Gunpowder

Homygawd this is awesome.

Okay, so here’s a little secret: out of all the teas I’ve gotten from Adagio, the one that I’ve been sneaking smells from the most often is the Gunpowder. It just smelled so unusual and different from any of the others. And this tea is frankly, adorable. The little glossy pellets look like droppings from a rabbit god. Or something like that. The smell was sooo good too. Smoky and deep and complex, begging me to just taste it.

I brewed up a level teaspoon in my IngenuiTEA, and waited for the magic. Now, you might not know this, but I’m new to loose leaf, and therefore am fascinated by the leaves unfurling. I sit in front of the IngenuiTEA like a kid in a candy show and watch the fireworks. And boy, did these little critters put on a show. They were writhing and shuddering in the steeper like The Little Shop of Horrors was coming to town. Bursting open with their little leafy tentacles… I expected one of the little buggers to wave to me. That’s how lifelike it looked. The leaves also blew up in size and proportion as they bombastically exploded. I was shocked at the jungle in my pot when it came time to pour.

The liquid that comes out of the craziness is a pretty yellow-green, that color in the Crayola box that you could sometimes never find use for. There wasn’t really much of a smell at all coming from the cup. But the taste? Mmmmm.

Okay, let’s go on a tangent here. Trust me, it’s necessary. When I was little, we’d go to Disney World on occasion for vacation. My favorite part was EPCOT, and my favorite ride was Spaceship Earth (hey, I’m a dork – leave me alone!). Ridiculously enough, my favorite part of Spaceship Earth was Rome burning. Why? Because they’d pump into the air an awesome smell of burning wood and smoke, a mesquite-like scent, that I’d try to keep in my lungs as much as possible after the ride moved on.

This tea tasted like Rome burning. And it was amazing. Smoky and deep and mysterious. I was in heaven. There was a bit of a sour taste, and a bit of a sweet aftertaste. The sweet taste fought a battle with the smoke and won as the cup cooled down. Sweet and a teeny bit grassy, with the smoke as the aftertaste. But at the highest point of heat, it was all smoke. I’m not getting the ashes description that a lot of people are suggesting, but still. There’s a little bit of a slight astringency on the palate once it’s cooled down a bit, but it’s sort of pleasing in a way that I can’t describe.

I do not think this tea is for everyone. The proof was when I offered my mom a sip of this. She was on the phone when I gave it to her. She immediately shook her head and visibly almost gagged. And I thought, well, that was interesting. It pretty much tastes like it smells dry, so if you don’t like the smell, don’t drink it.

But yeah, I love this already. We’re going to try and get multiple steepings out of this baby today, so stay tuned for future logs as the day goes on! :D

This is one of my favorit green teas. There is a very small hint of smokiness that is not very noticeable and a nice smooth taste. I would almost say that it tastes very similar to an Oolong tea.

This is one of those teas I enjoy because it’s hard to mess up. I also love the name! As a military and gun buff, it’s fitting. Dry, the leaves remind me of the inside of a Sunny Surplus store. Not sure if anyone will have any idea what I mean…

It’s smoky, but not overkill like Lapsang can be.

I also enjoy this cuppa while playing any game in the Call of Duty series on my beloved xbox 360! :)

I enjoy this version much more than the Stash variety, which was paler in color and blander in flavor. This version has a touch of smokiness and I’m sure would pair great with something minty… A new blend to try! :)

I got a sample tin of this tea from Ricky in a trade (thanks man!).

Now I’ll start off by saying that the first and only experience I’ve had with gunpowder green tea was rather…regretable. It had a muddy quality to it that I found unplalatable. This tea, however, brewed up nice and clear, turning the water a dark, honey-coloured shade.

The tea has a bit of a smokey, roasted sort of flavour, which I think comes at least partially from the pan-frying method that is used to process Chinese greens. There’s also a grassy quality to it that reminds me of traditional style matcha – although the taste is a bit coarser and astringent.

So all in all, it’s a good tea that’s restored my faith in the ability of gunpowder teas to taste decent. ;)

I was in the mood for a green, but an energetic tasting green or, since I was having trouble finding that, something new. And this is new! I can’t believe I haven’t tried this yet – teaplz sent it to me a bit ago but it got hidden behind other things and was only recently rediscovered.

Not overly familiar with a variety of Gunpowder teas but the tea smells salty, so I have a little fear. But on my first sip, I’m really nicely surprised. Yes, there is a bit of tingly salt lick taste at the very back but the overall is remarkably sweet. There’s a bit of smoky/toasty taste to it – it reminds me a bit of a boring genmaicha (not my addictive Ryokucha from Samovar, mind you) but a little more… grown up or mature. After Andrews & Dunham’s Caravan, Samovar’s Russian blend and a variety of Lapsang Souchong teas, I don’t know if I would really define this as truly smoky. Just roasty with an edge. Darkly toasted bread, perhaps. Sprinkled with grass sugar (work with me here) and then chased with a light touch from a salt lick.

So yeah, great cup! Very drinkable and enjoyable. A good green that is sturdy, not delicate. I could totally see myself ordering a couple of ounces of this (if only Adagio actually sold teas in 2oz containers…).

Thanks teaplz!

ETA: So I tried a second steep and not all that great. Not horrid but a bit too salt-lick for me. Pretty much the same experience I had with the non-horrific second steep of Rishi’s Jade Fire. There is a hint of that initial sweetness on the very first part of the sip but then it just turns into a big ole liquid salt block. First steep is a keeper, second steep is not worth the water. Dropping the score 1 point cause the second steep makes me grumpy.
^4g/8oz

I really like this tea! I’m not a huge fan of greens, but this really is very nice. Smooth, and kinda buttery a bit. I’m getting a bit of smokiness at the tail end and a bit of astringency in the corners of my mouth. It has a heavier taste to it than most other greens I’ve had, a bit darker if you would. I feel like this should have a massive caffeine kick, which is exactly what I need.

I just heard something AWESOME. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies will be turned into a movie, starring Natalie Portman! Life will be amaaaaazing. Also! Today was my last day of classes, so I’ll be around and about more often. <3

I’m usually never in the mood to drink gunpowder. In the tin, it smells a little like animal dung and in the cup it tastes like tobacco. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, or maybe I just haven’t found the right occasion for it yet. Any suggestions?

First Review. Thank you Emilie for this big sample of Gunpowder Tea! I’ve been off at St. Spyridons which had an added luncheon celebration after Liturgy for Greek Independance Day! A reminder that it’s time to sign up for the lamb on a spit dinner served on Pascha (Easter)! Double yum! Feasting after the Fasting! So, getting home later than usual in the afternoon, it was time to choose a tea to try out and I was tea thirsty! What to try?
Gunpower seemed like an interesting name for tea and I wanted to taste it to see if the name had anything to do with the taste. Smoke in those little green bullits? I set the water temp to 175 and steeped 3min. before pouring. The liquor is light canary yellow and smells a bit vegital, sour but not smoky. Took a sip. Medium light smoke, a little bitterness and a mildly salty finish. I’m not sure about how I like this. Looking up other reviews it seems that others enjoy 2nd or 3rd steepings more than the 1st so I’ll try that and see what unfolds.
2nd Steep Ok this is much better! Milder and no bitterness even after 4 min. steep.
Very low on the smokiness. I have to be honest in saying that unless you love really subtle tea this is NOT for you and it’s NOT for me I must say. Maybe if I was feeling poorly though. Color is good and taste not very complex. Bit of paper or cardboard finish. Oh and as for mint…well, I grow 6 kinds of mint and I do not think they add mint that can be detected! It’s hard to HIDE mint (if you know what I mean).

The leaves (I love the shape by the way) smelled smoky and buttery and herby all at once. Nothing in your face, just a really nice green tea scent.
The leaves unfolded so beautifully when I brewed this! I love it when tea is visually appealing as well. The surprise of the little balls unfurling into pennants was delightful :)
The liqueur smells like caramel! I was so surprised by that. It has notes of brown sugar as well. It also smells like warm toast. I love buttered toast-like green tea!

Right before I could taste this I noticed a flea on my dachshund. I freaked out and sprayed him down with enough clove oil flea treatment to drown the bloodsuckers.
Consequently, I had to wait around 20 minutes for the clove scent to leave my nose. Note that my tasting might be affected by this!

Okay, finally getting to taste this!

The scent as I sip it is very present and wonderful. The initial flavor is kind of boring – the slightly metallic generic “green tea” flavour.
The immediate aftertaste was the nice toast flavor. Maybe slightly burnt toast. Not too bad. The lingering aftertaste is more like the initial flavor but with some sweetness. It’s almost sweet in the way artichokes are sweet on my tongue.

I made a cup for my sister too and she thought it tasted burnt, but in a good way.
The more I drink this, the more I decide I like it – Not bad, and certainly interesting enough!

ETA: I did a second steeping of the leaves, same temperature and time.
Wow – the scent really improved this time. I swear, it smells just like caramels. Magical caramels that you would eat on a rainy day in one of the forgotten rooms from The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. Seriously. It’s that good.
The flavor is more astringent than before and a little sharply herby. The liquour is still really nice and thick.
The aftertaste is really nice though. It goes back to the caramels. There is a seriously sweet flavour that just keeps lingering on my tongue, and again, the artichoke kind of sweetness at the back of my throat. The actual drinking of the tea is a mediocre flavor but the tastes/scents before and after make it absolutely worth it.

So first off, unrelated to this tea… I came home from work today, after a really difficult day, to find that Teavana is now following me on Twitter and I’ve also won tea from them. They have this “tweet a photo of your cup and win!” and I won! It was the first time I’ve ever played, so that was exciting. And also a good end to a not so good day.

On to this tea. It’s not my favorite. It doesn’t have the sweetness I’ve come to associate with gunpowders, though it’s plenty smoky. And I’m getting a strange sort of toasted note from it – I’m wondering if some of the rice from the genmaicha I tried earlier today got caught in my steeper, or something. I didn’t notice it when I brewed an Earl Grey blend before class, but that was a three-black-teas-and-milk kind of thing, whereas this is just a plain green… I don’t know.

Anyway, this is a decent tea. Not the best, not the worst. I’ll drink what I have, but I’m not going to hoard it – I’ll definitely give samples away to friends and stuff.

When I steeped this tea I wasn’t expecting something that I would love. The fact that everyone talked about its smokiness kind of turned me away from it. But I went in with an open mind, and, sure enough, the taste is actually pretty satisfying. The hint of smokey flavor adds to the body of the tea and leaves an interesting aftertaste that I can’t really describe. I think I nailed the temperature on this steep. Overall, a decent green tea.

I made a cup of this tea at work tonight, and it very much reminded me of miso soup. Then I wanted some miso soup. So I stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few packets, and when I got home started up the kettle to heat some water. Now, the instructions say to put the miso mix in a bowl or large mug (I opted for bowl), and add one cup of boiling water. So I measured the water in a measuring cup, and then proceeded to pour the water into the bowl, towards myself. Which was a very bad idea because it spilled right onto my stomach, and I now have 2nd degree burns. And a trip to the ER. All because of the tea, that I would still, even now, recommend. I guess I did inadvertently get burned from the gunpowder.

Made tea and mom wanted some so I had to make something I knew she’d like.

The rolled leaves in the Adagio brand seems smaller than in the Moroccan Mints that I’ve had… or maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I’ve had it.

This is the 1st time I’ve had gunpowder straight, not in Moroccan Mint. In the tin, the leaves smell kinda like cow dung from a cow that recently ate a LOT of grass thrown into a camp fire. It does have a very slight aroma of a pu erh, but yet grassy like a green tea and smokey like lapsang souchong.

I steeped 2.25 grams of leaves for 3 min in purified water heated to 175 degrees F. The liquor is a medium yellow which is more yellowish than I expected. The aroma is exactly what it smelled like in the tin.

When I taste it, I’m not suprised. It tasted exactly like it smelled both in the tin and after steeping. There is a lapsang souchong-esk taste to it, but that is soon enveloped by a grassy taste and finally a smokey flavor. But the smokey flavor isn’t the same in a lapsang souchong, it tasts more like cigar ashes had dropped into it.

Gunpowder is one of my personal favourites, for green tea. However I have only ever purchased it from one or two sources, so I was excited to be abe to try it from a company whose gunpowder I had not tried before. Gunpowder is a simple green tea, but sometimes the differences between the same tea from different companies can be quite noticeable.
The dry leaves hold the intense grassiness I have come to associate with most gunpowder greens. After steeping this tea and straining off the leaves, I notice that the steeped leaves have a very dark, almost smoky scent, and I worry that I’ve accidentally heated the water too hot and scalded them. One whiff of the prepared tea banishes that negative thought from my mind, as I am greeted by rolling vegetal tones with a touch of sweet grassiness.
These same aromas swell in the flavour of this tea, and the grassy sweetness permeates all taste buds. The smokiness of this tea is stronger than other gunpowder greens that I have tried, and it is a good addition, in my opinion.
I give this tea a 77 out of 100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

Still a noob, so this is the only Gunpowder I’ve tried. There are others I want to sample, but I’m happy with this one right now. Really happy.

I was warned about Gunpowder by my sister — too late. I had already ordered it. So I had this whole approach/avoidance thing going in my head when it arrived. Never fear. It became one of my faves from the first cup.

I get three infusions out of my Gunpowder, each one different. The first steep (3 mins.) renders a brash brew with a bit of bitterness and nice complexity. The second infusion (5 mins.) is my favorite. The bitterness is greatly reduced and the flavor is rich and mellow. The third infusion (7-10 mins.) is well worth hanging around for. The long infusion time is necessary to coax the last bit of flavor from the leaves. Round three is mild and tasty.

The thing I like best about this tea is the incredibly sweet after taste. It lingers long after the last sip is drained from the cup. Gunpowder afterglow. It keeps me coming back for more.

The other thing I like about Adagio Gunpowder is that it is the cheapest tea in my cupboard. Dirty dirt cheap. It’s almost like drinking for free.

And did I mention good?

Mixed results with this one this m— errr, afternoon, but I think that most of that is on me, rather than on the tea. It’s very cold this morning. Something smoky and hot to sip while I chowed down on an empanada left over from yesterday seemed like the ticket. I thought this would be perfect.

First cup was pretty good, too, save for the fact that the empanada I had just finished seemed to be more moist than the cup of tea. I don’t know why it dried my mouth out the way it did. Maybe it just felt that way because I was still involved in that long, slow climb to proper consciousness for the day and what I really wanted was something juicy to hydrate me, but there you have it. The smoky flavor, at least, was good, and I had no trouble enjoying the background fullness of the green tea’s ‘saute this green stuff with some butter’ flavor.

The second steep…

Not so good. I probably won’t even finish it. Something about the smoke note lessening has reduced it from a rich smoke flavor to the suggestion of cigars. I’m not certain whether this is problematic for all time or just the mental result of having read the disappointing results of Teaplz’s first go at a Lapsang Souchong (and the suggestion of ashes in a cup, gross), so I’m going to rate it based on the first cup rather than the second, and just try it again another day. The dryness is unfortunate. I think I like the chewy, buttery, savory greens better, but can see myself opting for at least the first steep of this from time to time.

It is gunpowder indeed! The very moment the bag is opened you get a waft of an earthy smokiness that permeates these coiled pellets of awesome! The smokiness of the tea still lingers right after brewing that goes well with its nutty, straw flavored, and mellow goodness. Its quite well taken to mint, which brews the ever refreshing and crisp Moroccan Tea that quenches the thirst out of anyone in Summer . Tannin free, non astringent, non bitter, and quite a green that has many versatile uses and enjoyment guaranteed..what’s not to like?!

Yeah, grassy and a tad smoky. Can steep a 2nd and 3rd time. It doesn’t compare to green tea made with younger, more tender leaves. I think of gunpowder as the basic green tea, rather mundane, but this is better than some I’ve had.

This is my first Gunpowder, and I only had to open up the tin to see where it got its name — the little, rolled balls are a fun departure from the leaves of many other greens. The scent of the leaves is grassy and smoky, and maybe a bit “humid,” like the grass has sat in your dumpster for too long waiting to be picked up in the summer. But it’s not a gross smell like that.

The liquor smells smoky, but not as grassy as the leaves did. The taste is still smoky and a bit tannic. I’m not a huge fan of smokiness, like when people add liquid smoke to stuff, but this one tastes natural and I feel like it is balanced well with grassiness and bitterness of the tea. Not my favorite green, but I still like it.

I’ve been down on most green teas lately, but this one remains an exception. A nice golden color with a subtle, earthy finish.