Green Guava

Teabox Tuesday! This is the last green tea from the Here’s Hoping Teabox, so thank you to tea-sipper for organizing and those that participated! Since I like fruity greens iced, I coldsteeped my sample of this overnight and filled my water bottle with it this morning… and then didn’t get to drink it because my stomach has been in migraine nausea/pain hell all day. Gastric stasis, so fun! After massive amounts of mint it feels like it’s trying to settle a little, so I’m finally getting to sample this tea… at least my water bottle stays ice cold and I can drink the tea tomorrow if my stomach is feeling better!

I have no idea how old this leaf might be now, but I’m still getting a rather strong tropical fruity scent from the tea. I’m not sure if I could place the fruit, though. Perhaps mango or passion fruit? I suppose the obvious answer would be guava, but I’m fairly certain that is a fruit I’ve never had before! (I’m so uncultured) This still has a great flavor and I think a cold brew was a great way to go as far as preparation; the tea tastes very thirst-quenching and refreshing and has a nice fruit flavor that lingers on the back of my tongue, but doesn’t come off overbearing or oddly artificial, or with any of the strange metallic notes I sometimes get from flavoring agents. I’m picking up notes of stonefruit, particularly a peachy/apricot taste, as well as mango and a subtle orange citrus and sweet berry note, with the berry flavor probably the most prevalent mid-sip, but the apricot/mango flavor lingering on my tongue the strongest in the aftertaste. The green tea itself doesn’t leave much of an impression on me compared to the fruitness of the blend, other than being quite light, delicate, and refreshing.

This is a water bottle I am going to enjoy! Thanks for sharing!

This is another one I got from tea-sipper this summer. I remember quite liking this one at first, but I’m sad to say it’s lost some flavor in the ensuing months. I need to force myself to drink my green teas first! Totally my own fault. Anyway, the green tea is mild, not bitter or grassy. The fruit flavor is subtle, and it’s also hard to say what fruit it’s trying to be. I do like it though, even now.

I wanted to try this tea because I’ve been liking guava flavors in tea recently. (I haven’t actually had guava so I’m no expert.) But I think this tea might be misnamed. I’m not sure if the guava is hiding behind other fruit flavors (raspberry), but I’m not really tasting it here. There isn’t a ton of fruit flavor here anyway. It’s a really great green tea base though.. I never really see White Monkey green tea anywhere.
Steep #1 // 1 teaspoon for a full mug// 28 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // 25 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep

This has been in my cupboard for way too long. I got it as a free sample in a Simpson & Vail order about a year ago. I don’t know why I was so put off by it. I mean, I’m not opposed to fruity flavored greens, but guava can be really hit or miss when it’s used as flavoring.

The green tea base they used is mild and well-rounded with notes that remind me of white tea, but stronger. The leaves were pretty as I measured them into my infuser. Slender, pale green, and fuzzy with blue flower petals, dried raspberries, and what look like guava shavings.

This tea surprised me. I thought I was going into a tea that was going to be sour and vegetal, but it’s actually light and fruity. The guava flavor is very lively and sweet. Sometimes guavas can be kind of pungent, but there’s nothing like that in this. I’m really impressed by the base they used. It’s so clean and fresh, but not weak in any way. Nothing like the sometimes seaweedy senchas that often get blended with fruit. I might have to get a sample of it plain.

I had this cold steeped in my fridge, and decided to put it in a mason jar with some ice and frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries).

Before adding the berries, this was refreshing, light, and slightly fruity. I can’t really tell what kind of fruit, but it was fruity. There’s also a slight floral note to it, that I assume comes from the base tea.

With the frozen berries this was more flavorful, and the fruitiness more present. All and all this is an alright tea, something I would drink if offered, but wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

My picture of this in my mason jar: http://instagram.com/p/qNTH55Q04c/