This is a fun tea. I had somewhat high expectations for it, hoping it would be like a ‘high-end’ genmaicha or equivalent.
It is quite sweet from the kukicha (karigane), and the matcha gives it a strong flavor. However, it lacks the long-tasting sweet aftertaste I’ve found a number of good genmaichas have. The kelp isn’t a strongly present flavor (to me at least), but it certainly adds something unique. The main issue besides the lack of the strong aftertaste is that the texture seems a bit thin, especially steeps 2 and on.
That being said, I like this tea, and it might be one I would get from time-to-time (as an alternative to regular genmaicha).
This is my first tea from Maiko, and I have to say, their packaging is awesome!
Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C
0 min, 45 sec
