Milk Caramel

Sipdown. You know how their Chestnut green tastes like salmon teriyaki to me? Well, this seems to have taken that route in recent times, as well. I’m starting to think that their caramel flavouring is doing that to me, and even more likely, when it’s starting to age. This did not taste like that when I first got it, so I suspect it was fresh while the Chestnut was already older when I got it.

I tried finishing this up over the past few days. Had a few cups, but after the last one, I decided to throw the remaining 12g of leaf into the garbage. Just not worth it!

Woo, finally got to try some of this tea (which has been on my wish list for at least a couple years) courtesy of Sil :D

Although I certainly enjoyed drinking it, I was kind of disappointed in the flavour – nice lightly toasty houjicha, but not nearly as much creamy caramel as I was hoping for. The flavour was definitely there, just not overly strong. I’m pretty sure I’ve read other reviews with similar experiences, so I’m guessing it’s not an age or storage issue, but I’d try it again if I had the chance, if only because I think houjicha is a great base tea that’s underused (and I want to encourage its use).

Note of bitter grassy/leafy taste. Houjicha is an interesting choice for a flavoured tea. I find that it has a quite unique flavour itself and could use a complement flavouring. This tea tastes mainly like Houjicha with a very faint caramel sweetness note. I think a bit of a stronger caramel flavour would do well here. The Houjicha on its own is quite tasty with fresh roasted tones and light chestnut finish.

Thanks to Sil for sharing with me!

I am so happy with this tea, it’s got a yummy smell and taste. It’s got that roasted taste like barley/houjicha that I really like. Very comforting on a stormy not so good night… now where’s my cookies…

From the SanTEA Claus TTB

This is alright, but I don’t love it. It taste like a roasted butterscotch to me, and, while I didn’t have a problem finishing my cup, it’s not something I’d want to purchase.

Really enjoying this tea this morning. It’s so good with almond milk.Makes it supper creamy….yum!

As a reward for working on my cupboard so well, i figured it was time to open up one of the few teas i have that i haven’t managed to try yet. I’ve actually been trying to spend more time on not just working through my older teas, but getting around to trying all my teas on hand so that i know what i want to keep around or restock. I was intrigued enough by this one to buy it, since i’ve had some positive experiences with hojicha, and well, i love caramel :)

My initial few sips of this one made me feel like it wasn’t what i expected it to be. i was looking for more caramel…more..just more. However, i realised shortly after that, that my cup was empty lol. This isn’t deep rich velvety milk caramel, but it is sweet and delicious. I’m a little curious how this would fare as a latte, since it might add to the creaminess. Overall, i’m quite happy with this and i’m going to have fun playing with the rest of my bag! :)

Back to Lupicia! This sample came from Starfevre, thanks dear! I haven’t been the biggest fan of houjicha so far, but I figured a caramel-flavored one might suit me better. The dry leaf is a large variety of sizes, and unbroken and broken leaves. They’re a medium warm brown in color, and there are a couple tiny pieces of brittle or something mixed in. The dry scent is light, sweet caramel with a milky creamy smell.

The steeped aroma is quite roasty and toasty with a lovely sweet creamy caramel smell. The flavor is actually much lighter than I expected, I wonder if I should have steeped it longer. There’s a light roasted flavor along with an even lighter sweet caramel note and a touch of cream. I did add a touch of raw sugar to help being out the caramel even more. Overall, it’s pretty good, but I may use more tea or steep longer next time.

This is one of the teas my classmate sent when she went back to the store.

Such an interesting sounding tea, so I had to try. There is a nice roasted, sweet scent, slightly nutty scent. The caramel came out more in the flavour, it made for a very different tasting pairing with the houjicha. I was surprised how much I liked it, and it made me think of dessert. Perhaps a dessert I need to make. (Now I want to try other flavoured houjicha.)

Thank you so much Tealizzy for this bonus swap sample!

I LOVE the idea of a caramel flavored houjicah. How brilliant! This one is strong on the caramel scent, but light on the caramel flavor. The houjicha has a lovely roasty taste though, so I am really enjoying this. YAY!!!!