Tea Type:
Green Tea
Where To Buy:
Sakao Enterprise
Product Description:
Tea from Shizuoka – Stronger and darker taste with a combination of sweetness and bitterness.
The flavour is stronger and darker than other types of Sencha and the leaves are broken into small pieces because of its heavy steaming process. However, it has a combined taste of both bitterness and sweetness.
Tasters Review:
Fukamushi cha 3 from Sakao Enterprise is more involved than I thought it would be and that’s surely something I like about it and appreciate! Sure it looks like and plumps up like a Sencha would but the combination of sweet and bitter is what really does it for me! This is a stronger flavor and I like that as well! The sweet is almost like a floral and grassy sweet combo. The bitterness is that of bitter greens, really. The first thing that popped into my head for comparisons-sake would be mustard greens.
I would say it’s a tad more sweet than bitter which overall creates a flavor of its own that really makes this a wonderful tasting Sencha. The heavy steaming process and smaller cut of the leaves did NOT go unnoticed! Two thumbs up on this one!
Razzleberry Flavored Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Following the success of our Razzleberry (Raspberry & Blackberry) blend and iced tea, I thought we’d give it a try with our genmaicha. And I am not sorry!
Here’s our toasty Japanese genmaicha considerably cheered-up with the sweet and tart flavors of raspberry and blackberry. This is a unique summertime blend of genmaicha, and the combination of the sea-sprayed Japanese sencha, toasty brown rice and berry goodness makes me think of a picnic on the beach.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum! This Razzleberry flavored Genmaicha Green Tea from 52Teas is really tasty! It’s got the toasty, nutty flavor of Genmaicha, together with the tart notes of raspberry and the sweet notes of blackberry. It’s quite a treat for the tastebuds.
The first flavor that I notice is that of the Genmaicha – I notice that sweet, nutty flavor of the toasted and popped rice, and the slightly grassy notes of the green tea. Just before mid-sip, I start to notice the sweetness of the berries coming through. The tarty notes of the berries starts to emerge close to the finish, and linger in the aftertaste, providing that “tingly” tart sensation on the tongue that you might experience if you were to eat a fresh raspberry.
This tastes good hot … but really, this is so much better iced! It’s so refreshing – and the fruity taste translates so well with an iced tea.
I know I mentioned this before … but it bears repeating: Please take a moment to watch the videos here and consider donating to help Zoomdweebies – a cool tea bar in Wichita, Kansas – reopen it’s doors!
Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: Kesennuma Kuwacha Sencha Mulberry Leaf Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Tea Description:
Rare Japanese mulberry tea, or kuwacha (桑茶), is very similar to a light sencha without the caffeine.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little unsure about trying this Kesennuma Kuwacha Sencha Mulberry Leaf Tea from the Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club from Yunomi, because I can’t recall actually having tried a Tisane made from just mulberry leaves before. I probably have had tea blends with mulberry leaves … but, I can’t recall trying a straight mulberry leaf tisane before.
But, I decided what the heck, I was going to give it a try, because everything that I’ve tried thus far from Yunomi I’ve enjoyed … so I put my faith in this company and hoped that they wouldn’t let me down.
And you know what – they didn’t! This is really quite nice. The aroma of the dry leaf is very pleasant with its sweet fruity notes and leafy/grassy tones. And the dark green, finely chopped leaves resemble a Japanese Sencha. Once brewed, the tisane keeps some of the fruity notes, and the leafy/grassy notes become more distinctive.
The flavor is very reminiscent of a Japanese Sencha, believe it or not! I was actually quite surprised by the flavor … I didn’t expect it to taste so much like a Sencha! It is sweet, slightly buttery, with fruity notes. It has a light character to it (although, if you want it stronger, you can add more leaf!) and the texture isn’t quite as brothy as a Sencha tea might be but … the grassy/leafy notes of the Sencha are there. This might actually be a little sweeter due to the fruity quality, and I’m noticing less (as in very little if any) savory taste to this. It’s more like a sweeter version of a Sencha … without the invigorating caffeine.
This tisane is perfect for those of you who would like to enjoy a green tea later in the evening but don’t want the caffeine … this has such a “green tea” taste to it that you’d think you’re drinking green tea … but you’re not! It’s really quite wonderful!
Acai Green Tea from Revolution Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Revolution Tea
Tea Description:
Sencha, the finest Japanese green tea, is blended with the rich, zingy taste of berries for a light, refreshing brew. The flavor of raspberries, black currants and acai, a Brazilian berry bursting with antioxidants, provide a memorable medley.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received a sachet of this Acai Green Tea from Revolution Tea in my Love with Food Box in March! I always get excited when I receive a tea in one of my foodie tasting boxes … even if it is a sachet! And I’ve had pretty good luck with Revolution Tea’s sachets. One drawback though, it’s Acai Berry flavored … and I’ve not always had the best luck with Acai Berry.
It’s not terrible … but, I can’t say that this is my favorite tea that I’ve tried from Revolution Tea either. (I think my favorite would be the Tangerine White tea that I tasted when I went to PF Chang’s … at least, it was the most memorable tea I’ve tried from them!)
The overall flavor is delicate and sweet. There is a hint of bitterness from either the berry or the Sencha … but, it isn’t a distracting, off-putting bitterness, it actually contrasts in a very favorable way with the sweeter notes of the tea. And then there is the tart notes from the Acai Berry … and I’m glad to say that the tartness isn’t overpowering. It keeps in balance with the overall tone of the cup with its subtle approach.
It’s a gentle cup of tea – not quite as strongly flavored as I had anticipated, but, I like that. I like that I taste the sweet, grassy tones of the Japanese Sencha here, with hints of buttery notes in the background. The Acai Berry offers a compelling deviance to the brothy tea notes.
This one is nice as it cools too … I think I actually like it better cool than hot – making it a nice choice for iced tea.
Organic Green Tea Powder from Shi Zen
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Powdered)
Where to Buy: Shi Zen
Tea Description:
Our organic green tea (sencha) is grown on family farms located in small villages in the foothills of Mount Fuji where farmers pride in their commitment to only harvest crops grown in the way Mother Nature intended. Due to its high elevation, this remote Isagawa-Izumidaira and Kawane region of Shizuoka Prefecture enjoys the perfect combination of clean air, pure water, and fertile soil only found in this area of Japan, which allows for pesticide-free farming.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was surprised at how much this Organic Green Tea Powder from Shi Zen frothed up when I prepared it! I had not expected this kind of performance from a powdered Japanese Sencha tea. From a high quality Matcha – of course! But not from a powdered Sencha! This frothed up as much as a very high quality Matcha, and that froth stayed atop the liquid until I reached the bottom of my bowl! My last sip of this tea resulted in a tea foam mustache!
And I really enjoyed this powdered Sencha. Sure, it’s not Matcha. And it doesn’t taste like Matcha. It tastes like a creamier version of a high quality Japanese Sencha tea … but with perhaps more of a vegetal edge to it. It is sweet, grassy, smooth and creamy. A hint of bitterness hits the palate right around mid-sip, providing a contrast to the sweeter tones. There are some notes of a buttery-like flavor to the bowl that are reminiscent of Matcha.
And it tastes good … even though it isn’t Matcha. It is tasty and it’s invigorating; nice for that mid-day slump when you need to recharge! It’s tasty prepared as a traditional Matcha would be – whisked in a bowl with hot water – and it also tastes great in ice-cold smoothies (or milkshakes! I had some of this in a rich, chocolate-y milkshake the other day and it was so yummy!)
This is a really great product … and I love that it’s organic!