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.
