Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Yunomi.us
Tea Description:
A tea popular with female customers in Japan, our Sencha of the Wind or 風の煎茶, is a sencha with a soft sweetness. Grown on southeast facing rolling hills at an altitude of 500 meters (1640 feet) and harvested in late May, the cultivation technique is very similar to our Kabuse Sencha. However, in addition to being harvested slightly later than the Kabuse, this tea does not use the Yabukita variety of tea plant (said to be the most suitable for Japanese tea) and is instead cultivated on standard tea plants. The difference is in the leaves as these leaves produce less amino acids than the Kabuse and therefore less bitterness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have heard that green tea is perfect for hangovers, and I suppose today is a good day to find out.
I went to an amazing show with my man last night, and one drink led to another, and another… at the end of the night I was somehow dancing on a ladder, my boyfriend trying to get me down before I fell off. Needless to say, I am feeling the effects of it today. I woke up groggily, and googled drinkable hangover cures as I dug through my stash of teas. I read on a couple of random websites that green tea is better than the hair of the dog that bit you. Even if it was a load of hogwash, it never hurts to drink a good sencha.
Sencha of the Wind from Yunomi is one of the teas produced by Kyoto Obubu tea farms. They always have an amazing selection of teas that they produce from year to year. I have the 2014 version that I got in a sampler pack a while back. I used all 10g in my large kuysu, which is (probably?) 16oz. Using warm water, 65C I flash steeped a couple times and then brewed in increments of 30 seconds. I was really surprised at how much I could get out of those leaves! I think I made it to 9 steepings before I had to call it quits.
The smoothness and richness of this brew is simply incredible. Plenty of people new to green tea in general usually say that green tea has no taste, it’s just colored water. This is going to be the tea that I will use to change their mind. All Japanese greens are so strong and flavorful, this is no exception. I love how sweet and smooth this is. I even uttered an audible, ‘wow!’ when taking a sip.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a little put off by the astringency of some senchas, this is a very rich and sweet brew, buttery smooth to the last drop!
Mango Sticky Rice Green from Ette Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green/Black
Where to Buy: Ette Tea
Tea Description:
Mango Sticky Rice is a blend of genmaicha, black tea, roasted barley, mango dices & candied coconut. Very much inspired by the Thai local dessert, the tea brews like a platter of roasted glutinous rice with the coconut and mango coming in towards the finish on the palette.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the tea that got me interested in Ette tea in the first place! The idea of mango and genmaicha is definitely very, very appealing. Really, any genmaicha with a twist gets me excited – it’s the first variety of green tea I ever really liked, and I’m still incredibly partial to it.
Dry, this is very roasty smelling with a distinct, and very fresh coconut aroma. I’m not getting much of the mango yet, but I can see several chunks of it in the dry leaf so I have faith that it’ll shop up in the flavor. For my preparation, I did a very quick 1 minute steep Western style in boiling hot water; I find that’s long enough to draw out the flavour, especially the roastier notes of a good Genmaicha, but not long enough for the brew to get bitter.
This method has worked well here; this has a very strong toasted rice flavor with absolutely no bitterness. It’s also accented by a lovely, clear toasted coconut flavour that pairs phenomenally with the rice and subtle vegetalness of the green tea. There’s also a slight creaminess to the coconut as well. There are some very light nutty notes as well, imparted both from the toasted rice and the green base. The black tea in the blend is a little less pronounced than the green; but I think that’s how it should be.
The mango is less obvious than anticipated, but still very much present and distinct; true to Ette Tea’s description of their blend it’s more show cased in the end of the sip and aftertaste and the sweet, tropical and fruity flavour it provides alongside the coconut does make me think of Thai food, though I don’t know if it specifically conjures up images of sticky rice. It’s delicious though!
This is an incredible tea, and while it’s not totally what I imagined it to be at this point I don’t think there’s a thing I’d change about it either. It’s very comforting, and because of the gentle wave of flavours both sweet and slightly savory I think it makes a really nice tea to curl up with at the end of the day. That said, unlike I would do with a conventional Genmaicha I think this would also work very well iced as something to take with you on a day out and about: the unconventional fruit flavors give this a little more life and lend themselves well to cold prep.
This is definitely my favourite Ette blend so far (something I feel like I’ve said with nearly all the Ette Teas as I’ve had them) and I would definitely buy more of this one!
Mimosa Black Tea from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lupicia USA
Tea Description:
A black tea is scented and inspired by mimosa flowers that denote the arrival of spring. Floral and refreshing citrus aroma.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
They say that America runs on Dunkin’, but I think that old saying needs to be updated. I manage a small breakfast-oriented restaurant and if I am not mistaken, the humble mimosa reigns supreme. Nothing like a slab of bacon, a couple waffles and a mimosa to cure a hangover. We oftentimes sell more mimosas on the weekend than coffee.
Even though, I still love the smell of orange juice and cheap champagne. It smells like breakfast to me. I don’t care for alcoholic beverages in any way, but I like the flavor profiles. The idea is much more romantic than actual execution and resulting effects it may have. When I stumbled upon the funky gold tin on Lupicia’s website, I was completely sold. tea. Now if only I could get it in bulk to sell it in my restaurant… the possibilities!
The tea leaves give off an aroma that is so eerily exact to the combination of fresh squeezed orange juice and champagne that it’s a bit confusing at first. I wouldn’t have thought that a black tea would have been the best choice for a such light and effervescent drink. But when I steeped this tea in a small teapot, it turned into a surprisingly delightful drink. Comforting, bright, it’s got that great orange zest flavor and a slightly boozy tang of the champagne. I have tried this tea both hot and cold, and while the hot version is quite nice, i like my citrus-flavored black teas iced much better.
Sometimes certain special and limited edition teas on the Lupicia website are rather hard to find. You really have to dig if you want to find any interesting or different blends than what you’d see at first glance. There is a treasure trove of cool teas and beautiful tins just waiting to be taken home and loved forever. This is a great find, and I can soundly recommend it for those of you who enjoy a great citrus flavored black tea.
Ceremonial Gold Class Organic Matcha from Midori Spring
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Midori Spring on Amazon.com
Tea Description:
Midori Spring’s Ceremonial Gold Matcha is rich, smooth and creamy with a hint of sweetness when brewed traditionally. Only the best and darkest tencha are used for Gold Class. Gold Class has a fresh, sweet, green-vegetable-like aroma and the colour is a vibrant emerald green – a trait only high quality Ceremonial Grade Matcha encompass.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
From the moment that I opened the canister of this Ceremonial Gold Class Organic Matcha from Midori Spring – I was excited! I was anxious to try this beautiful powdered tea!
The dry powder is a bright, vivid green color – the color green that Matcha enthusiasts would immediately recognize as top-notch Matcha! This is the color Matcha should be!
I got out my chasen and chawan and scooped out a couple of scoops of Matcha with my chashaku – one scoop using this bamboo scoop is just enough for one serving of Matcha, but I wanted two! Then I placed the Matcha into my sifter (I just use an inexpensive wire mesh strainer for this) and sifted the Matcha into my chawan. I added hot water (160°F) and began whisking. I don’t have a precise measurement for the water – I use the eyeball method and then I taste it after I’ve whisked it. If I need more water, I add some.
This Matcha whisks up BEAUTIFULLY. The color of the tea in the photo above is quite accurate – that is the same color of the liquid that’s in my chawan right now, although it’s difficult to see it since it’s beneath a thick cap of foamy froth. This tea froths up so well and it maintains the froth for a long time after you’ve finished whisking.
The flavor is outstanding. This is a really top-notch, high quality Matcha. This is the kind of Matcha that is used in Japanese tea ceremony because it’s of the best quality. Sweet! Not a hint of bitterness. Smooth and buttery. No chalkiness or gritty texture. The flavor has hints of berry and cacao in it’s complex layers. It’s vegetal. It’s a bowl of Matcha perfection.
If you’re a fan of Matcha – I highly recommend trying this one the next time you need to stock your cupboard. You’ll be happy you did!
The Last Dodo’s Mega Matcha Comparison Showdown!
I think my arms are sore. I have been whisking away for two days, testing matcha for it’s various quality. Red leaf tea has graciously asked me to put their matcha to the test. So, how does their matcha compare to the rest? Let’s find out! To make things as fair as I can make it, I used a consistent 1/2tsp to 1/4 c of water. The water I used was filtered and heated up to 80C/175F. Whisk and repeat.
First off, when I was doing the testing, I was unaware of the brands and the prices. I was shipped 12 little sample bags labeled simply, Sample 1, Sample 2, and so forth. It was so much fun, even if it got to be a bit overwhelming at times. Needless to say I am writing this comparison totally wired.
Sample #1:
Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder
Price per bag: $24.95
Price per oz: $6.24
Color: 6
Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 5
Notes: Woah. I had to shorten the name for this one because it was about 15 keywords too long. But hey, first matcha out of the gate! This one had the exact appearance as a bag of steamed asparagus color to me and was bold and grassy.
Sample #2:
Tradition Pure Green Tea Powder
Price per bag: $10.75
Price per oz: $1.22
Color: 4
Flavor: 5
Sweetness: 5
Notes: Much clump I sense in you, matcha sample #2! This sample is a Taiwanese product, so can it be considered true matcha? This one has much more umami going on. There was some graininess to this one, I was not very impressed.
Sample #3:
Price per bag: $24.00
Price per oz: $6.00
Color: 9
Flavor: 9
Sweetness: 10
Notes: This was quite good! I was glad to finally have hit a sweet spot with these matcha samples. The color was of an unripe pear, and the bright spring green was fresh and smooth in execution. The sweetness was much more prominent than the past two.
Sample #4:
Price per bag: $19.99
Price per oz: $2.27
Color: 6
Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 6
Notes: this one was very fluffy! Too bad the green, vegetable broth-like brew was a yawn for me.
Sample #5:
Price per bag: $21.99
Price per oz: $5.50
Color: 6
Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 5
Notes: the ever so grainy army drab matcha was muted, like iceberg lettuce. Very forgettable, unfortunately. The 100 keyword Amazon listing is a bit of a turn off as well.
Sample #6:
Price per bag: $29.99
Price per oz: $8.52
Color: 9
Flavor: 10
Sweetness: 10
Notes: The pistachio colored powder was a bit harder to whisk than the last, it had mad clumps. But where it lacked in whiskablity, it made up in the sweet, fresh and bright brew.
Sample #7:
Price per bag: $16.99
Price per oz: $1.93
Color: 3
Flavor: 5
Sweetness: 5
Notes: Smooth, but bitter and much more gritty than the others. I almost felt bad for this matcha, considering how this one fell short when the previous one was quite good.
Sample #8:
Price per bag: $24.71
Price per oz: $2.47
Color: 5
Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 5
Notes: a bit astringent and rough to drink. Not my favorite.
Sample #9:
Price per bag: $25.00
Price per oz: $6.25
Color: 9
Flavor:7
Sweetness: 8
Notes: this one was not bad, but I did get a little fishy note in the body somewhere, albeit a fleeting one. This would have been great matcha if it wasn’t for that.
Sample #10:
Price per bag: $24.99
Price per oz: $6.25
Color: 6
Flavor: 6
Sweetness: 7
Notes: this was a mild one, it was not bitter, but the flavor fell a little flat.
Sample #11:
Starter Matcha from Red leaf Tea
Price per bag: $14.99
Price per oz: $0.94
Color: 5
Flavor: 7
Sweetness: 7
Notes: I think I was getting a little matcha high at this point but, I remember how smooth this one was, the flavor was nothing to write home about, but there was no harshness, nor muted flavor. Just fresh greens.
Sample #12:
Deluxe Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Price per bag: $24.99
Price per oz: $1.56
Color: 10
Flavor: 10
Sweetness: 10
Notes: Hands down my favorite. I was surprised at how floral this one tasted, I remember writing in my notes that it tasted like one of my favorite things, my city’s Botanic Gardens. Which is high praise coming from me! There was not bitterness to this one, only sweet, smooth goodness!
So there you have it! To break it down, here are some charts to help break down the information into more chewable bites. And who doesn’t love charts?
By looking at this one, Sample 6 and 12 were all around favorites for me. The only one that got close was Sample 3. I may have had higher expectations of the samples that came after each matcha that I really liked, cause the rating dropped a bit!
This chart definitely tells a better story. Looks like I can usually tell a good matcha when I see it! The biggest difference is the last two, in price and quality. They were smooth and whipped up really smoothly. Both of which can be obtained from Red Leaf Tea. The ratio is great, comparably. I was blown out of the water by the contrast in price vs. how much I liked it. Wowza!