Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Buckwheat Tea
Where to Buy: Steepster Select
Tisane Description:
Soba cha (roasted buckwheat berries) is a caffeine free tisane drank in noodle shops in Japan. With an intoxicating aroma and slightly sweet, nutty brew, this is sure to become a favorite. GLUTEN FREE!
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I’m pretty sure that I’ve tried Soba Cha before, although, I’m not sure when. This Soba Cha Deep Roast Buckwheat Tisane from Steepster reminds me a lot of drinking Genmai … (the toasted rice part). It has that roasty-toasty quality of Genmai rice, but, this has more of a malty … or perhaps a barley like flavor. It reminds me a lot of a freshly baked, whole multi-grain bread.
The flavor is sweet with notes of honey and nutty tones. There is a caramel-ish sort of flavor to this as well and that melds nicely with the honey. Then there is the grain-y sort of flavor that is so reminiscent of “breakfast” to me. Whole multi-grain toast with a pat of butter on it and honey drizzled over it. Yeah … that’s what I taste with this.
On Steepster I saw a suggestion of adding some maple syrup to this, and I think that would make a stunning addition to this. It’s quite good served straight up (I prefer this hot, it seems to lose something to the flavor as it cools), but, if I were going to add something, I think I would add the maple. It would give this a real “breakfast-y” sort of appeal.
A really yummy, naturally caffeine free alternative!
Tiger Monk Roasted Oolong Tea from Temple Road
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Temple Road
Tea Description:
Inspired from the power, strength, and courage of the Tiger Warrior Monk in the great and millennial tradition of Chinese martial arts, the distinct woody and smoky aromas of this triple roast, medium fermentation, high mountain oolong tea combine with exquisite balance to create this strong, rugged yet smooth taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Toast! That’s the first word that came to my mind when I took my first sip of this Tiger Monk Roasted Oolong Tea from Temple Road. The triple roasting of this Oolong resulted in a really delightful, roasty-toasty flavor that reminds me of toast … but not just any toast that would pop out of the standard kitchen toaster. This toast reminds me of something that you might have while out camping. The kind of toast that you would brown over a campfire.
I used a slightly smaller gaiwan when I brewed this tea today, so, I was able to fit three infusions in my cup. The combination of the first three infusions (following a 15 second rinse) created my first cup of this tea. I noticed a sweet woodsy tone that contrasted with the slight char/mineral notes that the roasting imparted. The flavor is very smooth, and there is not a lot of astringency to this cup.
There is a creaminess to this tea as well and I like the way the cream plays with the roasty-toasty nutty flavors. It reminds me of flavors you’d taste at breakfast. Very rustic but also sweet.
The second cup (infusions 4, 5 and 6) offered more of those delicious roasty-toasty-nutty notes, and I discovered some fruit notes that began to emerge … peach? Yes, I think it is a little peach-like, but that doesn’t quite nail it. The wood notes meld with these peach-y flavors and create a new “sweet” kind of flavor that I don’t recall encountering in an Oolong tea before. It’s really unique and captivating.
The aforementioned “char” notes (like charcoal) are still there too, as are the mineral-ish type notes. Still rustic, still sweet … but this cup is definitely different from the first. I don’t think I could pick a favorite though, because both are lovely.
I decided to see what kind of flavors a third cup would produce, so I went ahead and infused this tea three more times! This cup was considerably smoother and more mellow. It has become sort of “expected” with my third cup of Oolong that the flavors become melded and seamless, and that has happened here. I still get some of those smoked notes, and some of the charcoal-y/mineral-y notes that were in the previous two cups. The peach notes are clearer here.
This is a really excellent Oolong! If you like roasted Oolong teas – this tea should be at the top of your Must Try list!
Houjicha Ichiban Green Tea from Steepster
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Steepster Select
Tea Description:
Roasted in small batches, this houjicha comes from exclusive 1st flush leaves and stems. Constant monitoring during production ensures a perfectly balanced sweet (caramel-like) and salty (umami richness) flavor profile. A daily favorite at Steepster!
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the single serving pouch of this Houjicha Ichiban Green Tea from Steepster (the second tea that I’m sampling from my February Steepster Select Box!) I was greeted with a delicious, roasty-toasty scent. I love the aroma of a good Houjicha, it smells so warm and cozy, like comfort food. Houjicha is comfort tea!
And this is an amazing Houjicha! It is sweet and delicious with its warm, toasty nut flavor. Some of the other tasting notes written about this tea suggest a grassy taste, but I don’t get a lot of grassy/vegetative notes from this tea nor can I recall any Houjicha right off hand that I’ve tasted where I’ve experienced a vegetative note. Usually, the roasting of the leaves turns the vegetal notes of the green tea into a nuttier flavor, and that’s what I’m tasting now.
But I do taste a slight buttery quality and hints of chocolate … a very subtle chocolate note that I can’t recall noticing in a Houjicha before. Interesting! And I also do taste a slight “saltiness” to this that accentuates the nutty flavors very nicely. It’s a nice balance between savory and sweet.
This is a mighty fine Houjicha! I’m glad I got to try it!
Learn more about Steepster Select here.
Mountain Roasted Green Tea from Shan Valley
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Shan Valley
Tea Description:
Mountain Roasted tea is our premium tea harvested year round and roasted to perfection. It has a nice roasted taste and smell blended in with the more subtle fresh flavor of the tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the pouch of Mountain Roasted Green Tea from Shan Valley, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I’ve tried many roasted Oolong teas, however, my experience with roasted green teas is much more limited.
But this tastes more like a roasted green Oolong than it does a typical green tea to me. In the place of the usual or expected vegetative tones of a green tea, I taste a delicious nutty quality.
The texture of this tea is really nice – like velvet! It tastes very smooth, and feels very smooth to the palate as I sip. As the name suggests, it has a delicious roasty-toasty taste to it, with hints of smoke that mingle with distant floral notes. It is sweet and nutty, and there are some creamy butter-like notes to the cup as well.
A really delicious, unexpected green tea. I like it!
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!