Nakamura-en Tea Shop Kyoto Karigane Hojicha is a premium green tea that is made of roasted stems filtered from kabusecha which is a shaded green tea.
The tea shop itself is a quaint, 100+ year old shop near Ryogoku station on the JR Sobu line. The owner is Mr. Nakamura who speaks a bit of English, and selects some amazing teas from around Japan….including this one. The promoter of this wonderful tea is Yunomi Life and it’s available for purchase on their website.
The harvest is spring and the region is Kyoto Pref, Japan which contributes to the overall experience of this tea. The aroma is intense – right out of the bag! The flavor on the tongue is smoky and roasted up front with a sweet end sip.
The layers of flavor have you craving more. This is certainly a tea that you will take your time with. One to contemplate and appreciate. One that you will remember long after the cup is finished. A mighty fine roasted and toasted green!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Description
Roasted leaf stems filtered from the production of gyokuro (the most premium form of leaf green tea with lowest level of catechin) in Kyoto, Japan.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Anhui Maojian from Tea Runners. . . . .
This is a green with a bite. It has a pleasant, slightly sweet vegetal tartness that’s surprising and unexpected. The description on the tea’s site describes this exciting sensation as “a lively and vibrant piquancy,” a phrase that I am bitter about not having created myself. The person who wrote it is a scholar.
This isn’t a neutral, pleasant green that fades into the background. It has a distinct personality. It won’t take no for an answer. It’s in charge of your attention. Every time I sip it here at my desk, I glance over at my mug in surprise. Aha! Yes! THIS GUY! STILL DELIGHTING THE SENSES.
When Jewel Staite (Space Cases/Firefly actress) started up Tea Runners, I wanted to be hype about it. I loved this actress — but did I love her taste in tea? Obviously, she probably has advisors and experts that help her with the company. But still. I wasn’t sure. My brother got me a month to be nice (his personality is a good one), and I’ve loved both of the teas I’ve tried so far. (There are 4 in each subscription). GOOD ON HER. So I’m happy to endorse what I’ve tried of Tea Runners.
I’m ALSO happy to endorse Space Cases and Firefly. They are late 90s/early 2000s science fiction. If you get nothing else from this post, just know: television in the pre-HBO era was a SIMPLER TIME. A delightful, innocent time. Pure, like this tea. Get on board.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Runners
Description
This lovely green tea from the Anhui province in China is not only pleasant to look at– its young leaves are touched with mao jian or “downy tips”– but it also brews to a lively and vibrant piquancy. We love the fresh green grass scent and the slightly sweet umami finish in its taste, a welcome combination that makes this green one to savour.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Anji Bai from Teasenz. . . .
In Texas, and the south in general, you can never count on one weather season staying around for too long. One day we’ll have highs in the 80s then we’ll be back to the 40s and 50s.
When I tried the Anji Bai blend, it was one of those weeks where the area couldn’t decide what season it wanted to be in. I was ready for warmth, but at 2:00pm I wanted something a bit lighter than my standard black tea. This brew created a mild color, closer to a true green when compared with the tan that many green teas create in your cup. There was a mild fresh aroma and it was reminiscent of a floral arrangement in the spring.
I’m very glad I selected this particular cuppa because it will be a great tea for when it is hot outside, but you still want a hot cup of tea.
The mild flavor works in this blend’s favor nicely. I was able to enjoy this both with and without a sweetener and I believe you could leave it to your personal preference on how you’d prefer to prepare your cuppa.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teasenz
Description
Fresh and creamy soft with notes of citrus and nuts. From Anji, the town of dense bamboo forests and tea cultivation, comes this Anji Bai Cha, one of the rarest of all Chinese teas. With long, delicate, vivid green leaves, Anji white tea is beautiful in every sense of the word. A green tea connoisseur’s dream.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Clouds and Mist from The Tea Spot. . .
How amazing would it be to sip tea while in a tea garden with a cool mist rolling in around the tea trees?
One can picture that vividly when sipping this tea.
This organic green has vegetal and some gassy flavors with hints of earth and an interesting touch of smoke. The wet leaves also retain this smokiness in aroma which I find somewhat interesting for a green.
The clear, yellow liquid has a smooth mouth feel and a wonderful grassy after taste. For those who are not fans of grassy flavors but would like to drink more green tea this is a good one to add to your cupboard.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Description
Clouds and Mist organic green tea makes a lasting impression. Also known as ‘yunwu’, the subtle aroma that comes from its clear, golden yellow infusion is a compelling mixture of smoky, citrus and vegetal. Its earthy taste, reminiscent of sweet, roasted artichokes, is well-rounded, with a slight note of toasted pecans. Clouds and Mist is very structured in its flavor – assertive and smoky in forward body, and developing over time to a softly sweet, buttery finish – making it a perfect green tea for morning. The curly silver-speckled leaves are harvested in the spring from tender tea buds. Praised as ‘green gold’ for centuries, it is one of China’s traditional imperial tribute teas. Clouds and Mist takes its name from the seas of mystically shrouded peaks on which this prized green tea is grown, using USDA certified Organic farming methods. Brews well for three to four infusions.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Socklatinga Green Tea 2nd Flush, 2017 from Tea Swan. . .
I don’t recall if I have ever had a Green Assam from Socklatinga so I was thrilled to have it in front of me recently.
According to the Tea Swan website – Socklatinga Green Tea is a variant of whole leaf green-tea collected during the second flush of Assam and makes a cup of warm golden-green tea.
Tasting the charming fruity flavor of this tea was a pleasure but I also found it to be a bit grassy-green with a hint of helpful bitterness, too! What kind of fruity notes? Pear – possibly!
As I continued to sip on this tea I wanted to learn more about the tea estate, itself. A brief recap in my research found that the Sockieting Tea Estate produces 4,00,000 kgs of tea in a year and is a HACCP accredited estate. The property was procured from Andrew Yule & Co Ltd and spreads across 223 hectares of land.
This was a tasty tea. I would suggest it for those who enjoy a grassier-green with hints of pear-like-fruit hidden underneath.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Swan
Description
Socklatinga Green Tea whole leaf green-tea collected during the second flush of Assam makes a cup of warm golden-green drink.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
