90
drank Gyokuro "Yame" by Lupicia
57 tasting notes

When I first visited Lupicia’s retail store in Century City mall, I was quickly intrigued by the beautiful look of this Gyokuro (Lupicia has small samples of each tea the store carries so you can see, smell, and even touch them). I came back to the store this past weekend but I was a little unsure whether to buy the tea at this time or later, as it is a little expensive. Thankfully one of the attendants gave me a small sample for me to try. The sample was enough for about 3 cups of tea.

The dry leaf of this tea is lovely to look at. Made up of fine vividly green colored needles with almost no sign of damage. This has been one the the most preserved Gyokuro I’ve ever had, having very few broken pieces or dust. The aroma of the dry leaves is almost entrancing, having a super sweet aroma with fresh grassy undertones.

I brewed this tea in a Japanese Kyusu following the directions written by the attendant on the sample pouch. I used 160F water and 1 1/2 min steep time.

My first cup gave me a bright almost neon green color with a subtly sweet aroma. The taste was extraordinarily sweet with zero astringency or bitterness and a very delicate soothing green hint. My second cup remained mostly the same but with an almost unnoticeable lighter taste.

The wet leaf had a sweet boiled veggie like aroma and had a very bright green color to the leaves, almost like if they had been picked a few minutes ago.

Overall, I fell in love with this Gyokuro. Very high quality and super sweet, the sample convinced me of getting the the full 50 grams sold at Lupicia (that is, until I finish off some of the other Gyokuro’s I have).

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 30 sec

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Profile

Bio

SoCal native and Tea addict.

Looking to try every single type of tea the world has to offer.

I’m not too fond of flavored tea or blends, but every now and then, there will be one that I like.

I enjoy all types of tea, but my absolute favorites are Japanese Greens and Oolongs.

I am much more familiar with Chinese and Japanese teas. I’m looking to get in to Korean tea next and then Indian/Ceylons. Herbals are good too, but I don’t pay much attention to them (except rooibos).

Ti Kuan Yin (or Tie Guan Yi, whichever you prefer) Is one of my favorite teas. I’m trying to taste many offerings from different vendors to find the absolute best batch I can find.

My “Tea-Dream” is to one day make a cultural-tea trip to China, Taiwan, and Japan.

Ratings Guide

0 – 19 = Bad.
20 – 49 = Meh.
50 – 59 = It’s Ok.
60 – 69 = I like it, but…
70 – 79 = Good.
80 – 89 = Very Good.
90 – 100 = Amazing.

Location

Los Angeles, CA

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