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85
drank Sencha Superior Uji by Zen Tea
1379 tasting notes

The leaves are dark green for the most part with a few light green pieces present and as a whole they are very shiny. They are dry and crisp leaves which are mostly short/broken and has a sweet, mineral scent. I liken it to sweet grass, orchid and fresh kale.

My steeping parameters:
Leaf – 5g
Water Temperature – 70C
Vessel – Glass Gongfu 140ml
3 Steeps – 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes

First Steep – 1 Minute
The tea is yellow and a little cloudy with a sweet floral scent. Flavour is sweet and mineral with a grassy after taste that is a little dry. It does lighten after a few seconds to leave a raw pea flavour.

Second Steep – 2 Minutes
Thicker in strength with a touch of astringency. Sweet tones but still more mineral wise than floral, strong raw pea flavour now. Also high grass notes but no increase in dryness. It’s thick enough to resemble kale or cabbage at this point.

Third Steep – 3 Minutes
Heavy mineral flavour with more astringency than before and a touch of umami. Tastes similar to an instant Sencha powder I’ve had before. More savoury than sweet now but there is some still present.

Overall
A nice Sencha that increases in strength and umami the more you steep it. Offers sweet, grass and floral notes as well as vegetal/mineral richness.

For pictures and more information please view my blog –
http://www.kittylovestea.co.uk/2014/05/14/review-three-teas-from-zen-tea/

Flavors: Grass, Kale, Orchids, Peas

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 5 g 5 OZ / 140 ML
2 comments
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TheTeaFairy
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Nice review KittyLT, That’s my everyday go to sencha, I always keep a supply.

KittyLovesTea
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Thanks TheTeaFairy It was a nice Sencha, wasn’t sure it would compare well to some of the speciality Sencha I import from Japan but it did. If ZenTea dispatched tea to Europe I would consider buying it. :)

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Comments

TheTeaFairy
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Nice review KittyLT, That’s my everyday go to sencha, I always keep a supply.

KittyLovesTea
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Thanks TheTeaFairy It was a nice Sencha, wasn’t sure it would compare well to some of the speciality Sencha I import from Japan but it did. If ZenTea dispatched tea to Europe I would consider buying it. :)

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Profile

Bio

I’m 34 years old from Leicester, England named Kayleigh.

I started off many years ago drinking herbal and fruit teas which over time peaked my interest in trying new types. Eventually I began to import and sample many different teas and cultures which I still do today. My life goal is to try as many teas and ways of having tea as possible.

Tea wise my cravings change constantly from pu erh one month to jasmine green to the next and so on.

I also enjoy watching Japanese Anime and horror films.

I am always up for tea swaps so if you see anything in my virtual cupboard then please contact me.

A short list to help swapping with me easier though honestly I am not fussy and am willing to try anything. Plus the notes below are usually, sometimes I love a tea that has an ingredient I tend to dislike and other times I hate a tea that I thought I would love.

Likes: Any fruit but especially melon and orange, vanilla, all tea types (black, green, white etc), nuts (any), flowers, ginger, chai.

Dislikes: Licorice, aniseed, clove, eucalyptus, lavender.

My rating system
I have my own way of rating teas that makes each one personal. I have different categories, I rate each tea depending on what it is made of. For example: I rate green teas in a different way to black teas or herbal teas. So black, white, green, Pu Erh, Rooibos, Oolong, blends and tisanes all have their own rating system. That way I can compare them with other teas of the same or similar type before for an adequate rating. And when I do give top marks which is very rare I am actually saying that I would love to drink that tea all day, every day if possible. It’s a tea that I would never turn down or not be in the mood for. So while I agree that no tea is 100% perfect (as nothing is) I am saying that it’s as close as it comes to it. After all, in my book the perfect teas (or close to perfect anyway) are ones that I could drink all the time. That is why you will find a high quality black or Oolong will not have as high a score as a cheap flavoured blend, they are simply not being compared in the same category.

Location

Leicester, England, United Kingdom

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