Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Simple Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
Named for its shape, Gunpowder is one of the most popular teas throughout Asia. Our harvesters use a special rolling technique to craft these shiny, compact nuggets of tea out of the freshest, sweetest leaves. The result is immaculately clean, translucent liquor with a smooth, round taste followed by the subtle aftertaste of fresh green leaves.
Organic Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Simple Loose Leaf’s NEW Selection Club subscription program here.
Taster’s Review:
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
And since it is St. Patrick’s Day, what better tea to celebrate with than a green tea? Specifically, this Organic Gunpowder Green Tea from Simple Loose Leaf!
And this is a really good quality Gunpowder Green! I love that it’s an organic tea. The more I’m trying organic teas, the more I’m starting to notice a slight difference in flavor in the organic teas versus the conventionally grown teas. Maybe it’s all in my head, but … I think I do notice a slight difference.
For the record, I did at one time do a side by side comparison of an organically grown rooibos versus a conventionally grown rooibos, and the organic rooibos did taste better. Now, that’s not saying that it is true of camellia sinensis leaves. I just noticed a difference in the taste of the rooibos.
Anyway, let’s get back to this Gunpowder Green. It has a pleasant, smooth texture to it. I want to call it “brothy” because it reminds me a bit of the mouthfeel I’d experience if I were sipping a vegetable broth. Sort of thick and silky. But I’d much rather be sipping on this over a vegetable broth!
It does have a vegetative tone to it, though. It tastes of lima beans, only sweeter! There is a light buttery note to this as well as a toasted nut flavor. It has a nice complexity and a well-rounded flavor. Unlike some Gunpowder teas, I don’t taste the slight “smokiness” that I sometimes taste. This tastes cleaner … fresher!
One of the better Gunpowder Green teas I’ve tasted!
Genmai Hojicha from Sara’s Tea Caddie
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Sara’s Tea Caddie
Tea Description:
A variation on two classic Japanese green teas: Genmaicha and Hojicha. With this blend you get the sweetness and buttery popcorn of a genmaicha and the toastiness of a roasted hojicha. Savoury and sweet, nutty and smooth. This tea is a perfect warming green tea for winter weather.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s a happy day when I go out to the mailbox and find my monthly Amoda Tea box in there! But I have to admit that when I opened my Amoda Box this month, I was a little disappointed. There was a repeat of a tea that we’ve had from Amoda in the box before: Minty Winter Wonderland from Tiesta Tea. I mean, sure, the tea is tasty. I enjoyed it last winter when it was part of December 2012’s box. But I subscribed to Amoda Tea to experience new teas, not to be reintroduced to teas that I’ve already tried. So I’m hoping that this isn’t going to be a trend on the part of Amoda Tea.
But, I am glad that this month’s box also included a packet of Genmai Hojicha from Sara’s Tea Caddie. This is a really tasty Genmai. I love the way the sweetness of the toasty Hojicha brings out the sweet, toasted rice flavor.
In a “typical” Genmaicha, the bittersweet grassy tones of the Sencha (or Bancha) are softened and sweetened by the addition of toasted rice. Here, the sweet, roasted flavor of the hojicha is compounded by the toasted rice – creating a deeper roasty-toasty flavor that is sweet and a little bit buttery.
It is a warm, cozy kind of flavor that is comforting when served hot, and very relaxing and refreshing when served chilled. I found that the toasty notes still came through nicely with the iced version – I liked that. When served iced, it’s especially tasty with a drizzle of honey!
Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: NaturaliTea #01 – Organic Handpicked Midori First Flush
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Tea Description:
2013 harvest from Naturalitea. Handpicked from a select number of the Kinezuka family and partners’ best fields at the very beginning of the shincha season this is the youngest tea leaf you can find.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.
Taster’s Review:
I know that I’ve mentioned before just how much I love receiving a monthly mystery tea sampler’s club package from Yunomi every month. And this Organic Midori First Flush tea from NaturaliTea (if you’re looking on the website, this is the #01 tea from NaturaliTea) is an example of why I love receiving these teas. This is SO fresh. I absolutely love it when I can see and taste the freshness in a tea.
The color of the dry leaf is so vibrant and they are a dark, forest-y green. I can smell the vegetal quality of these leaves, it smells like something in between just-cut spring grass, freshly steamed vegetables and kelp. It has that aroma that is just ALIVE with vegetation.
And the flavor is equally as fresh tasting. It has a sweetness to it and a sharp bitter taste of a good quality Japanese green tea. The bitterness offers a really lovely, savory contrast to the sweetness of the young leafy taste. I like the balance of savory to sweet here … it is neither too sweet nor too bitter … it is just a pleasure to sip!
It has a light, brothy character to it … it just FEELS good when I drink it … I can feel it rejuvenate me as I sip. It tastes fresh and it refreshes the palate as it washes over the tongue. This tea … just speaks to me of springtime: from the taste of the young leaves of the spring harvest to the fresh fragrance and flavor. It is a very refreshing beverage!