Two teaspoons of tea, steeped for one minute rather than the minute and a half suggested on the packet, because I’ve learnt to be very, very careful with Gyokuro. But actually, now that I’ve tried it I think this one might stand to be steeped for a minute and a half. It would be interesting to find out if the extra time would make it a teensy bit stronger without ruining it, anyway.
This is a very soft, muted sort of gyokuro. It produces the typical pale green liquor and the taste is vegetal, of course, but not overly so. It’s very soft and gentle on the surface, but isn’t as silky/smooth in the mouth as that softness might lead you to expect. The aftertaste is really, really interesting. There’s a little bit of saltiness to it, and a very slight sharpness that’s so subtle that I’m hesitant to go as far as calling it astringent.
This is the sort of tea that makes you want to sip it slowly and consider every drop. I’ve just finished my first cup and I already want to try it again.
Preparation
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…why you are careful with Gyokuro?
@keemun Gyokuro is a really wonderful tea if you get it right, but it’s very, very unforgiving and horrible if you get it wrong – and it’s very easy to get it wrong. It needs much cooler water than any other tea I know, and it’s also vitally important not to over-steep it even by only a little. I usually make it in water a little cooler even than this, and steep it for no more than a minute.
From wikipedia →
_ * use twice the weight in dry tea leaves for a given quantity of water (e.g. 6 to 10 grams for 180 ml, or 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons for half of a cup);
use a lower brewing temperature (in the range of 50°C-60°C (122°F-140°F) instead of 65°C-75°C (149°F-167°F) for sencha; for high-end Gyokuro such as National tea jury rank, a temperature of 40°C (104°F) is recommended.); a longer steeping duration, at least for the first infusion (90 seconds instead of 1 minute for sencha)._…thanks Ricky. Don’t have a Gyokuro on my cupboard right know…but will print out your advice and keep it!!!
One more thing about Gyokuro. It actually contains more caffeine than black tea! I’ve been meaning to make it the last few days until I read that.
Gyokuro does have a lot of caffeine, but it also has higher theanine levels than any other tea. Theanine is a natural calming agent and counteracts the “jittery” effect associated by coffee or black tea caffeine.
…why you are careful with Gyokuro?
@keemun Gyokuro is a really wonderful tea if you get it right, but it’s very, very unforgiving and horrible if you get it wrong – and it’s very easy to get it wrong. It needs much cooler water than any other tea I know, and it’s also vitally important not to over-steep it even by only a little. I usually make it in water a little cooler even than this, and steep it for no more than a minute.
From wikipedia →
_ * use twice the weight in dry tea leaves for a given quantity of water (e.g. 6 to 10 grams for 180 ml, or 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons for half of a cup);
use a lower brewing temperature (in the range of 50°C-60°C (122°F-140°F) instead of 65°C-75°C (149°F-167°F) for sencha; for high-end Gyokuro such as National tea jury rank, a temperature of 40°C (104°F) is recommended.); a longer steeping duration, at least for the first infusion (90 seconds instead of 1 minute for sencha)._…thanks Ricky. Don’t have a Gyokuro on my cupboard right know…but will print out your advice and keep it!!!
One more thing about Gyokuro. It actually contains more caffeine than black tea! I’ve been meaning to make it the last few days until I read that.
Gyokuro does have a lot of caffeine, but it also has higher theanine levels than any other tea. Theanine is a natural calming agent and counteracts the “jittery” effect associated by coffee or black tea caffeine.