New Tasting Notes

I am currently reading up and teaching myself the traditional tea ceremony of Japan. Matcha comes in at least two varieties, one for summer and another for winter. The summer variety is usually light, though still thicker than other teas, and less concentrated with a little frothiness. I think that the ones sold on the market are this type.

Matcha is bitter, very bitter, which makes it a great companion with usually sweet Japanese desserts. Try drinking Matcha with azuki bean filled mochi, you’d find it very satsfying.

In contrast to the summer variety, the winter version of the tea is stronger, thicker, more bitter and foamier. Instead of matching it with desserts, it is usually accompanied by a several coursed meal, which is an inherent part of the traditional tea ceremony as well.

To prepare Matcha, it is not really necessary to be trained in tea ceremony. Tea ceremony is more or less the art of entertaining guests with tea. Usually, I would take the less stylistic approach when I want to drink this tea. I simply add the Matcha powder to hot water and use a little bamboo whisk to create the frothy appearance. I have also tried to mix it with bottled water. Give it a little shake and you can get Matcha to go. Matcha is also a flavor of ice cream. Try the green tea flavor of Maeda-en, I absolutely recommend it.

This is basically steamed milk with a pyramid pouch of Tazo Earl Grey and a few vanilla shots. I like it the most out of Starbucks’ selection of tea lattes, but sometimes it can get too syrupy (depending on the barista).

Maybe it’s because I’ve had a small tin of this sitting in my cupboard for half a year, but it’s mellower (and I think sweeter) than other jasmine greens I’ve tried. That’s not a bad thing.

I thought I was going to like this tea, but I was surprised. I did not particularly like how strong it was. It was too overpowering in a small cup. I did read reviews though about how good it is in iced form, so maybe I’ll have to give it a try some time.

Apricot Ceylon tea latte is my usual whenever I visit Coffee Bean. I’m considering buying the tea itself to enjoy at home whenever I want…

This has been my tea of choice this winter. Love the toasted brown rice flavor. Enjoyed just in tea bag format at work for now… easy.

I love the full flavor of green tea this brand offers. The flavor is good enough to drink without any sweeteners and milk. I will have to say this is the best green tea in terms of quality, taste, and price.

I love the light taste of this tea with a bit of honey. It smells and tastes heavenly. =)

It smells great! The Starbucks barista even commented on how wonderful it smelled. Blueberry flavored and not overpowering. Probably more of a spring/summer flavor but was just what I needed on a frigid winter afternoon.

The leaves and tea have an almost overpowering fresh apricot aroma that leaves (no pun intended) a lasting fruit taste. The tea is a nice golden color and it finishes with a good apricot aftertaste, which is surprisingly more subtle than what I would expect from the smell.

Always a dependable breakfast tea (even though it’s past noon already today). Steeped for 4 1/2 minutes, it’s got a strong, malty flavor and dark reddish-brown liqueur.

Very light, mild green tea / slight floral notes.
Favorite for a rainy day warm-me-up!