Review–Red Rose Simply Indulgent Tea

To my delight, Influenster included samples of Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas in the J’adore Vox Box that I received. I had actually been checking out this tea brand, the day before I knew I’d be getting it in a Vox Box. How did I find out about them? Browsing Instagram, of course!

I had come across some figurines on Instagram, and learned that they came in Red Rose Tea. They only come in the 100ct Black Tea boxes, though, but you can send in UPC codes to get them anyway. They have some really cute little nautical figurines right now.

Anyway, their Simply Indulgent line of teas has loads of flavors that I’d love to try. Anyone willing to send me more samples for reviews?

I was sent three of the Crème Caramel and one of the Lemon Chiffon complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. The Lemon Chiffon one is decaffeinated, while the Crème Caramel one is regular.

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Ingredients

The ingredients weren't listed on the packets that I received, and I couldn't find them on the Red Rose Tea site. So, I did a little research and found the ingredient lists on Amazon.

Crème Caramel Ingredients: black tea, natural crème caramel flavor, natural caramel flavor

Lemon Chiffon Ingredients: decaffeinated black tea, natural lemon chiffon flavor, lemon peel

Hurray for these teas being 100% natural, but the ingredient lists still leave me wondering what all is in them. Natural flavoring is kind of vague, in my opinion. Since they have a sweet aftertaste, I wonder if there’s licorice in them… (No, not like the candy. Licorice is actually just a sweet plant. The flavoring you’re probably thinking of comes either from anise or fruits.)

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Smell / Taste

Crème Caramel – After getting this tea bag out of the packet, I was SO excited to try this tea! If you’ve ever had homemade Thai Ice Tea, it smells so much like it. I wasn’t picking up much of the caramel smell, but it was more present once the hot water hit the tea bag. I think I had myself a little too built up on the idea of it being exactly like Thai Ice Tea, because I was slightly disappointed. However, keep in mind that Thai Ice Tea does have a decent amount of actual cream in it. The taste was still fairly creamy, and left the sweet aftertaste of cream on my tongue. It was a little tricky trying to detect the caramel, as it was pretty light. This was without honey or any other type of sweetener.

I took the other two packets over to my mother’s house, so we could have a cup together. She also enjoyed the smell of it, and was very impressed with it, after the first sip. I have to say, with some honey added in, I was definitely more impressed. The honey helped bring out more of the caramel flavor that I was looking for. And, we both agreed that, had I never had Thai Ice Tea before, I would probably be addicted to this tea. And, so, the hunt was on to find a box of this.

FYI Red Rose Tea has a store locator on their site. If you’re like me, and they don’t actually sell in your state, you can order online and still get $2 off. I’m not sure how long it lasts, but the coupon code is: 313038

Lemon Chiffon – This smell surprisingly similar to the Crème Caramel tea bag, with a very slight hint of lemon. Like the Crème Caramel, though, the lemon scent came through more during steeping. It has the same sort of sweet, creamy aftertaste that lingers, and a nice lemony zing to it. I really like this one, but I’m not sure I’m too happy about it being decaffeinated. There is some controversy as to whether or not decaffeinated products, like tea and coffee, are safe for your health. So, although I really like this one, I’m not sure I’m comfortable with getting it again.

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Opinion

Both flavors are wonderful, and are accurate to their names. Despite their lovely flavors, I do have to pick on them a bit. I’d really like to see the Lemon Chiffon in a regular version, in addition to the decaffeinated version. And, the fact that the ingredient lists are a little vague does bug me a little. At least it does say that the ingredients are 100% natural. However, natural doesn’t necessarily mean organic. They do have some teas that are specifically labeled as organic, though.

And….. I really wish this brand would be available for purchase in my state! Please? Pretty please?

 

 

 

FTC Statement: The Red Rose Teas were provided to me free of charge by Influenster for testing purposes. No compensation has been accepted for this post, and no affiliate links have been used. Affiliate links are present, however, in my sidebars. This has not affected the opinions within this post, and complies with FTC standards.

Review: Red Leaf Tea Caramel Matchacinno

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

If you love caramel and matcha, you’ll definitely want to check out the Caramel Matchacinno from Red Tea Leaf. I received a bag of it for free from Tomoson, and I absolutely love it! It’s 100% natural; no preservatives, artificial coloring, artificial sweeteners, GMOs, or MSG. Plus, it’s super easy to make.

This isn’t my first matcha from Red Tea Leaf; I’ve also reviewed the Eggnog Matcha. Although that one didn’t go over too well with my family or myself, we’ve really enjoyed the Caramel Matchacinno. I’m really glad that I got to try this one, too, because the difference between the two matcha flavors has been like day and night. This is definitely a flavor that I would order again, and has convinced me to see what else I’d like to order from Red Tea Leaf. Had I only tried the eggnog one, I’m not sure I would have.

For those who haven’t checked out my previous review, Red Tea Leaf is a company that specializes in unique and exotic teas from around the world. Being basically a tea addict, they’re my kind of company. In addition to their online store, they also have an Etsy store. If you don’t find what you’re looking for in one, there’s a good chance they carry it in the other. If you’re curious about the eggnog one, I’ve only seen that on their site. The Caramel Matchacinno is also only listed on their site; I wasn’t able to find it in their Etsy store. They have much more than just matcha. There’s also white, black, herbal, red, oolong, and even wine-infused tea. I have to admit, I'm pretty curious about the wine-infused tea.

Depending on which size you choose, the options for customization change. Below are what options you’re able to choose from for the small bag as of 1/18/2014.

And buying the large bag gives you a lot more options, along with a free scoop. You won’t see the options below, unless you actually select the large bag. Then they show up.

I received a sample bag. 2% milk was used for each matchacinno. You can make this either hot or cold. I prefer hot, especially during these cold Winter days, but cold is still good. The instructions are very easy to follow. You can see, basically, what was included on the instruction form that came with my bag.

And below is the sample bag that I received, along with an information sheet. The bag isn’t resealable. So, I just folded it over, taped it, and stored it in a Ziploc bag to keep it fresh until the next use.

The smell is a sweet, buttery caramel that filled my kitchen and made it smell wonderful. Like I said, the instructions are very easy, and the result is lovely. If you’re not careful, though, it can settle to the bottom of your glass. So, keep a small spoon handy, if you plan to take your time drinking it. Don’t worry; it makes a very smooth drink, it’s just that it can settle a bit.

I really don’t have any complaints about this matcha. The caramel flavor is definitely there, and is nice and sweet. It’s exactly what I would expect if I were to mix up some matcha in a batch of caramel. Actually… that might not be a bad idea… Hmm… experiment time? If it works out, I’ll post the recipe for everyone.

If I had to pick on anything, “natural flavor” is a bit vague. I know the info says everything is 100% natural and free of any junk like GMOs and whatnot, but I’m just kind of wondering what “natural flavor” includes. Anyway, minor nitpicking aside, I really love this stuff, and could definitely use another bag in the large size.

Want some for yourself? You can click the banner below to go to Red Leaf Tea’s website. They give away a different flavor each month to sample, and you can actually request a sample of whatever matcha you’d like to try it. The sample for this month is French Vanilla.

 

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Red Leaf Tea Eggnog Matcha Review and Giveaway

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I can never get enough green tea. When I saw the opportunity to review a flavored matcha from Red Leaf Tea on Tomoson, I just couldn’t resist. I received a couple different flavors. One was the eggnog flavor, which I’ll be covering in this review and offering up for a giveaway! The other was a caramel matchacinno, which I’ll have a review up for later this week.

Red Leaf Tea is a company that specializes in exotic and unique teas from around the globe. They sell not only on their own site, but on Etsy, as well. They carry a wide selection of white, black, herbal, green, red, oolong, and even wine-infused tea. The eggnog matcha is available via their website, and has a number of options to choose from. Below is a snapshot of their current options for the eggnog matcha as of 1/14/2014

The sample bag that I received was the basic grade, regular matcha with delicate flavor. This is also what you will receive, should you win the giveaway.

I received my eggnog matcha in a shiny gold, non-resealable packet, along with instructions on how to prepare it bot hot and cold. It’s very easy to prepare either way.

I was excited for my husband to try this, since he’s such a big fan of eggnog. Whenever he sees it start to be stocked in the stores, he has to stock up on it. So, I figured he would love this. Upon opening the bag, it didn’t smell much like eggnog. It was a bit more like coconut and matcha, but it still smelled good and actually made the whole kitchen smell lovely. I prepared it hot for him, and he said there really wasn’t much flavor to it. I tried it myself and agreed. So, I added a bit more than what was recommended. That helped, but the eggnog flavor still wasn’t that noticeable. And, to me, it was more coconut than eggnog, although my husband disagrees. I also had my mother try it. She agrees with me on the smell and taste, and also added that the sweetness of eggnog is missing. So, we tried it cold and added some honey in. That helped, but it still wasn’t quite right. Unlike the caramel matchacinno, we all felt that the eggnog matcha left a bit of a strange taste in our mouth.

Unfortunately, none of us were that impressed with it. The caramel matchacinno, which I’ll be reviewing soon, was amazing, though! So, maybe the eggnog matcha just wasn’t for us. I’ve seen reviews from others saying that it’s best to get the robust flavoring to fully enjoy the eggnog flavor. So, I think the “delicate” flavoring was a bit too delicate for all of us.

If you’d like to try out this festive matcha yourself, please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway.

There’s only one mandatory entry. All other options are completely optional. One winner will be drawn via a random number generator. US residents only please. If you have any issues with the widget, click “contact” in my menu bar and let me know what’s wrong. No worries if it doesn’t record an entry or something. Just let me know, and I’ll jot it down in my notes for you. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

My Pocky Day Sale Purchase from Jbox

In case you didn’t know, Jbox is having a Pocky Day sale in honor of Pocky Day, which is today… Sorry that I forgot to tell everyone… It’s not really a say, per se; you’re just getting double points on snacks, which is still awesome. Once you gather enough points, you can use them to get money off future orders.
Anyway, below is what I ordered. Yeah, the shipping kind of kills, but that’s what happens when you order something from Japan from the US.

I’ll let you know when it gets here! I can’t wait for the Ramune UHA Puccho! And Pocari Sweat is even better than Gatorade, when I’m sick. It’ll be nice to have some of that on hand again.