Tag: Green Tea

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Dessert by Deb’s Jingle Bell Berry

Jingle Bell Berry by Dessert by Deb
Green Tea / Flavoured
$6.00 for 25g

First Impressions

If you have been following my Instagam (@onemoresteep), you might have seen my unboxing video for the very first Dessert by Deb tea subscription box! For those who aren’t aware, Dessert by Deb is created and curated by the same mastermind that was behind The Sugared Teacup (of which, I had also had a subscription to as well). Dessert by Deb features handblended organic teas from Toronto, Ontario (Canada) – created in partnership with Lemon Lily (also a Toronto-based tea company). Jingle Bell Berry is the first of the teas from the box that I’ll be showcasing and reviewing here on One More Steep (and no, this is not sponsored – I’m just an enthusiast for trying out tea blends from a Canadian-based organic tea company).

Jingle Bell Berry came in a matte copper pouch that was sealed and is resealable – which is always nice for keeping the tea from going stale. There are a lot of berries in this blend, which is the first thing that I smelled. It’s quite fruity and sweet – I don’t really smell the green tea base but with a name like Jingle Bell Berry, I’m not even mad about it. Jingle Bell Berry consists of organic: green tea, cherries, elderberries, currants, raisins, hibiscus, juniper berries, apple, rosehips, and safflower. That’s six berries and two flowers, for anyone who’s keeping track at home.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Jingle Bell Berry in 200°F (93°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to steep at a lower temperature (175°F/79°C) but did steep for the full 6 minutes.

First Taste

Jingle Bell Berry steeps to a curious golden red colour, it’s not quite what I was expecting when I saw hibiscus in the list of ingredients (that often lends itself to a brighter pink colour). The aroma is mostly that of cherry to me, an overall nice fruitiness from it. The flavour is sweet, and I can taste berries. It’s pleasant with surprisingly no tartness given the hibiscus in it. I didn’t really taste the green tea base, as all the berries are much stronger in flavour strength.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Jingle Bell Berry and found that the flavour just didn’t quite match the initial steep (I think it’s because most of the flavour of the berries and flowers were sapped in the first steep).

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Jingle Bell Berry. I found that the fruity berry notes were really pleasant, and I did enjoy the colour. I was a bit surprised at how strong the cherry flavour and aroma was, given the presence of all the other ingredients, but it was quite tasty. I do wish that the green tea had been more present in the steeped tea, but I think it likely supported the other flavours. I would consider cold steeping Jingle Bell Berry in the future, as I think it might make a nice fruity iced tea.

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Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea

Candy Cane Green Tea by Trader Joe’s
Green Tea / Flavoured
$1.99USD for 39g (20 tea bags)

First Impressions

I’m forever fascinated by Trader Joe’s – I think it’s mostly because the stores and their products aren’t available in Canada and that is part of their charm! So I’m sharing my thoughts on the Candy Cane Green Tea, which is a decaffeinated seasonal offering. Like the Harvest Blend Herbal Tea, it’s happily illustrated (with a bonus narwhal on inside flap of box). The tea comes in a cardstock box that is sealed under cellophane. Inside the box, the tea bags are inside of a waxed paper pouch that is resealable.

Candy Cane Green Tea is a delightfully minty smelling blend and the ingredients in this seasonally appropriate green tea blend are: peppermint, decaffeinated green tea, orange peel, natural flavours, cinnamon, milk thistle seed, blackberry leaves, roasted carob pods, vanilla beans and roasted chicory. There is hidden soy in this green tea blend though – there’s soy bean oil used to roast the chicory root.

Preparation

Trader Joe’s recommends heating water to “just below boiling” and allowing it to cool before steeping the tea for 3 minutes. I opted to use my variable temperature kettle and heat water to 175°F (79°C) and steeped the tea for 3 minutes.

First Taste

Candy Cane Green Tea steeps to a golden brown colour. There’s a strong minty aroma from the steeped tea, which is what I was expecting considering what the dry leaf smelled like. The flavour is a mixture of minty and sweet. The peppermint aroma is strong and I like it. It does make me think of candy canes, which is such a quintessential holiday flavour. There’s a hint of vanilla in the background, which make it all the more well-rounded in terms of flavour. I don’t really taste the green tea base, but that’s perfectly fine considering I’m drinking it more for the minty goodness than anything else.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Candy Cane Green Tea but found that the peppermint wasn’t nearly as strong as the initial steep. I would say that Candy Cane Green Tea is good for just the one steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea. I love a good seasonal tea, and the peppermint in this green tea blend really ticked all the boxes for me. Luckily, unlike my favourite mint-laced black teas, Candy Cane Green Tea is decaffeinated, which means I’m able to drink it at all times of the day and be less concerned about the caffeine hindering me from sleeping (a nice option for shift workers). Bonus, it’s an inexpensive holiday tea option that’s going to work with me that’ll be good for both twelve-hour day and night shifts alike – and it’s very tasty!

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Buddha Leaf’s Ceremonial Grade Matcha

Ceremonial Grade Matcha by Buddha Leaf
Green Tea (Matcha) / Straight
$17.99 for 40g

First Impressions

I picked up Buddha Leaf’s Ceremonial Grade Matcha at a local grocery store in the coffee & tea aisle… because it was on sale. At first I thought the powder would come preportioned because it said “20 serving portions” on the packaging itself. So the packaging of Matcha is a resealable pouch and inside of that pouch is a sealed (non-resealable) silver packet with the matcha inside of that. I do feel like it’s double packaging, and needlessly so. The outer packaging could have been heat sealed and it would have been okay.

Ceremonial Grade Matcha is a light spring green colour. The aroma is grassy primarily, with a hint of saltiness in the background. I’m curious about how well this will taste since it’s described as being “ceremonial grade”. Ceremonial Grade Matcha consists of organic Japanese matcha.

Preparation

There were no preparation instructions on the packaging that I could find, so I relied on my matcha knowledge. I sifted the powder into my matcha bowl, and then used 175°F (79°C) water and whisked it until it produced a thin layer of bubbles across the top. It was easy to whisk up.

First Taste

Ceremonial Grade Matcha has some bright spring green bubbles across the top, and a dark green tea. The aroma is grassy. I found when I drank it, that it was quite astringent and bitter. There’s some grassy notes, as well as umami flavour. But I did find the astringency to off-putting. The back of the packaging suggests that it could be used in smoothies or lattes, which I think it might be a good idea. I think it’d be great for baking with as well, or at least adding some sweetener to it to make it more palatable.

A Second Cup?

No second steepings with matcha.

My Overall Impression

I thought that Buddha Leaf’s Ceremonial Grade Matcha was just okay. While I think the grassy notes were pleasant, I found it to be quite bitter and not very pleasant when it was drank straight. But with a little bit of sweetener and milk, it makes for a nice latte so I would recommend using it mixed with something if you’re not a fan of the bitterness.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.