celsius water and just kept them there (I want to see if they bloom, which they kinda do).  The fluid is a very light orange (it almost looks pink to me) and have a nice fragrant scent of jasmine.

Insides:  This actually works pretty well without an infuser because the leaves are very tender when brewed.  What really surprised me was how naturally sweet the tea is without sugar.  It has a light body and a delicate green tea flavor with a pleasant jasmine scent, but there's a sweetness to it which makes this extra special to me.  Plus, it's so fragrant that you can probably get away with using 3 buds.  Anyway, this is a fantastic tea to help introduce people to floral tea and for people who don't want to consume as much sugar.  I image that this is great cold.

Overall:  Apparently you can get this cheaper at the Asian markets, but this sample size gives you good bang for your buck and it's darn tasty!

My Rating:  Buy it!  

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

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.

Tazo Orange Blossom Tea

  

So, I got this tea from my secret Santa on my Jumpstart team who said that she liked tea and knows how much I love it.  I didn’t tell her that I hated Tazo teas and only got them by stealing them from random places, but thankfully, this comes in a pretty sweet metal tin that will hold some of the pound of Davidson’s Tea Spring Fruit and Flowers I got (I found that I’m addicted to blueberry herbal tea and I really should just get the pound).  Anyway, this particular tea appears to be a blend of jasmine green tea, TANGERINE PEEL (as opposed to, you know, orange) and goji berries with all kinds of spices such as orange essence, chamomile flowers, fennel, tarragon and more stuff that I don’t even care about.  

Outsides:  So, I got this tea in a cool metal tin.  Sadly, it is not loose-leaf but in cornsilk sachets that are not individually wrapped.  I actually kind of think that’s a giant waste of space because you have this big freaking container and you only get 15 bags of this stuff, but I digress.  Since this is green tea based, I used 6 oz of slightly below boiling water and about 2 oz of room temperature water and steeped it for 3 minutes (but the temp was so low that you can get away with longer).  The color is similar to a lot of chamomile teas and this one smells both citrusy and flowery. 

I also need to note that the tea in here seems to be at a much higher level than the normal bagged Tazo.  For one thing, it’s whole-leaf and the bigger the leaf, the better the tea.  It’s also very pretty to look at in the cup, almost like blooming tea.  And they used corn-silk instead of paper so I’m guessing this is some fancy stuff.

Insides:  The jasmine is a bit strong, but it’s still a nice citrusy herbal blend.  The base of green tea and chamomile gives this a bit of a sweet taste while the jasmine and orange are both relaxing.  The weird thing is, I don’t know if all of these flavors are overpowering the green tea or if they just didn’t use a very flavorful kind but I’m guessing it’s a bit of both.  If you add sugar, I feel that it does a good job toning down some of the citrusy and floral flavors while bringing out the green tea and I also imagine this being nice as an iced tea.  It’s a bit of a weird blend for me, but overall it is still enjoyable.

Overall:  I’m sure that for the pricepoint, it is not worth it but this is a nice tea overall and I’m glad I got it as a secret Santa present.

My Rating:  Try it!

Tazo can be found pretty much anywhere that sells Starbucks related stuff but I'll have to check with my team leader where she got it.  I do hope that it wasn't too expensive.

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! Prestogeorge Tropical Green Tea

This is the most expensive tea I got on my trip to Prestogeorge at $3 for 2 oz.  (which is still cheaper than a lot of bagged tea and a lot of upper-scale tea).  From the website "Pan fired green tea, safflowers, marigolds, blue mallow flowers, and corn flowers with mango and passion fruit flavor. This makes the perfect iced tea. One of our most popular flavored green teas!".  Yum!

Outsides:  If you go to the store and have to walk anywhere, you'll have a hard time not keeping this tea at your nose the entire time.  This smells like tropical gum except more natural.  You can't really see them in my crappy picture but there are all kinds of colorful flowers in the green tea mix.  When brewed, the tea is a light yellow with a green tinge to it.  It still has a light tropical fruit scent.

Insides:  I love this tea.  The tropical flavor isn't in your face, but it's very refreshing and the smooth green tea base make this a fantastic drink.  It's also practically free from bitterness and has a very "fresh" scent to it.  This would make a FANTASTIC iced tea and honestly, it doesn't even need sugar.  The fruit and flowers give this a natural sweetness and the delicateness of the green tea make it so there's no harshness that requires masking.

Overall:  A very nice tea and something that I wouldn't mind spending a little more on.  Basically, an island escape in a cup!

My Rating:  Buy it!  Here's Prestogeorge's Tea Page:  Tropical Green Tea.

TasTEA Time! Peace Tea Diet Green Tea

 

Outsides:  I enjoy the sweet-looking can.  The can says "Matcha-style" but this is definitely not, with the tea being a gold color and smelling slightly floral.

Insides:  I actually like this more than the regular version.  It's not as sweet or the tea has a flavor, but it's definitely "better" than the sugar version.  I think one of the nice things is that the tea seems to have more subtle flavors mixed into it.  There's a hint of floral and citrus, and it really adds something to the tea.  It's definately not Matcha, but that's easy to tell just by the color.  Another thing to note is that this is sweetened with sucralose which is the same ingredient found in Splenda, so if you enjoy Splenda then you'll like this.  Overall, this is an enjoyable diet green tea.

Overall:  I guess if you want some no-calorie green tea that's still sweet, this is a pretty good choice.  It's cheap, good flavor and not overly chemical tasting.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site:  Peace Tea. 

TasTEA Time! Tazo Organic Green Tea

 

There's a lot of things to like and dislike about this tea at first glance.  The good things include how it's organic, is sweetened with cane sugar and has a few herbs to jazz up the normal green tea flavor.  The bad things are that it's still full of sugar and calories, is about as expensive as Lipton Pure Leaf if not more and is Tazo, the purveyors of bland tea that always has a hint of mint somewhere.  But I'm at work with tea and love telling the world every detail about my beverage, so here we go.

Outsides:  Much like Lipton Pure Leaf, this comes in a glass bottle which to me, results in a better flavor than plastic (although plastic is more recyclable (?)).  It looks like slightly cloudy gold green tea and smells very much like the Lipton green tea in a bottle.

Insides:  I think the best way to describe this is a jazzed up Lipton Pure Leaf Green Tea.  There's a hint of lemongrass and mint which gives it a more refreshing taste even when warm.  I personally find it a bit too sugared-up, but it's not nearly as offensive as the Giant Peach (spoiler alert:  if you're not a sugar maniac, it's barely drinkable unless it's chilled).  Other than that, the green tea flavor is nice, there but not too bitter although the sugar overwhelms it a little.  I also like the citrus touch it has.

Overall:  If you find yourself buying Lipton Pure Leaf Green tea and want an alternative, this is pretty much a jazzed-up version of that.  I wish they'd cut back on the sugar, but ultimately, it's not a bad drink.

My Rating:  Try it!  I'm not giving a website because Tazo is literally everywhere.

 

TasTEA Time! Loyd Green Tea with Lemon

Here's tea number 2 from a company that seems to be the Polish version of Lipton.  Here's the thing about green tea from companies that aren't Asian; they have a statistically higher chance of being sub-par in terms of tea quality.  There are exceptions (Dilmah, which has a delightfully warm and full-bodied green tea), but I'm not surprised if people dislike green tea after only having the Euromerican version.  Plus they're adding lemon to it, which I'm just going to say it, lemon kills off a lot of green tea flavor.  Lemon is often used to disguise bad tea from being bad, it replaces an acid found in tea with a tastier acid.  People always add it to tea, but if you have a good tea, you don't need to add it.  But enough of my ranting, let's try the tea.

Outsides:  It's your average medium gold green tea color and...how can i put this?  The tea smells like lemon Pine-Sol.  It's way too....citrusy to smell natural.

Insides:  The lemon flavor kills it.  The tea isn't horrible tasting, mostly sweet with very little bitterness.  It's your average drugstore tea.  But dear gawd, that lemon flavor is overkill.  You could probably mop up your floors with that stuff and expect a nice lemon scent afterwards.  It's really too much, and I've had this open for a while.  

Overall:  I guess if you REALLY like lemon, give this a try.  But for the average person, stay away and stick with something else.  

My Rating:  Pass.  Here's a site:  Loyd Green Tea Lemon

TasTEA Time! Organo Gold Green Tea

I got this as a sample in the mail and really don't know what to expect.   The whole gimmick with this tea is that it contains 100% organic Ganoderma, which is a type of mushroom that has a lot of health benefits.   I managed to get a free sample of both this and the coffee, so I guess look forward to that in the future.  Anyway, let's have some mushroom tea!

Outsides: It's a gold type green tea that smells like normal green tea.

Insides:  Honestly, this is pretty average as far as green tea goes.  It's a little better than a lot of the big brands in that I don't taste any chemicals, but the quality is meh.  I think the whole thing about this is all the health benefits it provides and I have to admit, it does make me feel healthier.  Maybe it's because I've been drinking a lot more coffee, or ate a lot more ice cream, but I feel as though my mind is cleared, my energy level is up and these mushrooms are eating through all the bad stuff in my body.  Or maybe some of that is due to the coffee espresso I just drank.  It really isn't bad though and if you want to have a healthier lifestyle, go ahead and drink this (or organic green tea in general).

Overall:  You know what, you can get a free sample and decide for yourselves (it should be somewhere on the page, not the $10 one).  It really isn't bad but if you're a complete tea snob, you probably won't care about it.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the real website:  Organo Gold