Reviewed: Tetley Black & Green

Image of Tetley Black & Green Iced TeaTetley Black & Green is the US counterpart to the UK’s Tetley Blend of Both. It comes with 72 round tea bags per package.

Black & Green is an easy tea to enjoy hot, and it makes an exceptional iced tea. Disappointingly, it doesn’t play as well with milk (for those who like their tea English style) as does the fuller bodied Blend of Both, which you can now find on Amazon.com. Continue reading “Reviewed: Tetley Black & Green”

Genmaicha Green Tea from The Persimmon Tree

Genmaicha Tea - Green Tea Leaves and Toasted RiceThis is my first attempt at Genmaicha, also know as the “people’s tea’ or “poor man’s” tea, which is a blend of roasted rice kernels and (in this case) sencha green tea. The tea was provided by The Persimmon Tree, an online tea purveyor based in Irvine, California.

I let boiling water cool for a minute and brewed the loose leaves for about two minutes. You can be a little looser with brewing time and temperature with Genmaicha because of the high rice content.

Much heavier in rice kernels than green tea, this enjoyable blend smells and tastes like Japanese toasted rice crackers with a hint of grassy sencha tea. Who new tea could be this savory? I found myself nibbling on the wet rice kernels after brewing, and I even grazed on a few dry ones too.

Aroma: Toasted rice, seaweed, grass, earthy
Body: Light
Flavor: Smooth, buttery, savory
Color: Light yellow

Disclaimer: The Persimmon Tree asked if I would be interested in reviewing a couple of their teas, to which I responded affirmatively. The opinions expressed in this blog post, however, are my own.

Tazo Chun Mee Green Tea Review

Tazo Chun Mee (Pan-Fired) Green Tea Brewing in a MugThis organic green tea, also marketed by Tazo as Pan-Fired Green, is a very easy green tea to enjoy for the uninitiated. I’ve gotten good results by bringing water to a boil, letting it cool for one minute, poring it over the tea bag, and allowing it to steep for three minutes.

The tea gives off a sweet seaweed and roasted aroma. Its body is heavier than most green teas I’ve had, but it goes down easy — never bitter when I follow the above method.

The tasted is smooth and slightly buttery with mild acidity. This is going to be my go-to green tea for work and travel.

Aroma: Vegetal, seaweed, roasted
Body: Medium
Flavor: Smoother, buttery, mildly acidic
Color: Yellowish green