Life without Tao’s kukicha is hard. Fortunately I found this to tide me over. There’s a definate drop in quality but kukicha that can be overlooked (it’s twig tea, they mock this stuff in Japan!). This is less the fresh mowed sweet orchard grass of Tao’s kukicha and more like a mowed, seeded and covered with straw lawn. Still some corn syrup sweetness and lemon tinge. Very bright and rustic. This is exactly the brusque post-matcha boost I needed today’s frenzy. I’ll switch back to Tao’s for days of a calmer focus.
But watch your steeping times; if I don’t frantically empty the teapot at 50 seconds this kukicha goes bitter instantly. I truly need to get a French press…
