Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where To Buy: Aiya
Tea Description:
Matcha Infused Genmaicha is a traditional Japanese Sencha blended with toasted brown rice and premium Matcha green tea. The refreshing flavor of Sencha combined with the nutty flavor of toasted brown rice, plus the resilient color and mild sweetness of Matcha make this tea distinctly delightful.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Aiya is one of those companies that never ceases to impress me. The quality of their teas are superb! I’ve tried several teas from them now, including their trio of Matcha selections and their Gyrokuro. I was quite impressed with those teas and am just as impressed with this Matcha Infused Genmaicha.
First thing that I notice is the color of the dry leaf. The quality of the Matcha used to enhance this Genmaicha is high, as the coloration of the dry leaf is a bright green. After steeping, I amazed at how light in color the infusion is, and even more amazing is that I do not notice any unincorporated Matcha “dust” floating around in the tea which is something that is often present in Matcha enhanced Genmaicha teas. The brewed tea is often “cloudy” because of the Matcha, but that isn’t the case here.
Nor is there any Matcha settling to the bottom of the cup, even now as I am nearly halfway finished with the cup. This is truly Matcha Infused Genmaicha, and not Matcha coated Genmaicha: I taste the flavor of the Matcha which is sweet, slightly creamy and vegetal, but I don’t see the unamalgamated bits of Matcha which tend to float about and eventually settle to the bottom of other Matcha coated Genmaicha.
And the difference this makes is remarkable, not just in the appearance of the brewed tea but also in the flavor. This doesn’t taste quite as thick or creamy as a Matcha coated Genmaicha, nor does it have that sometimes chalky aftertaste. Instead, this tastes very smooth and there is a lightness to this that is uncommon when it comes to Matcha drinks. It is rather refreshing!
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Matcha in its many forms, but, it’s nice to have this unique take on Matcha with this Matcha Infused Genmaicha. It’s sweet and even … crisp on the palate! Overall, the cup is sweet, and not just from the Matcha but also from the flavor of the roasted rice which gives it a sweet, toasty note. The green tea is vibrant and fresh and lightly vegetative.
A really delicious, soothing, restorative tea! I like this quite a bit.
That sounds delicious. On one hand I really need to stop reading you guys because you are wonderful enablers. On the other hand, you guys give me an amazing “tea to try” list. Keep it up!