154 Tasting Notes
The dry leaf for this tea might be a bit intimidating for some. Not as strong as some lapsang or genmaicha I’ve smelled, but it is a slightly funky, earthy, and straw-like scent. The brewed tea is much more mild and smells almost like roasted corn. I was afraid this tea would be similar to barley tea (mugicha), which for some reason I don’t like the taste of, but I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of this tea when brewed. It stood up to a nice long brewing of 3 minutes since it is less fragile than a non-roasted green tea. There is absolutely no bitterness, astringency, or even the slight acidity that regular green teas can sometimes have. It does inherit the grassiness and smooth buttery finish of a high quality green tea. The finish is sweet and smooth, reminding me of a non-salted version of those grocery snack corn nuts. The after taste has a bit of tannin that reminds me of oolong teas served in restaurants to help with digestion, but it is more of a nostalgic reminder and does not affect the overall taste of the tea at all.
Flavors: Butter, Hay, Roasted Nuts, Straw, Toasted Rice
Preparation
This is quite a yummy tea that I was able to try thanks to my friend Stephanie. I’m sad to see it go out of my cupboard, but I sure did enjoy it while I had it. It smells of nice, warm, poached pears but tastes more mellow.
Flavors: Pear, Spices
Preparation
Very clean, buttery and naturally sweet. This tastes more like a green tea than a black tea and has a nice, clear broth. Absolutely no bitterness or astringency and sips very smoothly. This tea seems like a great beginner point for unflavored teas, but nothing jumps out at me.
Flavors: Sweet, Warm Grass
Preparation
I love oolongs and this is no exception. The dry tea is more like pellets than leaves and look to be coated in some kind of dust. The brewed tea doesn’t have a strong smell, but when sipping has great flavor. It opens with the taste of juicy plums and hibiscus, then blends into the earthiness and warmth of ginseng. It is very well balanced and naturally sweet. The cup is smooth with no astringency.
At first I tried 1 teaspoon of tea to a cup, but then I upped it to 2 teaspoons with multiple re-steeps. This tea holds up well to re-steeping.
Flavors: Earth, Fruit Tree Flowers, Ginger, Plum
Preparation
This tea has a roasted, clean aroma and taste to match. The sip opens with a natural sweetness then grows deeper with a roasted stem taste, then lightens up with a clean grassy finish. I actually found myself stopping and sighing, thankful that I found a tea that I enjoy drinking! It really is a quality tea & you can tell. Such a relief from some of the teas I’ve been trying recently that have been bland or unbalanced.
Flavors: Grass, Plant Stems