ZestTea Tastings

Moon-shake!! received a really nice box of samples from James at new Philadelphia-based tea company ZestTea. Boasting of triple the caffeine of normal tea, and with as much caffeine as coffee, this is clearly a new (high-energy!) marketing idea for the world's most consumed beverage.

I sampled the EARL GREY BLACK first, and upon infusing the whole-leaf pyramid tea bag into boiling water, I got a strong, rich English bergamot aroma. Touting 155 mg of caffeine per cup, this English breakfast tea (on steroids) tastes faithfully like it's classic tea counterpart. It's rich and full-bodied -- certainly not the lightweight "tea grounds" that are oftentimes the norm. The bergamot and fruity citrus notes impart a light bitterness that becomes more prominent when iced. Overall, this is a delicious and enjoyable beverage.

Next, I tried the BLUE LADY BLACK - a mix of Nilgiri Indian black tea, cornflower petals, hibiscus, orange, lemon, and passion fruit. Quite an impressive mix already! And immediately upon steeping, the fruity aromas come right out. Passionfruit presents itself foremost, with a hint of bitterness creeping in, before a citrus zing rounds out the palate. Really, this is a delicious fruit-infused tea, and one with undetectably mega-high amounts of caffeine.

Blending young Hysop green tea, pomegranate, mint, and lemon, the POMEGRANATE MOJITO GREEN steeps with a lush, fruity aroma. Hints of berry and pomegranate seem most up-front, rather the typical grassiness of average green tea. Tasting, I get a really great combination of the mint, lemon, and pomegranate. Again, this is a unique and palate-pleasing blend, even not considering the unusually high caffeine content. 

Finally, I tried the APPLE CINNAMON BLACK blend, and upon steeping this one, I got a mouthwatering amount of sharp, warm cinnamon. Taste is subtle, with more cinnamon than apple. Again, this is a very delicious tea blend. I wouldn't expect sweet apple fans to flock to this one, but the warming, spicy cinnamon content seems perfect for a cold Winter's morning. 

In short, Moon-shake!! really enjoyed ZestTea, with every flavor style being unique and quite a tasty treat. As for the energizing caffeine content, I can report a subtle and balanced jolt of energy upon enjoying a cup. Highly recommended as an alternative to those nasty sugary energy drinks or for those who can't stomach coffee.

For more info on ZestTea and ordering:

ZestTea

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn (by Capital Corn & Confections)

CAPITAL CORN & CONFECTIONS - CINNAMON BUN POPCORN

We received Capital Corn & Confections' delightful Cinnamon Bun popcorn as a nice promotional surprise this August. Housed in a 6.7 oz. clear plastic container, this gourmet popcorn was hastily opened to reveal a fluffy and sweet popcorn with a cinnamon-sugary glaze that did taste just as a good, warm cinnamon roll would.

I was particularly impressed with how the popcorn remained crispy and fresh-tasting, despite being coated with plenty of confectioners glaze, which would seemingly make the kernels go limp and soggy. Kudos to Capital Corn for making a sweet (and relatively healthy) treat that parents would feel more comfortable giving the kids. As one caveat, I'm not sure how natural or processed the sweet cinnamon glaze is, as there were no details on content or ingredients, unfortunately, so I have to hope that it's a wholesome and home-made mix.

Being as how it seems Capital Corn is a very small (and mostly local New Jersey, thus far) startup, it's refreshing to see them branching out, sending popcorn to faraway Indiana. With a little more word-of-mouth, I can easily see them making inroads with independent grocers, especially if they can verify or promote the natural ingredients contained within their delicious popcorn treats. From the website, I see they craft some other exotic (and undoubtably tasty) popcorn varieties. They do offer mail-order from their website, so give them a click and see for yourself!

Capital Corn & Confections (made by Trenton Popcorn in New Jersey)