Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: Light Roast Houjicha from Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantation

lightroasthoujicha

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Yunomi

Tea Description:

Roasted green tea, or Houjicha, is unlike any green tea you’ve tasted before. With a smooth, smoky flavor that is simultaneously light and sweet, houjicha has none of the bitterness of traditional green teas. 

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.

Taster’s Review:

This Light Roast Houjicha from the Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantation is the third and final tea that I received in this month’s Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club package.

As I’ve professed before, I am quite fond of Houjicha (or Hojicha) because I love that roasty-toasty flavor!  This particular tea is “Light Roast” and the difference is noticeable in the flavor.

It is a much lighter taste – a mild smokiness and a gentle toasted flavor is what I’m enjoying with this cup.  It is sweet and mellow and lacks any bitterness whatsoever.  The astringency is also quite light here – it’s barely noticeable.

The roasting process of Houjicha seems to mute out the strong vegetative or “grassy” notes that is often found in green teas, and replaces them with a sweet, toasty taste, and I think that’s what I like best about Houjicha.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy that grassy taste from a Japanese Sencha just fine, but, sometimes, it’s nice to change things up a bit.

I like how the lighter roasting of this allows some of the smoky tones to be explored.  It isn’t a strong smoky overture, but I can note the complexity in the smoky tones.  This seems much more complex to me than a typical, “medium” roast or stronger roast Houjicha.  Smooth with layers of flavor that are smoky, nutty, sweet, earthy, somewhat woody, and deliciously toasted.

A very tasty Houjicha … very relaxing to sip, and a very smooth, comforting cup!

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