This is intriguing! Bancha usually refers to Japanese tea, specifically the second harvest from the same tea bushes that produce sencha. Bancha is considered to be an every day tea grade rather than something to reserve for special occasions, so I am drinking this as my after brunch cup.
This tea is harvested in China but is processed like Japanese bancha. The leaves are not terribly long – not like Hou Kui – but they are similar in that they are pressed flat. They are quite dark green in color.
The steeped tea is a rich gold color, not pale at all. It looks a lot like apple juice! My first sip gave the impression of mint, but the more I drink, the more I realize it is a very light briskness that builds over time. It is not creamy, buttery, or very vegetal. It is not sour when sipping. There is a bit of mineral flavor. By halfway through the cup, my tongue is feeling rather dry. And dry makes you want to drink more.
As is so often true of brisk tea, the follow up to the sip is a slight rising sweetness. There is only a hint of that here and it seems to come and go, being the most noticeable in the very back of the throat. Once the aftertaste establishes itself, though, it does linger well.
With its palate cleansing tendencies, I think this is a tea I would serve with or immediately after a meal. It is not a favorite for me, as I tend to like highly vegetal or buttery green tea, but is the sort of thing my daughter loves.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Herbie Organic
Description
Green tea produced by combining the best Chinese and Japanese tea making traditions. Grown on the northern side of the River Yangtze at altitudes of up to 250 meters, pressed and long leaves give this green tea light and gentle taste and a mild character.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
China Bancha Organic from Herbie Organic
Today was a day that just called and yearned for a solid green tea. My stress levels seem to increasingly get higher and higher each day with the new added responsbilities of my new position. Only a brilliant green tea could calm this ragged soul.
So I grabbed the China Banch Organic sample that Herbie Organic graciously sent and I am so glad I did. This tea calmed the waters this afternoon for sure.
Sourced from China, this green tea is described as having a light and gentle flavor with a mild character. I would absolutely agree on the light and gentle but the mild character maybe not so much.
Brewed to the parameters found on the package (80C and allowed to steep for 2 min), this tea had a very gentle aroma right off the bat. My first sip in and I just sighed.
Towards the beginning of the sip, you are greeted with these tame vegetal notes that quickly turn into a much sweeter finish that again turn towards a vegetal finish. The subtle combination of the vegetal and sweet tones really captured my heart. Not to sweet but also not to veggie like. The perfect in between profile for sure, giving you the best of both worlds.
Each sip is crisp and refreshing. I couldn’t get enough and found myself going back for cup after cup. As calm as the flavor was, they were just incredibly on point that I have to say the mild character description just doesn’t fit this tea. Yes the flavor is calm, but there is such a brilliance to this tea that really commands attention. I personally couldn’t get enough.
Highly recommend this as a smooth sipping green tea for any green tea lovers out there.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Herbie Organic
Description
Green tea produced by combining the best Chinese and Japanese tea making traditions. Pressed and long leaves give this green tea light and gentle taste and a mild character.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
