Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Tea Description:
Production Year – 2012
Production Season – Spring
Production Region: Jiangxi Province, Wuyuan
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tastes so crisp and light! It’s such a refreshing tea.
It’s very reminiscent of spring, the season in which it’s produced. It has that light, fresh taste that reminds me of new plant growth in the spring, the tiny leaf buds as they begin to open and turn everything green again after the cold of winter. So sweet and pure.
The vegetative notes fall somewhere between grassy and steamed baby spinach. The grassy tones are very mellow and slight, not quite tasting as grassy as some other green teas that I’ve tasted but, it’s something a bit more than just your average, everyday steamed spinach too. It is mild and smooth, with a moderate astringency toward the tail. It has a creamy delivery – smooth from the start and then toward the end the astringency leaves the palate feeling clean and refreshed.
Quite a lovely tea! I was sad to see that all that remains of this year’s harvest of this tea are a few samples … it’s a delicious tea, one that is definitely worth trying. Keep an eye out and watch Life in Teacup’s website for an announcement, as they are planning on taking pre-orders for this tea just before next year’s harvest! This tea is definitely worth the effort.
Organic Kukicha from Imperial Tea Garden
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Imperial Tea Garden
Tea Description:
Kukicha is a traditional beverage in Japan that is made from the roasted stems and leaves of the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis). Stems and leaves are harvested in late fall from carefully selected aged plants and dry roasted in giant cast iron caldrons. This process delivers a rich roasted flavor and aroma. Our Kukicha is certified organic and is much lower in caffeine than tea leaves and buds because it is comprised of mainly twigs and stems. Kukicha is also perfect for blending with any of our black, green or oolong teas for an interesting twist.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a delicious Kukicha, rich with roasty-toasty flavor!
I’ve had many different types of Kukicha, ranging from green Kukicha, light roasted Kukicha and even dark roasted Kukicha, along with several other roasted grades that fell somewhere between the two extremes. But, I think that my favorite are the darker roasted Kukicha like this one. I just love its sweet, toasted flavor – it is so warm and comforting.
The flavor is sweet and nutty, with a lovely smoked tone in the distance. It doesn’t taste overly smoky, but the smoked notes add a pleasing dimension to the cup. The deep roasted flavor reminds me a bit of coffee, but without the coffee bitterness.
This Kukicha has a very soothing quality as well, I can feel it calm and relax me as I sip it. Overall, a very enjoyable cup.
Roasted Kukicha from New Mexico Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Co.
Product Description:
Kukicha, or twig tea, is a Japanese blend of green tea made of stems, stalks, and twigs, and has a nutty, slightly creamy flavor.
Uniquely flavorful, kukicha is also one of the preferred teas of the macrobiotic diet. Kukicha can also be added to juice to make a children’s drink. Kukicha is a powerful antioxidant and is very low in caffeine, in fact the lowest in caffeine of all traditional teas.
Taster’s Review:
This is the last of the three teas that were included in November Steepster Select box. As I mentioned before, the theme for this month was “Migration” and this tea represents the “scattered branches” left by the migrating birds. Very clever, Steepster. I find this month’s theme to be almost as enjoyable as the tea.
But that’s not said to take anything away from this month’s tea selections, which have all been extraordinarily good. The Diyi Cornfields Shu from Verdant Tea was one of the most unusual and delicious Pu-erh teas I’ve ever tasted. The Bai Mu Dan from Canton Tea proved to be one of the very best white teas and changed my beliefs about Bai Mu Dan! And this Roasted Kukicha is also quite exceptional.
The aroma of the dry leaf is a very strong roasted flavor. It’s really quite delightful and toasty. The fragrance of the brewed tea is quite subdued in comparison. The flavor is a much lighter roasty-toasty kind of flavor than the aroma of the dry leaf would lead me to think.
There is an amazing sweetness to this Kukicha that tastes a bit honeyed as well as caramel-like. It has that sweet, cozy kind of taste that I have come to expect from a Kukicha. The lighter roasted notes allow for some of the nuances of this Kukicha to shine through. It has a beautiful creamy undertone, and a delicious nutty finish. The aftertaste is sweet with the barest hint of smoke that softly lingers.
A very lovely Kukicha. Calm, relaxing and delicious.