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!
Organic Kyoto Cherry Rose Green Tea from Delicious Sip
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Delicious Sip
Tea Description:
This is a fresh and smooth green Sencha tea with excellent body and depth. The bright cherry and subtle rose flavors give this tea a wildly exotic character unique in its own right.
The tea used in this savory blend is grown only from March to April and the quality is clearly tasted in every cup. The Hunan Province is renowned for producing excellent Japanese style green teas and our Organic Kyoto Cherry Rose tea is a prime example. We invite you to brew a cup and taste the difference.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s that time of year again! Spring just doesn’t seem like spring until I’ve had at least one cherry sencha tea! With the first sip, I start daydreaming … reminiscing of walking in Washington D.C. in the spring, along the Potomac River where it’s lined with gorgeous cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
And then my mind jumps to memories of walking along the streets in Southern California where the beautiful Jacaranda trees line the streets. I’m not sure why cherry blossom trees make me think of jacaranda trees, except that they are both gorgeous, blossoming trees, and living in Southern California as long as I did … I had the opportunity to enjoy them more than I did the cherry blossom trees along the Potomac. Of course, I do see cherry blossom trees up here (and no jacaranda trees!) but there’s something about the way the cherry blossom trees lined the river (and the way the jacaranda trees lined the streets) that make me think of spring.
Jumping off that tangent and into this teacup … this is a lovely cherry flavored Sencha. The green tea tastes fresh and vegetal with hints of creamy butter and just a hint of a savory quality in the distance. It’s a lovely contrast for the sweet cherry notes. And even though those cherry notes are sweet, the hint of flower in the cup seems to keep the taste away from toeing the line of medicinal (cherry cough syrup) and keep the flavor on this side of pleasant tea flavor. A bonus!
The rose notes are floral without tasting soapy. The cherry adds just the right touch of sweetness to the cup without tasting too medicinal. The green tea has a lush flavor to it – it’s soft and creamy without being too heavy on the palate.
A really refreshing tea – one of my favorites to sip on this time of year! And I love that this version from Delicious Sip is organic (as it would appear all the teas from this company are!) This one is great iced too!
A lovely tea from a company that is new to me … but one from which I’m excited to taste more!
Hoji Cha Gold (Houjicha Gold) from Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations
Product Description:
This Houjicha is special! Made by roasting mature sencha instead of bancha, Houjicha Gold boasts a much more intense flavour with lingering buttery sun flower tones. Relying on the name it turns bright golden in a cup and gives off a room-filling pleasant roasted fragrance. As it is made from sencha we recommend steeping it shorter than other houjicha.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love hojicha (or houjicha, or Hoji Cha)! I just love that toasted flavor that comes of roasting the green tea leaves. The roasting process changes the green tea flavor, converting the “vegetative” or “grassy” taste of a Sencha and/or Bancha tea into a sweeter flavor that tastes like sweet, freshly roasted nuts.
And in this “line of work” I have had the opportunity to try MANY different hojicha. Some I’ve liked better than others (although I can’t really recall ever not liking a hojicha that I’ve tasted.) But this Hoji Cha Gold – also called Houjicha Gold – from Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations is one of the very best, if not THE best, that I’ve tried!
What makes this tea different? This houjicha consists of only roasted Sencha leaves (rather than a combination of Bancha and Sencha, or just Bancha leaves) … maybe that’s the reason for the better flavor. I don’t know.
What I do know is that I taste a really deliciously sweet, roasty-toasty, nutty flavor. I taste not just nutty flavors, but hints of caramel and even a slight floral tone that is interesting.
I like that is not just sweet. There is a savory note in this tea that hits the palate right about mid-sip. This savory note comes from the slight floral note … it’s slightly sharp and intriguing!
At the start of the sip, the palate is washed with sweet, nutty flavors, and then as the sip progresses, the palate perks up with the introduction of this savory note. It sort of wakes up and says “Hello, what is this?” and this allows the palate to really explore this tea.
I find myself appreciating this contrasting note because as much as I do enjoy hojicha teas … sometimes they are just a little too sweet. I like this uplifting sharpness to the cup, it cuts through some of the sweetness, and makes the tea taste more balanced.
A really enjoyable Houjicha, one that I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience!
Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: Light Roast Houjicha from Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantation
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!
Kyoto Rice Green Tea Blend from The Spice and Tea Exchange
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Spice and Tea Exchange
Tea Description:
(Genmaicha Tea) Kyoto green tea leaves are blended with popped and roasted rice, to make this a brothy infusion with a unique appeal. Moderate Caffeine.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I drink a Genmaicha tea, I want that sweet, roasty-toasty flavor. And that’s just what I’m getting from this Kyoto Rice Green Tea Blend from The Spice and Tea Exchange!
This is a good quality Genmaicha, with the lush, green tea flavor combined with the sweet, toasted rice flavor. It has a nice, medium body to it: smooth and brothy (just like the description above implies).
I don’t know that I’d stop in to my local Spice and Tea Exchange just to pick up some of this Kyoto Rice tea, because there are a lot of companies out there that offer good quality Genmaicha like this one … but, since they do carry some other blends that usually always interest me, if I’m low on Genmaicha I might pick up some from them. It’s a good one, and I always like to have some Genmaicha on hand!