Maeda-en Sen-cha Tea Bags

Went with the boyfriend to a place called “Rollboto” where you can make your own sushi. Sort of like a Chipotle but sushi style. I also picked up this green tea as a drink because it looked exotic. Of course, afterwards I do some homework and realize its quite common (and cheap) but no big. 

Tea was not bad. There was definitely a roasted quality to it that I wasn’t expecting especially since the bag made no mention of it. I prefer more straight greens, but it’s definitely drinkable. 

What amazed me was that I got 3 good steepings out of this puny bag. Okay, more like 2.5 since the third was kinda weak, but for a measly tea bag I’ll take it.  

Not sure if I had this, even though it was from Maeda-en and sencha. The bag was different, although that could’ve just been updated. It could’ve also been a sort of ‘fancy’ type. Anyhow.

Was a bit disappointing. It was green, I give it that, but otherwise very thin taste. No matter how many different variations on temperature and steeping time was it tested with. Just couldn’t grasp it. It was sencha, but ended up nothing more than worker’s tea for me. Took me three weeks to drink all hundred tea bags with a fellow student while we worked on our artist books and prints and after that during lectures. Then again it provided me a bunch of tea bag papers to use for my works. So nothing was done in vain.

Full disclosure: this tea was sent to me as a free sample by the vendor. However, there was no expectation that I would provide a review.

With my houhin at home and a handful of tea bags from Maeda-en at my disposal, I look to this sen-cha as an afternoon pick-up at work.

I’m not sure I’ve ever had a sen-cha as roasted as this one, with a distinct cooked chestnut and toasted rice overtone. It’s like having houji-cha and sen-cha at the same time, yet the roasted character drowns out most of the green or kelpy aspects of the tea, which show up as juicy vegetal flavors in the finish. Very light. A simple smooth drinker.

Like many others, this is my everyday tea I drink at work. It is convenient when I want a nice cuppa but I don’t have time to spend time on prep and cleanup. If you are looking for a convenient and affordable cup of green tea, this is great value that is hard to beat. If time and money are not factors, then you will want to look elsewhere (loose leaf exotic teas). I would rate this 80/100 for quality and 98/100 for value. As with all green teas, proper water temperature is a key to success.

How can I buy this tea in bulk??

This is my favorite everyday tea; it’s got a great toasted flavor, a cross between a good houjicha and the typical sencha. Also, comes in fabulous hundred-bag sacks! Although I generally like to use loose, this is my go-to teabag.

We usually get this tea for my work. Everyone really enjoys it instead of their usual cup of coffee. I like it was well but for me the taste is a little bit too bitter and “roasty”. All in all it’s not a bad tea! When it’s on sale at Japanese Market’s it’s well worth it :)