Hojicha

Not all Hojichas are created equal. Hojicha isn’t a commodity — there are real differences between brands. I gave Mighty Leaf’s Organic Hojicha a 93. I might have been more positively disposed toward Adagio’s Hojicha if I had never tried Mighty Leaf. As it is, I found Adagio’s comparatively dull, listless, almost stale tasting. I don’t mean to rip on Adagio — I love them, most of the time. Just not at Hojicha time.

Roasty flavour reminds me of the roasted rice in genmaicha. Traditionally this should only be twigs; this pouch has broken Bancha leaves as well as twigs. I wouldn’t agree with Adagio’s review about this being coffee-like. Plus since it has fewer leaves, it should have less caffeine. The taste is definitely vegetal, probably because this version has leaves and it has a grain-like, malty taste. This is a dark version of green Genmaicha.

First of all, I really decided to baby this tea, brewing at a pretty low temperature and for a rather short period of time to prevent any astringency. This is my first time trying this tea, so I’m be extra careful until I have time to experiment a bit with it.

This was a very different tea than I’m used to, with a very unique aroma and taste. The first infusion I had was very good, with a nice nutty flavor and a very pleasing warming sensation when drinking it. The taste of sweet nuts lingers on the hard palate of the mouth for a few seconds after swallowing, making this a very interesting tea to drink.

The second (and unfortunately last) infusion was also delightful. It was sweeter than the previous infusion, which complemented the nutty flavors very well. Other than that, it is pretty much the same as the first.

The final verdict on this tea is that it’s rather nice, but not particularly special. There is nothing that says “I’m unique!” about this tea, so I can’t justify giving it a higher rating. Also, I have no experience with this type of tea, so even though I like it a lot, I need to be a bit conservative here. Regardless, I’ll keep this tea in mind, and if I don’t find anything better, I might buy it again.

I love the rich toasty taste of this tea! It’s much more bold and flavourful than I’ve come to expect from a green tea; it always surprises me. I don’t drink many unflavoured teas, so this is a nice change for me.

Adagio seems really hit or miss for me, but I really do enjoy this one.

This was the last of the four samples in my Adagio sampler – this one tasted more like a chinese green to me – roasted and not as “green.” It was quite smooth and pleasing with food, though.

The first thing I noticed when opening the tin was the color of the leaves: a reddish-greenish-brown. Apparently these leaves are roasted, and the scent of the leaves definitely says “burnt.”

The liquor smells like Genmai Cha, with a roasty, malty scent. The taste is also much like Genmai Cha, without the rice taste. The usual grassiness of the green has been replaced by a toasted, almost burnt taste, with a bit of smoke. I have to admit that I was expecting quite a bit more out of this tea after reading the description.

This is my first taste of Hojicha tea, so I followed the recommended steeping instructions (2 teaspoons in 16oz of water for 3 minutes). The liquor of the leaves is a brown, with a few hints of orange. Darker than the other green teas that I’ve had. The aroma isn’t so appealing to my nose. It smells like a bunch of burnt leaves and twigs honestly. I guess thats to be expected since they are roasted leaves. The taste is alright, but pretty bland with a hint of smokiness. Every time I take another sip it tastes more and more like twigs ( based off my assumption of what twigs taste like =P ). Not bad, but not too good either.

This was apart of a green tea blending starter kit I got from Adagio. I’ve never had a green tea quite like this hojicha. When I opened it up, it had a roasted smell that reminded me of genmaicha. I brewed a pot of this, using water that had been left to cool for a moment or two after boiling. The liquor is a light golden brown. I picked the cup up after letting it come down to drinking temperature to get a smell of it. The “roasted” smell remains, though it’s far from unpleasant.

The taste is the same as the smell. It’s a very nutty, earthy taste, that ends on a slightly tart note. I think this makes for excellent cold weather tea, with its deeper flavor. I’m actually surprised this is a green tea.

I liked this tea—so far it’s my favorite among the Greens I’ve tried which tend to be either too smokey (Gunpowder) or too vegetal (Dragonwell or Sencha) for my tastes. This one had a nutty, warm taste to me. When I ran out I tried another Hojicha, this time from TeaSource. I found I prefer the one from Adagio. TeaSource’s has an earthier, maltier taste and I prefer Adagio’s mellower taste.

Not a big fan of Hojicha. I thought i would like the roastiness, but it’s not a real nutty or toasty roastiness like coffee> I find it rather dull.

Nothing bad about this tea, but amazingly bland and unintersting flavor. It has a smokey, woody taste… kind of like a barbecue type of taste. Although the subtlety is starting to grow on me… maybe I’ll update this later.

This Green Tea has a very distinct aroma, the roasted leaves give it a very unique taste as well. The first thing I think of when smelling this tea is ‘Camping.’ It doesn’t really give you the same wonderful taste you would find from a roasted peanut, it just tastes kind of odd at first.

I will finish this one up later and let you know my final opinion of the tea. Right now I have to go for a job interview. Wish me luck.

EDIT: It’s later, and I’m having another glass of this and I still feel the same way. I just can’t get into this roasted taste of the tea. If your into a roasted flavor, and it is a very acquired taste, then this may just be for you.

It definitely has a smoked flavor, though I’m afraid I missed the promised Mesquite flavor. Its definitely a niche tea, alongside GenMa Cha and Casablanca Twist. A nice change of pace tea, but certainly not an every day variety. I’ve actually come to like this tea less over time.

Pretty earthy in my opinion; didn’t taste much of the nutty/sweet flavor the description has. I’ve heard great things about Hojicha and I was eager to try it, but this hasn’t convinced me yet. I’ll have to try another.

Had this recently at a family member’s house. Tasted nutty and roasty. Was pretty good, nothing to write home about though.

This is a good tea but somewhat average. It has a nutty body with a long finish. Good everyday tea, does not excite.

For some reason, I loved this when I first got it, but am getting sick of it.