Houjicha Gold (Roasted Bancha)

Sooo delicious! One of the best Houjichas I’ve tried! I love Den’s brewing instructions – it was perfect! Toasty, roasted and warm. There was no hint of bitterness at all. My boyfriend enjoyed it as well :)

I have never had houjicha before – I’ve never really had to. But there’s winter outside the window, and a morning green is needed; here’s this! Perfect timing, a great tea already.

It’s much like slightly roasted, unsalted seaweed. There’s that bit of organic, plant-like freshness, with the familiar marine feel of a lighter Japanese green. Take that, and make it cozy, by the pleasant, bitter blanket of the roasting. There’s a very light sweetness at the edges of the profile, and a bit of a resemblance to coffee in both the taste and the brew; the strong taste and the dark dust at the bottom of my cup are a bit reminiscent of a medium black coffee. The texture is smooth and a bit smoky, with a graininess from the leaf that’s escaped the infuser basket (as per my preference). Quite a first cup!

Later, the infusions become much more tea-like, lighter in color and more marine, though mild; the sweet and salty notes increase, and the texture tames out to become thinner, crisper.

Altogether, certainly quite a character of a tea, and definitely one I’ll be seeking out. Thank you for the sample, Den!

Very mild and comforting cup of tea.
Nice roasted flavor but not overpowering:)

This is like the wuyi of Japanese tea. Super duper toasty! There was also quite a bit of creaminess to it, which surprised me.

I have been drinking Japanese teas for about 2 years but never tried Houjicha yet, nor ordered from Den’s, but Mary Lou and Robert Heiss new book, “The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook” had recommended Den’s. Since O-Cha (my former supplier of Japanese tea) was hitting me up with a foreign exchange fee, I decided to order my sencha resupply from them and at $2.00 an ounce, figured this was worth a try since it was one of their best-sellers. I love Den’s packaging of their tea. It comes in resealable bags that give a great airtight seal, which is a huge plus since I am maxed out of Teavana containers.

Anyways, I am very pleased with what is in my cup this morning. The brew is deep bronze and very clear (unlike any other Japanese tea I’ve ever had) and smells delicious! Smells woodsy and toasty and like everything from Japan I smell a slight hint of sea life, but in a very appetizing way (think grilled herring). Tastes almost exactly like it smells and goes great with breakfast. Definitely a repurchase. Funny that this is classified as a green tea – sure tastes different from anything I’ve tried before. I read up on this after trying it…interesting how recent an invention it is (1920s) and amazing how so much of this camellia sinensis plant is tasty (even supposedly last-harvest, “trashy” leaves and stem).

Like others I got this as part of the sampler pack which is very well put together and contains 4 loose green teas with bags, 2 pyramids, and instruction books that contain interesting info on tea. Absolutely loved it especially for $3. Even set aside the tea manual to keep.
Bear in mind this is my first loose leaf green tea so we have a limited sample problem.
1st infusion – boiling 30 seconds. Very flavorful. Nutty earthy taste.
2nd infusion – boiling 15 seconds. Less strong and sweeter liquor
I also did 3rd and 4th infusions which my tea buddy and I both enjoyed as much as the others.

Got my green tea sampler a few days ago and am on round two of this. This is my first houjicha so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It brewed up a more earthy colour and the smell is reminiscent of genmaicha, a favourite of mine. Even the taste reminds me of that. It’s mild and roasted. Not as bright-tasting, but toasty and soothing.

The second steeping is almost as flavourful, and the colour is a little lighter than before. I’m excited to try the rest of my samples and am delighted to say that I am a houjicha fan!

This is one of those teas that is very enjoyable yet difficult to describe. It is a mild woodsy tea that would best be compared to a soothing cup of broth or the warm feeling one gets after drinking hot sake.

First cup. Western Style. Steep 2 minutes.
Upon the first sip, a rush of grass and barley flavors. As the temperature cools, the taste becomes more balanced. Despite not being sweet or pungent in any way, there is a juicy consistency to the liquor that is refreshing. And yet there is something very pragmatic in the demeanor of this tea. A philosopher’s drink no doubt.

Second cup. Western Style. Steep 2 minutes.
The flavor does not come leaping out of the gates as it did the first time round. There are some buttery notes with this infusion.

Third cup. Western Style. Steep 3 minutes
Halfway through the cup a light peppercorn sensation emerged. All in all, the third cup is very similar to the second, which means that I could probably continue steeping, but I think that’s enough for now!

Other tasting notes: Cedar, artichoke, sesame, soy

This was a very interesting tea. I can’t say I’m very into heavy or smoky flavors, and this was kind of like that. I had had some genmaicha before, so that may have colored my perception of this tea, but I thought it tasted a lot like genmaicha. I didn’t like it as much as I had wanted to, but it was a sample, so I’m not feeling too bad about it.

Got this from a friend; I was a little nervous to try this one. My only real exposure to straight, unflavored tea has been mainly at Japanese and Chinese restaurants, where I’ve been happy to have unsweetened, (mostly) unflavored tea to balance out the tastes of yummy sushi happening.

The aroma is definitely woodsy and toasty (I can definitely see where some of the other comments about an almost-pot-esque aroma come from), and the taste was surprisingly light. Very balanced, nice and toasty like it smells, and not at all bland like I’d been fearing. Drank this unsweetened, and piping hot – it settled my slightly upset stomach, and definitely educated me. I would absolutely have this one again! Not my favorite ever, because I’m still very attached to flavored teas, but a really solid tea to keep around.

Looks like I’m one of many who has purchased Den’s Tea very impressive little sampler. For only three dollars it’s an amazing price; it also includes a coupon code for the cost of the sampler for your next order. Pretty sure I’ll be putting it to use.

Anyway onto what’s most important: the tea! Recently I’ve been really into savory, roasted teas and this fits that perfectly. I didn’t get the sweet note at all that a lot of people seem to have at first, but perhaps I wasn’t looking hard enough for it. What I got was a smooth, dark and mellow drink. This was a handsome cup of tea.

However, the second steep, from the very first sip I had I already noticed the slight sweetness. The roasted flavor seemed to mellow down to more of a ‘nuttiness.’ It was very different from my first steep, and that just reminds me of what made me fall in love with tea in the first place. The variations, even from different steeps of the same leaves just seems exciting to me, especially if trying a tea that I’m unfamiliar with.

I’m definitely looking forward to what’s to come next out of my little sampler.

This tea is incredibly versatile; it really cant’ be overstepped, re-steeps excellently, and makes a good glass of iced tea. It also doesn’t taste much like a Japanese green tea, which helps in my book. Instead of tasting like vegetables, it tastes like roasted. Roasted something. Definitely going to buy this again.

Mmmm houjicha. ♥ This has a smooth, nutty flavor that I really really like. :D I’ve definitely had this in restaurants before (well, maybe not Den’s, but some kind of houjicha), and it gives me such a good, relaxed feeling, I can’t help but enjoy it! :)

It has a nice flavor, and is very calming. Note to self: Not quite the best tea to drink when trying desperately to stay awake.

This is the third sample I’ve tried in the sample package. I was very surprised when I saw the brewing instructions and, honestly, a little scared to try it! Using boiled water for a green tea!

Both the tea and tea leaves (dry and wet) have a strong roasted, wood-like aroma, and the liquor is clear, medium brown. The flavor is like that of a usual houjicha, only slightly more robust – possibly due to the fact that much of the sample consisted of tiny broken leaves. When it lingers, boy does it linger. After letting the tea settle for a few seconds in my mouth, the taste becomes much stronger. Too strong for me actually. The aftertaste is similar to that of a black coffee, which I don’t like.

I was even more surprised at the instructions for the second steeping: 15 seconds! The liquor, this time, is golden. The aroma, weaker, but still maintaining its roasted quality. It is the same for the flavor, which still leaves an astringent aftertaste. All around, the second steeping tasted like the usual houjicha I’m used to drinking.

Overall this tea is very strong and woody. I would probably drink it during an early morning because the flavor would surprise my taste buds (and brain) out of sleepiness.

Sample. I actually liked it better than I thought I would, but probably not enough to order more.

This was my first Houjicha!

Dry leaves: The leaves smelled very nutty and woodsy. It’s a very familiar smell but I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is.

Wet leaves: The nuttiness has gotten a lot stronger and now I can smell a green tea scent.

Steeping produced a very clear, dark golden brown liquor. This tea tastes very smooth and sweet. It tastes a lot like it smells, nutty and twiggy. I feel like it tastes like almonds. Unlike any tea I’ve ever drank, especially green tea. Very good though. Just a hard one to describe.

Cheers.

Profile: Liquor is golden brown. Aroma is heavily toasted, with notes of caramel, coffee, and charcoal. Taste is similar, though the toastiness is lighter, the caramel sweetness is more apparent, and notes of coffee and charcoal are muted, replaced with a green woodsiness, revealing that this is, in fact, a green tea (bancha). Aftertaste is long and sweet, with the toastiness lingering for minutes. Mouthfeel is smooth, with no astringency or bitterness.

Other notes: The flavor of this tea is quite unique, due to the use of charcoal during the roasting process. Caffeine content is also lower, which makes houjicha better suited than other teas for evenings.

Verdict: A thoroughly enjoyable experience with a unique flavor profile and very long finish. It has become my drink of choice at night, for relaxation and warmth. I will be ordering more of this wonderful tea from Den’s.

I wasn’t crazy about it, but I don’t think I prepared it corretly! I should try again. Strong roasted earthy taste

Not really a fan of this, my second unenjoyable experience w/ a roasted green. I’ll give it another shot in the future, though.