Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Aiya
Tea Description:
This special green tea goes through a longer steaming process, allowing the natural flavors and colors to imbue the tea leaves. And although the steaming process decreases the tea’s aroma, it also cuts the astringency creating a richer and more full-bodied flavor compared to regular Sencha. The difference in the process leads to a unique blend of a cultural favorite.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf aroma of this Deep Steam Sencha Green Tea from Aiya is interesting … it’s different from other Japanese Sencha teas that I’ve experienced. Usually, I experience a strong grassy note from Japanese Senchas, but here, I notice more of a roasted seaweed kind of scent, reminiscent of the roasted seaweed snacks that are gaining in popularity. Me … I’m not a huge fan of the seaweed snacks, although I seem to be part of a minority on that one. Oh well.
But, even though I don’t particularly enjoy seaweed snacks, I didn’t let the aroma of this Deep Steam Sencha deter me for two reasons: 1) it isn’t the aroma that I dislike about seaweed snacks; and 2) I trust Aiya. They’ve not let me down before, and I trust that I’ll really enjoy this Sencha based on past experiences with them.
The brewed tea maintains that toasty scent … it isn’t that warm, roasty-toasty scent that you might experience with a genmaicha, it’s more like the aroma that I’d notice if I were to roast fresh asparagus. It has that fresh vegetative note with warm, toasted nut tones.
The flavor is much like that too … it is less vegetative than the typical Sencha … the steam process has mellowed that strong vegetative tone. Oh, I still taste a grassy note here, but, it’s lighter. There is a fair amount of astringency to this. Warm, freshly roasted nut flavors. There is a hint of savoriness to this too, almost like someone added a few flakes of Kosher salt to the brewed tea (I didn’t, I promise!) Not salty, exactly, but it does have a certain broth-y quality with a whisper of brine to it.
I find this tea to be very energizing. It would make a great alternative to the usual morning tea, it’s very refreshing, crisp, and yet invigorating. I like this unique Japanese Sencha … different from the usual cup of Sencha. Different, but just as enjoyable!
