280 Tasting Notes
There is nothing like Rooibos with Vanilla. Very popular in Germany.
I could drink this all the time and never get tired of it! (especially because it’s caffeine-free)
This is more of a review for Rooibos Vanille (Red Bush with Vanilla) than Celestial Seasonings-specific tea.
I was pleasantly surprised by this tea.
I don’t care too much for fruit teas (at least, ones where fruit is intended to be the main flavor of interest), but this actually had very good flavor.
Rating -
For fruit teas: 95/100
For Celestial Seasonings: 80/100
Overall: 75/100
My wife really likes this tea, and I tend to agree with her.
Trader Joe’s sells the same stuff but in different packaging….
It has a very nice mint taste, along with a few other flavors I can’t quite describe, but it is fuller and (in my opinion) better than normal green tea with mint.
It’s nice that it’s decaffeinated as well.
Rating –
For green tea w/ mint: 90/100
For Celestial Seasonings: 90/100
Overall: 85/100 (It compares well to similar teas and is one of my favorite Celestial seasonings, but it isn’t among my most favorite teas)
For what it is and what you pay, this is great value. Excellent flavor and quality for being in a pyramid tea bag. If you want to drink Sencha often and keep things cheap, this is a good way to go.
Again, this isn’t an 85 if you compare it to other Sencha or other types of Japanese Green Tea. But if you compare it to other Senchas in tea bags, then it is very good.
Rating -
For Sencha: 74/100
For Green Tea: 64/100
Value: 100/100
Overall: 84
This is my first experience with Matcha, so it is hard to compare it to anything.
As others have said, it is very smoothe—however, it does have a little bit of a bitter flavor that I did not taste when I drank other Den’s Teas that had matcha added. The bitterness wasn’t terrible, but it hasn’t made me excited about Matcha. I will say that this Matcha is good enough to show me what the taste/texture of Matcha is aiming for, and it helps me to imagine what a good Matcha could taste like…. so I do want to try a higher quality one sometime. However, I’m not ready to go out and buy 20g more…so hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to try a cup of the high quality stuff to see if its worth paying the higher price.
Nonetheless, this is good value for the price. If you like Matcha and have a limited budget, you probably won’t go wrong with this.
For Matcha of this quality/cost (just a guess): 84
For Green Tea (just a guess): 74
Overall (just a guess): 79
Preparation
Got this in the $3 sampler pack…
When I was a kid, I used to use a magnifying lens to burn leaves that had fallen from trees. I remember it always brought out a very nice, roasted smell from the leaf.
This tea has that exact same smell that I remember from childhood!
Once brewed, it has a nice roasted aroma and taste, but yet is still comes across as being refreshing. However it ends with a surprising sweetness that makes you want to gulp it down. Plus it’s nice to be able to drink it in the evening with the low caffeine.
I have yet to try it iced but it’s on my to do list!
Rating -
For Houjicha (in my very limited experience): 92/100
For Green Tea Overall: 82/100
Overall: 87
Preparation
The aroma is wonderful—deliciously cherry-without smelling like fake cherry cough syrup. I almost like opening the bag and smelling the tea as much as drinking it!
The taste is just enough cherry as to enhance the Sencha, without overpowering it. That’s the point of flavored senchas after all, right? To add a twist to the original, a new way to enjoy the normal cup of sencha.
If you find the cherry flavor not strong enough, especially on the 2nd brew, brew it hotter (between 190 – 200) and it will come out more.
Rating –
For Sakura Sencha: 100/100 (I doubt there are much better Sakura Senchas out there — any one challenge that, or have any suggestions to try?)
For Green Tea: 90/100
Overall: 95/100
