12 Days of Christmas - Day 11

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha!

 

 

Happy Christmas Eve everyone! The excitement for the upcoming holiday is so saturated in the air that I can almost cut off a slice and spread it on toast. My little Christmas tree is started to fill up with presents and the Christmas music playing all the goddamn place sounds less annoying today.

 

 

 

I am happy to see another genmaicha on the label today, I will admit. As I have raved in an earlier review, I freaking love genmaicha blends, and Anne's in particular. And, as I  have had this tea before, I decided to play around with the tea and up the temperature and add some awesome Hello Kitty green tea filled  marshmallows that I got at the Japanese supermarket nearby. Oh my gawd. I don't know if it's sacrilegious to put marshmallows in tea, but the mallows and sweet green tea jelly took this already awesome brew to another level. 10/10 Would recommend A+ 

 

Tanuki loves a good genmaicha

 

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Marshmallow Assam!

 

Happy December 20th! Yesterday was my brother in law's birthday, so we saw the new Star Wars movie. It's kind of a tradition of sorts, last year we saw episode VII on his birthday as well. Except this time, we didn't have to wait an hour and a half in line to get in. I snuck in a thermos of the last of the Coconut Flan Genmaicha from Day 3 of the Countdown just in case. But I did learn that genmaicha tastes great with movie popcorn 😛

Death Star Does Not Approve

As I scratched off today's label, I pondered on how this tea will play out, I vaguely remember some old tea friends discussing the original blend when Frank was still part of the company; yet I never tried it for myself. Marshmallow and Assam are on such different flavor levels for me, so I am curious to see if the Assam will play nice with the marshmallow.

I went by the package instructions because I know how touchy Assam can be when it's over-leafed or over-brewed. A level teaspoon for 2 1/2 minutes - another short steep time - and I was good to go. I could smell a light creamy sweetness, just as if someone had cracked open a jar of marshmallow fluff in the next room.

I hate to say this, but I may have found the one blend in this countdown that I do not like. I love marshmallows, and I think that the flavor is sublime in tea, and Assam is a comforting, almost nostalgic tea that brings back a lot of happy memories. However, the two together just don't vibe. The Assam that Anne used is a very drinkable black tea on it's own, but the robustness and the astringency of the tea itself almost completely drowns out the fluffity puffity marshmallow. There is just the slightest hint of a sweet creaminess at the end. I feel like the blend is a bit simple for what I know Anne can cook up.

ETA: I made this tea into a latte at work with eggnog and some extra nutmeg sprinkled on top.good lawd, it was tasty!

12 days of Christmas - Day 4

On the Fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Coconut Flan Genmaicha!

I was honestly so excited to see this blend on today's tea. I am always a sucker for a genmaicha blend. I am such a fan of Anne's gemaicha blends. When this came out last May, I bought it instantly. It came out on my birth week and got it in time to have as a birthday brew at work. It was perfect birthday teat! I am always on the lookout for non-traditional Japanese tea blends. Houjicha, matcha, you name it.

Since I knew what to expect with this tea, I didn't pay to close attention to the cups. The distinct coconut creaminess shined through, nicely tying up the nutty, toasty flavor of the popped rice with it's coconut cream quality. It's a delicious and straightforward blend that hits the mark. I pity a fool that doesn't like the flavor of genmaicha, because this blend is hecka slammin'.