It is certainly summer time now, even if technically the solstice isn’t until tomorrow. We have not had a day below 85 degrees in a few weeks, and I have achieved full melt. I really dislike the heat, you would think growing up in the South would make me used to it, but each summer I seem to hate it just a little bit more. Good thing the basement tea lair stays mostly cool, for now anyway.
Today’s tea is Sencha of the Summer Sun from Obubu Tea Plantations by way of Yunomi.us. This particular Sencha from Kyoto grown on an uncovered west-facing slope and plucked after it has been bathed by the July sun. It is a strong Sencha, perfect for washing down oily BBQ on a summer day, at least that is what the website says and I am inclined to believe it. The aroma of the vibrantly green leaves is sweet, a blend of sweet hay, grass, and spinach. There is a touch of seaweed at the finish giving the tea a bit of that sea-side aroma that I so love in teas. It might be the name playing havoc with my sense, but the aroma really does remind me of summer.
Once the tea has a nice visit with some water in my Kyusu, the aroma of the wet leaves is sweet like fresh hay and just a little bit fruity. There is also a hint of kelp and vegetal, though it is not as strong. The aroma of the liquid almost seems ethereal, there are faint notes of sweet grass and kelp, but they seem ghostly and like a memory.
The first steep is sweet, it starts with a sweet grass taste that fades to fresh cherry. After this initial sweetness, the taste fades to a grassy bitterness and a touch of kale. The finish returns to a gentle sweetness that takes all the bitterness away, the hay sweetness lingers for quite a while.
On the second steeping, the aroma is much more grassy and strong, no more ethereal memories of tea, you can definitely tell you are sniffing a cup of Sencha this time. The taste is also more intense, quite green and grassy that fades to vegetal kale bitter green. Like the first steep after the bitter green taste you are greeted with a nice sweet finish that lingers.
The aroma of the third steep is much grassier and kelpy, it is more savory than sweet this time around. The taste is also quite grassy and fresh, this fades to kelp. Lastly the taste is quite sweet with a fruity aftertaste. This tea I found quite refreshing, I think it actually does go really well with heavy foods, though I did not test it with BBQ, but I am sure it works just fine. I can see people who are not a fan of bitter green tastes not enjoying this Sencha as much, but since I am a fan of it I found it quite enjoyable.
For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/yunomius-and-obubu-tea-sencha-of-summer.html
Flavors: Grass, Hay, Kale, Seaweed, Spinach, Sweet
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We reviewed this tea quite similarly! I didn’t read your review until I had written mine and I find it really interesting that we both used the term “ghostly”. I loved this sencha. We even gave it the same numerical score. Wow. :3
I didn’t get any bitterness at all, despite the description on the site even says it is bitter. That may be because I went way cool with the water, or it may be because it has not been stored airtight and has lost some of its umph, but in any case it was wonderful to me, the best sencha I have had yet. Thanks for the sample!
I just read your brewing parameters and yep, ours were different :) I used 165 water all the way through and brewed it 1 minute 30, then 2 minutes, then 2 minutes 30. I keep meaning to try the method you use, I have just become set in my ways for sencha since I discovered one that works for me.
I think I stuck a little more in your sample box because I could not remember if I had given you any, it is the one thing with sample bags…sadly they are not airtight so it is very possible it lost some of its edge that way, or the difference in brewing. I am glad you liked it and seriously need to get myself some more soon, I am running low. Though I really want to try all the different seasonal and elemental themed Sencha from Obubu, they look so neat!
I definitely recommend trying the subtractive method for sencha. It keeps the flavor really mellow on the repeated steepings, but it isn’t watery or bland either. I’ve actually started using subtractive methods on a few different types of tea. It doesn’t work great for all of them, but some of the more light flavored ones it is pretty sweet. Helps keep the bitterness back on the Japanese greens for sure.
We reviewed this tea quite similarly! I didn’t read your review until I had written mine and I find it really interesting that we both used the term “ghostly”. I loved this sencha. We even gave it the same numerical score. Wow. :3
I didn’t get any bitterness at all, despite the description on the site even says it is bitter. That may be because I went way cool with the water, or it may be because it has not been stored airtight and has lost some of its umph, but in any case it was wonderful to me, the best sencha I have had yet. Thanks for the sample!
I just read your brewing parameters and yep, ours were different :) I used 165 water all the way through and brewed it 1 minute 30, then 2 minutes, then 2 minutes 30. I keep meaning to try the method you use, I have just become set in my ways for sencha since I discovered one that works for me.
I think I stuck a little more in your sample box because I could not remember if I had given you any, it is the one thing with sample bags…sadly they are not airtight so it is very possible it lost some of its edge that way, or the difference in brewing. I am glad you liked it and seriously need to get myself some more soon, I am running low. Though I really want to try all the different seasonal and elemental themed Sencha from Obubu, they look so neat!
I definitely recommend trying the subtractive method for sencha. It keeps the flavor really mellow on the repeated steepings, but it isn’t watery or bland either. I’ve actually started using subtractive methods on a few different types of tea. It doesn’t work great for all of them, but some of the more light flavored ones it is pretty sweet. Helps keep the bitterness back on the Japanese greens for sure.