87 Tasting Notes
Surprisingly great tasting tea, especially for the price. Yes, the leaf is broken but it doesn’t seem to affect the flavor at all. The brew is full-bodied and slightly fruity with sweet peachy notes. No smokiness, very little astringency. All in all, the best non-Chinese green tea I’ve tried so far. A keeper.
Preparation
Didn’t wow me as much as I thought it would… The price is steep but the leaf appearance and taste are very similar to Jade Tie Guan Yin, only a little less floral and a tiny bit sweeter. The brew is very mild and tame tasting overall. Nothing spectacular. I was able to achieve three infusions.
Preparation
One of the worst Genmaichas I tried. Very grassy and vegetal, with little to no rice flavor. Increased water temperature / steep time only brings out more grassiness and does nothing to improve the rice taste. I like my Genmaicha on the sweeter side and full of roasted rice goodness, this one definitely falls short on both counts.
Preparation
I would probably liked this tea better if I hadn’t tried TeaGschwendner’s Cranberry Mango green first. It is a nice tea, not too artificial though isn’t exactly mango tasting. It is lightly flavored, fruity, easy to drink and very thirst-quenching. TeaGschwendner’s on the other hand has real bits of mango and cranberry in it and thus produces much richer and more realistic flavor with tangy notes.
Preparation
Genmai Cha is my favorite Japanese tea and I’m extremely picky about it. I don’t tolerate any grassiness or bitterness that comes with some blends out there. The way I see it, it should be sweet, smooth and creamy with a prominent roasted flavor. Adagio’s pretty much hits the spot, it has almost everything I’d expect from a good quality Genmai Cha. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a higher rating is the fact that the rice in the blend seems to be a bit over-roasted. It gives the tea a slightly bitter aftertaste which I can live with because it comes from the rice not tea leaves and has a different kind of bitterness that is not unpleasant at all.
Preparation
Seems too heavy for a Jasmine tea. Earthy and dusty. Also has a sweet aftertaste that overpowers floral Jasmine notes and contributes to overall heaviness. Not refreshing at all, feels more like a bag of dry Jasmine flowers vs fresh jasmine on a bush.
Preparation
Smooth. Robust. Flavorful. Just the right amount of bergamot. Probably someone’s perfect Earl Grey. But for me the tea base seems too heavy and strong due to Keemun, not refreshing enough. It’s more on the smokier side though I can’t taste any smoke directly if it makes any sense, the blending is done very nicely indeed.