My first Ahmad tea review, and I’ve decided to go for a simple green tea with lemon. Lemon Vitality tea is one of 12 teas I’ve got in my sample box to work through and it felt like a safe place to start.
Lemon with green tea is a classic combination that’s usually made with a steamed Japanese green tea, like Sencha. They call it remon-nokcha (lemon-green tea) and the health benefits of lemon and green tea are notable too.
The acidity of lemon breaks down the tea’s antioxidants, helping your body absorb them more readily. And we all know the health benefits of getting some vitamin C. Whether the lemon flavouring in Ahmad Tea’s green tea (Chinese fired, not Japanese steamed) will have the same effect, I do not know.
I do know, however, that it’s absolutely delicious and worth a try regardless!
Ahmad Lemon Green Tea Bags at a Glance
- Blend: Green tea with lemon fruit pieces
- Flavour: Fresh, bitter lemon with warm green tea and subtle sweetness
A refreshing cup of lemon green tea, with subtle warmth and sweetness. A very easy tea to drink and surprisingly good for tea bag quality.
Full Review - Ahmad Tea Lemon Vitality
- Type: Tagged paper tea bags
- Tea: Green tea
- Additives: Lemon flavouring and real lemon pieces
- Flavour Notes: Fresh, bitter lemon zest, notes of lime and fresh cut grass, subtle naturally sweet aftertaste
- Aroma: Dried lemon, grass, fresh greenery, vegetal notes
- Milk or Lemon: Small slice of lemon
- Where to Buy: Amazon
I do like lemon flavours but they can have a tendency to taste like toilet cleaner smells when brewed too strongly.
That’s not what happened here. From start to finish this tea was delightful. The green tea base has a freshness and hint of vegetal grass – but there’s a warmth that dominates it. I would guess this is from the Chinese method of firing green tea rather than steaming it like the Japanese, which adds that slightly roasted flavour.
The dry aroma smells like dried lemon zest, rather than fresh lemon juice. Once brewed, the lemon freshens up and is joined by vegetal notes and that general green tea aroma.
I take a sip.
Lemon Green Tea Flavour Notes
It’s very pleasant. The first thing you’ll notice is a bitterness, but not from the tea. It’s like the natural bitterness you’d expect if you bit into a slice of lemon. It’s joined by invigorating lemon juice which refreshes your palate and wakes up your senses a little. Following that there’s a warmth from the green tea and finally a natural sweetness on your tongue just as you swallow.
The lemon doesn’t taste freshly-squeezed, but it definitely doesn’t taste artificial either. Notably, there’s no drying sharpness which you’d usually expect from natural lemon flavours.
Usually I limit myself when testing teas for this blog. I take just enough sips to get the full flavour profile written down. But with this tea, I couldn’t help but finish it entirely. It’s very easy drinking.
How to Brew Green Tea with Lemon
Delicious with a small slice of lemon to add a little sharpness to an otherwise warm and comforting cup.
I brewed my Ahmad lemon green tea bag for 3 minutes and 10 seconds at 80°C until it was a dark honey colour with a hint of green.
Recommended brew time was 3 to 5 minutes, so that was pretty accurate! One thing I was a little surprised at, however, was the recommendation to brew it at 90°C, which is a little high for a green tea.
If I had brewed it at a hotter temperature, I worry that the green tea base would have added bitterness to the tea.
This was a very pleasant drink when I taste-tested it in the morning, but I can see myself drinking this at all times of day and at all times of year. It would be delightful iced and I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can try it.
Why Ahmad Tea Bags?
Not too dusty and there’s quite a lot of tea for a single tea bag!
The tea is finely chopped, but not dusty, and you can see those flecks of dried lemon fruit pieces. Not great but looking at the price, I’m happy with what I’ve got. I was also very impressed to find that the tea packets are foil rather than paper. Somehow, this always makes tea taste fresher. I’ll do some research to find out why and post an explainer article soon.
The origin of this tea varies slightly depending on the season, but Ahmad Tea confirm that it’s sourced from China’s Golden Triangle. This area covers the Jiangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces in the East of China, by the East China Sea.
Yes, that’s a pretty broad area covering over 400,000 km² but that’s a lot more precise than most supermarket tea brands. You usually only find the origins specified by more niche tea brands selling loose leaf.
I’m impressed with Ahmad Tea as a brand, they’ve left a good first impression.
Summary - Ahmad Tea Lemon Vitality
After much consideration, I’ve decided that Ahmad Tea is extraordinarily good value for money. I’ve been sticking with Twinings for years but Ahmad has the potential to take their place in my tea cupboard. From the flavour to the packaging to the knowledge of the tea origin, Ahmad have surpassed my expectations for primarily a tea bag brand.
I’d recommend Ahmad Tea Lemon Vitality in particular for lemon and green tea lovers, or those that want to get into green tea without spending a fortune and still enjoying fruity flavours.
It’s a good lemon tea.
Does it taste better than green tea prepared with fresh lemon? Try it to find out then leave a comment below!
About Me
I’m a tea lover, not just green tea but black tea, white tea, floral and herbal brews… the list goes on. If you’re wondering what to read next, I recommend taking a look at my recent article about Eastern Tea Brewing Methods. Maybe you’ll be inspired to brew your old tea into a new drink!
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Make sure you subscribe to the Immortal Wordsmith Instagram page so we can update you when my tea book is published. You’ll find a varied selection of refreshing teas you can mix up yourself at home…