Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Tea Description:
A very interesting green tea. It looks like Chinese gunpowder tea in that the leaves are rolled up into little balls. This particular one from our supplier Chakoan has a strong savory umami aroma that is similar to gyokuro.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t recall ever trying a Gyokucha tea before tasting this Ureshino Gyokucha Ochatama from my monthly mystery Tea Sampler’s Club from Yunomi.
That’s one of the reasons that I love tea sampler clubs like this … I get the opportunity to try teas that I might not have tried otherwise. In fact, when I first saw this package, I thought it was Gyokuro, and it wasn’t until I opened the pouch and saw the tiny pellets that resemble Chinese Gunpowder green tea that I realized that this is NOT a Gyokuro!
But even though this looks a lot like a Chinese Gunpowder (in shape, but the color of the leaves here are a much more vivid green) … it doesn’t taste like a Chinese Gunpowder. It tastes more like a Gyokuro … although it is a bit lighter and crisper on the palate.
The first thing I noticed when I tasted it was a distinct nutty tone. It starts out sweet, and then transcends to a strong savory note. The finish is clean and there is a dry astringency.
There is relatively little aftertaste here, just faint notes of a grassy taste that rests upon the tongue. The taste is very clean … and it’s a very “cleansing” sort of feeling that I get from this tea.
I’m really enjoying this Japanese green tea. A very interesting tea, indeed!
Guricha Ureshino Green Tea from Chado Tea House
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Chado Tea House
Tea Description:
Asamushi Guricha from Ureshino, Saga prefecture. Ureshino city has been the biggest Guricha producing center. Located south in Kyushu island. Their geographical location seemed influenced the tea making method. It has sense of Chinese tea feeling as well, though, the base is Japanese tea. Traditional Asamushi, lightly steamed Guricha tea. mild and sweet. Good everyday tea for Guricha lover. Click the image to see the tea leaves and color.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Guricha Ureshino Green Tea from Chado Tea House is really lovely – it’s so mellow and pleasantly sweet. I drank this tea after dinner, and found that the first couple of sips were pretty difficult to taste but once my palate had been “washed” by the tea, the flavors really started coming through very well. 
The flavor is light, there is a certain crisp, clean taste to it that makes it a nice choice after dinner. It is vegetative with flavors that are somewhere between kelp and mild green veggies, with hints of grassy undertones. I could taste a vague “saltiness” to the taste as well … which is why the “kelp” immediately came to mind. As someone who typically doesn’t care for seaweed, one might think that my description “kelp” might indicate that I don’t like the flavors coming through but that isn’t true. While I don’t care for the strong flavor of seaweed (like the sheets you might buy in an Asian market) I find that seaweed notes in a tea to be rather intriguing. And I do like the hint of salt here, it adds a nice contrast.
But as I mentioned before, overall, the flavor is light, nothing really smacks me over the head here … it’s very lush and mellow and easy to drink. The sweetness is really delightful – and I think that’s why I’m finding it especially enjoyable after a meal … the sweetness is knocking out that sweet craving that I often have after a meal. I don’t have room for (nor the desire to eat) dessert, so this tea is making a nice alternative to something sweet. No, it’s not a “dessert alternative” … but it does offer a little sweet something for those times when I don’t want something too sweet or dessert-y … but my palate wants something a little bit on the sweet side.
A very refreshing tea – light, sweet, and enjoyable! Then again, Chado Tea House never fails to impress me with their quality. They’re a great company, and this is a great tea!