Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations
Tea Description:
Houjicha Amber as the name says is exquisite in color, aromatic in fragrance and powerful in flavor. Its color is that of the stone, amber, that is often used for both jewelry and to perfumery.
To produce Houjcha Amber, Obubu uses tea leaves of Sencha of the Summer Sun and roast them to create a luxury type of Houjicha. Sencha of the Summer Sun is characterised for its strong bitter taste because it uses tea leaves that are small and fine. Its rich and robust flavor makes it an ideal choice for after heavy or oily meals.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a cup of Houjicha, so I thought it was definitely time for a cup. This Amber Houjicha Tea from Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations is really lovely.
According to the above description, the leaves used for this Houjicha is the Sencha of the Summer Sun, and this was a Sencha that I really enjoyed … so I found myself eager to try this tea after reading the description. I wondered how different the flavor would be after the roasting process.
Interestingly enough, I still taste some of the Sencha in this tea, although it is … certainly different from a typical Sencha (duh, right?) But I taste some of the vegetative notes of the Sencha tea, as well as some of the floral notes. The Sencha of the Summer Sun was a rather assertive green tea so, I guess it should come as no surprise that some of those flavors still shine through after the roasting.
But, I like how the vegetative notes taste … more like roasted vegetables as opposed to “creamed spinach.” Some of the creamy notes of the green tea are also present in this cup, and when united with the toasty flavors, it gives a creamy, nutty sort of flavor that is really quite appealing.
Sweet and delicious, with a moderate amount of astringency … this is different from the usual Houjicha which I might describe as a mellow, easy-going kind of tea … this one has a certain lively vibe to it that makes it different but still quite delightful.
If you like Houjicha … add this to your MUST try list!
