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.

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

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.

Soda Pop! Cascal Fine Dark

What:  Fermented Soda with hints of Malt and Honey

Where:  California

Why Should I Care:  So, I got a four-pack of this (and the apple one) when it was almost expired.  That was about four months ago.  Granted, I had this back then and I hope the only thing that has changed is that there's less carbonation.  Cascal is a soda that tastes very simular to a wine except it's non-alcoholic and doesn't have the sweetness of sparkling juices.  I actually do enjoy these in between teas for those reasons although the new ones drop the ball by adding Stevia to it (which leaves an aftertaste as opposed to leaving a nice clean palate).  So, what do I think about the Fine Dark with its hints of Malt and Honey (more of a beer rip-off than wine but I actually prefer a good beer to cheap wine).

Packaging: It's in a glass bottle, adding to the sophistication.  It also has a twist-off cap.

Non-Taste Senses:  It's kind of this dark amber/light brown color with a slight murkiness to the liquid.  You can smell the honey pretty strongly

Taste:  I'd like to say it's aged to perfection, but it really could use a bit more carbonation.  I'm actually a huge fan of the mixture of honey and malt, which gives it a slightly heartier taste while still having a lightness with the carbonation.  Also, this tastes so much better without the Stevia.  It's still sweet but it's not overly sweet.  If you're going to serve it (especially if it's four months past expiration), you need to serve it cold.

Overall:  Why'd you have to get rid of this flavor, Cascal?  It's good and I highly recommend people try it if you can find it somehow.  Or write them and tell them to bring it back.  I can't recommend this for everyone, but it's pretty fantastic.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site!