two leaves and a bud

This is the first Gen Mai Cha I have tried. I’ve been curious about it for awhile, so after taking my kids to school I decided to sit down and enjoy some tea rather than attack the mountain of work I have to do. I’m good like that.

Since I mostly drink flavored black teas this cup took a bit of adjusting on my part. The strong taste of toasted rice on the first sip was not entirely pleasant, but it was quickly followed by the sweet grassy flavor of the tea. As the tea cooled the rice and grassy notes combined into an earthy flavor I really enjoyed. The aftertaste was subtle but sweet. Much better. The more the tea cooled (slightly above lukewarm) the fuller the flavor. An enjoyable tea, and one I’m sure I’ll try again.

This is everything you could want in a peppermint tisane. It’s crisp, minty, and full of natural flavor. It wasn’t stale or too mild at all. I got exactly what I was hoping for out of this option.

Thanks to Two Leaves and a Bud for sending along this sample!

I can’t stop drinking this tea of a busy morning. I’ve started noticing that each morning that I’m in a rush and need to get a quick tea fix, this is the first thing I grab! I’m almost out, so I really need to order a box sometime soon.

I really cannot express enough how impressed I am with this. By no means is it the most superb breakfast tea I’ve had, but it’s very good and I’m always surprised at how tasty it is coming in a bag and all.

Just enjoyed more of the Assam this morning. Took it in a travel mug prepared with milk and sugar in advance. This was exactly the right way to wake myself up this morning! Delicious, malty, and creamy (though you have to admit, it had to be the milk that added the creaminess! ;) ).

In any case, much like my previous commentary on this, it’s just a very nice, delicious tea to start the day! Moving my rating up a wee bit to account for my increased regard for this one.

After reading my initial review (really more of a horror story) about my experience trying the Tamayokucha green tea from Two Leaves and a Bud, I received an email from the Marketing Coordinator of the company. She was sad to hear about my terrible experience and wanted to ensure that I had an opportunity to make the tea myself for its full true effect.

I just received the package today and was excited to see more than just a few samples of the Tamayokucha, but some of this Assam as well as the “Better Rest Blend” herbal tisane. As I have been quite in the mood for a black tea lately, I picked out one of the Assam samples and brewed it up.

The liquor is a lovely deep amber color and gives a nice malty, bitter aroma. I first tried the tea plain and found it surprisingly smooth. The bitterness in the aroma was mellowed quite a lot and left more of a sweet after-taste than I anticipated. I added some sugar and milk and this was transformed even further into a particularly delicious breakfast tea for me.

Despite the fact that it is a bagged tea, it actually rivals some of the loose breakfast blends I have. Well done, I say!

My first whiff of the dry leaf in the pyramid bag was a little strong. The bergamot is perhaps stronger than I would prefer (a non-regular Earl Grey drinker). The brewed liquor is a nice deep amber and the aroma is similar to that of the dry leaf.

My first few sips were when the tea was freshly brewed and pretty hot still. The lemony bergamot really packed a wallop and I wasn’t particularly fond of it. It had a vaguely soapy, almost Pine Sol-like after taste for me. I let the cup sit a bit and the tea cooled. Once it was in the “pleasantly warm” category, I tried it again and basically all of the bergamot overkill had passed into history.

I think this will make a nice iced Earl Grey in the summer months, but I think I’ll pass on future hot cups.

Thanks again to Two Leaves and a Bud for sending along this sample for me!

This tea bag looks like it had received a little rough treatment at some point. Probably just when it was in transit, from what I can tell. Inside the pyramid bag most of the leaves were whole and fine, but some clearly had been crushed at some point inside the bag, so there were a bit more, well… bits than I would prefer.

However this did not result in a bad tea at all! I perhaps lessened my steeping time by a small amount to prevent from over-brewing with the smaller pieces, but that’s all.

I was a little worried about the flavoring on this tea, since I have experienced some teas that just overdo it. Thankfully, Two Leaves and a Bud do not fit in that category with this tea! The goji and tropical flavors are very mild and pleasant. It just adds a sweetness to the tea. The liquor has a nice light yellowish color and the aroma is a bit sweeter than the tea itself (which was in its favor).

This is a tea that I would enjoy on a morning where I need just a mild wake up and something sweet instead of hearty. Not sure if I’d pick up too much at a time, but a few on hand would not go amiss!

Thank you to Two Leaves and a Bud for sending along this sample!

As I was adding a selection of teas I had just received to my cupboard, I couldn’t decide what tea to try first. All of a sudden, I accidentally clicked the “Log” button on this tea and decided it was fate to try this one first!

First and foremost, this tea is in a bag. However, it’s a lovely, compostable pyramid bag that is not over stuffed in the least. When I added the tea to the hot water, whenever this is the case, the first thing I do is watch the tea inside the bag. In this case, I was able to see each piece of leaf (sort of like a cut whole leaf, but clearly no harsh process) expand to its fullest potential. The pyramid was mostly filled, but even with full expansion, there was still a small amount of space to allow the leaves to expand more if they needed.

Definitely a good start for a tea bag!

The liquor turned out a bit darker than I anticipated, but the aroma is still light and sweet. It is mildly floral in a richer way than a jasmine tea. When it came time to taste the tea, I was a little surprised, as the flavor was a bit lighter than I anticipated, especially with the color of the liquor.

Yet the flavor is very like the aroma in its floral features as an undertone to the simple natural sweetness of the tea. While I think I still prefer the loose, full leaf Bai Mu Dan tea to this, when I am not able to sit and enjoy a nice gongfu tea making, this will not only suffice, but fulfill the need for a pleasurable and delicious tea!

Thank you very much to Two Leaves and a Bud for the sample! I look forward to tasting more!

My mom got me this for Christmas, and I really wanted to like it. However, I have the same problems with it that I have with lots of other high camomile blends: it tastes like soap or a scented candle to me. My favorite part was the gorgeous pink color that it had when brewed.

A Classic pick me up and traditional brew! Its perfect to drink straight up and to drink it “cuppa style” with lots of sugar and/or milk early in the morning or afternoon. The tea not bad at all, not as stong and assertive as one may think of Assams teas but it delivers just the best amount of kick and character normally expected of Assams. The flavor was quite balance with a good amount maltiness and a little starchiness that gives this tea its comforting nature begging its dear drinker for more than a cup!

This was my first Gen Mai Cha, and it took me a little bit to get acquainted with the taste. It kind of tastes like unbuttered popcorn, which it turns out I like somewhat. I put in a little sugar, which I thought might be weird, but I definitely liked the addition.

I am being very bad with keeping up with my tasting notes, and how else can I be sure which of LiberTEAS’ teas I have tried?

This is my third cup of tea today. One was an old favourite (three lemon green), one I am reserving comment on until I have it again (a mate, which I had never tried before), and this one is just delicious. I will definitely be resteeping the leaves when I’m done this cup – this tea is so pleasant and sweet! I actually expected it to be slightly more earthy from the smell but it wasn’t at all. The aftertaste almost reminds me of Dragonwell somehow…

I have an open pop. I drank half. It is just not doing it for me. I want tea. My wife has some project going in the kitchen and I can’t get to the compost bowl to empty my old leaves. sigh. Oh wait, I have a couple sachets of genmaicha left. Yeah!

This is my only experience with this type tea. I don’t know if it is a good example – except LiberTEAS rated it well and that is good enough for me.

First time I tried this I had no idea what it was. It was so weird I liked it just for that reason. Later cups I learned to like it because it tastes good.

Today I left the sachet in the cup the whole time, like an amateur, just to see what happens – it wasn’t because I forgot my cozy and didn’t want to get up and get it – ok maybe it was. I won’t be able to get a second steep now but this cup had heft with its roasty nutty flavor. Yum.

Upping the rating. Steeped 2 minutes. The green base was so sweet and fresh. The rice is less pronounced the way I brewed it today but still adds a wonderful flavor to the cup. Got me through a really bad attitude this afternoon. Every time I started to say things I shouldn’t I took a sip. Unfortunately, I ran out of sip before I ran out of time at work. sigh. Good tea.

Had another cup this morning – from yesterday’s sachet! Never throw them out until you try. I am actually enjoying this more the second time around. I think I steeped it too long yesterday. Today I am not drinking this because it is interesting or different. I am enjoying it because it is good, really good.

I did a little research. According to Wickepedia, that bastion of always accurate information ;^) genmaicha did originate to stretch the leaf so the poor of Japan could enjoy their tea. So my oats in hamburger analogy was pretty accurate. This tea is also known as popcorn tea as some of the rice pops while roasting, resembling, well, popcorn.

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for this one. I have never had a Genmaicha before. This is in a silk pyramid. Steeped 3minutes in below boiling water. Oh My Goodness, does this smell great as it is brewing! Roasty, toasty, Rice Krispies in my cup. The bag is full to busting as my Grandmother used to say. The brew is clear and light amber/green.

This reminds me of back in Junior High when the school put oats in the hamburger to make it go further. To this day I crave oats in hamburger. Now I don’t have history with this to so I have no built in craving but I can imagine that same need for stretching is how this tea came in to being.

I like it but I am still trying to wrap my mind around the taste. Both interesting and truly different than anything I have had before. I have no point of reference. By the other ratings I assume this is an excellent example of this type tea. Once I develop a taste for genmaicha I will probably agree.

Am drinking this right now. I survived my major dental work but oweeee my mouth and tongue certainly are hurting.

I love jasmine teas. This one the flavor is very subtle and soft.This is a staple tea in my cupboard and I cant believe I never logged it prior. I never think to log this one as it is simply always an option and always present. Nothing earth shattering but a good cup of tea to have by your side.

This is my trusty tea next to me today at work. On the second steep — even with microwaved water (all I have access to) this is good. This tea reminds me of so many jasmien green teas I have loved — like an old friend! I am so happy to have this in my collection. See my previous note…

The green tea base is very soft. The whole tea has a soft mouthfeel. The Jasmine is very apparent in the dry leaves but is more muted in the cup. I really like floral teas that do not come off as exceedingly perfume-y.

Second steep was just as yummy as the first!

Picked this up as loose leaf at my local Whole Foods. This is a good, affordable cup. I looked at the two leaves and a bud webpage and am now curious about their other offerings. I paid $6.00 U.S. for 3.5 oz/ 100 g. — the only thing is the same product costs more on the tea company webpage! Usually I would think it would be the other way around.

Sweet. Grassy. Handles my oversteeping with grace. A nice green!

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Water: hot spigot water, 6-8oz
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes (http://steep.it)
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet, herb-like
Steeped Tea Smell: grassy
Flavor: grassy
Body: Full
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: translucent dark yellow

too hot water? too long? anyway, grassy

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss!

Rating: 2/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-leaves-and-bud-teabag-green-tea.html