Tea Review: Satsumakaori Sencha (Yunomi/Furuichi Seicha)

Satsumakaori Sencha/さつまかおり
Furuichi Seicha/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture
Product Description: Not provided. 

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 30 seconds-2 minutes

The dry leaves have a savory aroma with nutty and grass green notes.

The bright green liquor is semi-opaque with a nutty, buttery, and grassy green aroma.  The taste is bright and green with mild astringency and a sweet finish.

This sencha developed a not unpleasant amount of astringency with a 2-minute steep while remaining sweet and nuanced.  For those like myself who prefer a little less astringency, 1-1.5 minutes will do nicely for the initial infusion.  A second infusion at 30-seconds followed by a 1-minute third infusion produced results that were light, sweet, and refreshing with the promised of at least a couple more good cups. The mouthwatering sweet green finish reminded me especially of spring.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Nilgiri Frost (Elmwood Inn Fine Teas)

Nilgiri Frost
Elmwood Inn Fine Teas
Type: Oolong
Origin: India, Nilgiri
Product Description:

This is a rare - and prized - single estate tea from the Nilgiri region of India where frost sometimes forms on the shady side of the mountain in January.

Temperature: 195° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of plums, figs, and wood.  

The coppery red infusion has a sweet aroma with notes of green vine, squash, and something that reminded me of camphor.  The taste has notes of roasted vegetables, baked squash, nut shells, and a hint of chestnut with a dry finish.

This was a unique-to-me oolong with a very interesting profile.  The flavor mellowed after the first infusion and I found that increasing the steeping time to 5 minutes and longer with each subsequent infusion brought out more flavor and made for a pleasant tasting session.  

This tea was received as a gift from a third party.

Tea Review: Sugabow Goyokuro Karigane Hojicha (Yunomi/Yamane-en)

Sugabow, Goyokuro Karigane Hojicha
Yamane-en/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Uji
Product Description:

Stems of high grade tea is called karigane 雁音. By roasting these stems in an iron pot, it becomes Karigane Houjicha. This particular product uses gyokuro tea stems from Uji, Kyoto.

How is this karigane houjicha different from regular houjicha? The answer is in the strength of fire. Usually, houjicha is roasted over an extremely low heat. In this way, the tea will not be burnt but roasted to the core of the teas. However, the flavor of the tea is lost through this process, leaving behind only the aroma.

This karigane houjicha is roasted in an iron pot over strong heat. Only the surface of the stems are roasted, retaining the flavor of the tea itself, because the inner part of the stem is not roasted. Both the strong aroma and taste of tea can be enjoyed.

The water color is a bit cloudy compared to regular houjicha with clear water color, but this cloudy water color is the flavor of tea.

Today, the iron pot roasting is very rare and so only those tea shops that are particular about houjicha come visit the factory. Yamane-en's Shiobara-san wanted to experience this iron pot roasting so visited this factory in Uji, Kyoto to learn the technique!!

WHAT IS 'SUGABOW'?? That was a question we had for Shiobara-san. It's a little pun...one of the most famous type of kukicha in Japan is Kagabou from Ishikawa Prefecture. Since, Yamane-en is based in Sugamo, Tokyo, Kagabou becomes 'Sugabow'.

Temperature: 190° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1-2 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of roasted nuts with a hint of cocoa.

The copper orange infusion is slightly opaque with a rich, almost buttery aroma of roasted nuts and hints of cocoa and caramelized sugar.  The taste is thick, rich and savory, and almost smooth with notes of roasted nuts and a hint of cocoa. 

This tea was included in the Fukubukuro/New Year lucky bag I purchased from Yunomi.  I was delighted to find this among the selections as it seems every karigane hojicha I encounter is unique and always delicious.  Following the recommended 1 minute steeping time brought out the best results with a nuanced flavor and smoothness that is unusual for standard hojicha.  The second infusion was almost equally flavorful after 1 minute, while the third infusion seemed to have lost much of it's nuance until I increased the steeping time to 2 minutes and found myself with another delightfully flavorful cup of tea. This is still a rather forgiving tea, so longer steeping times and higher water temperatures will provide good, if less nuanced results.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Snow-Aged Yukimuro Genmaicha with Matcha (Yunomi/Seikoen Tea Factory)

Snow-Aged Yukimuro Genmaicha with Matcha/雪室こめ茶

Seikoen Tea Factory/Yunomi
Type: Flavored Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture & Niigata
Product Description: 

The Joetsu region of Niigata prefecture is a region which receives one of the most heavy snowfall areas in Japan. This tea was processed in this type of climate through a process called snow-aging (description below). In this rich and toasty flavoured tea, a generous amount of matcha is blended with the delicious Koshi-hikari (rice cultivar) brown rice from Niigata and green tea from Shizuoka prefecture that has been aged in Seikoen's natural snow-cooled warehoused called a "Yukimuro" to increase its flavor. A delicious genmaicha that is unique to the snowy wonderlands of Niigata. The moment the tea enters your mouth, the umami and elegant aroma of the extracted material will spread... 

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1-2 minutes

The dry leaves have a savory, nutty, marine green aroma.

The liquor is bright green and opaque with a savory green aroma with notes of roasted rice and nuts.  The taste is smooth and savory with no astringency and notes of roasted rice and nuts and long savory, nutty finish.

This genmaicha was deliciously savory throughout three infusions with a pleasant smoothness as a result of the aging process.  I had great results by starting with a 1 minute steep and adding 30 seconds to each subsequent infusion.  The flavor was fullest in the first infusion with the color of the liquor lightening after each infusion as the matcha was washed away.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Cardamom Spiced Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Cardamom Spiced Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

Exquisitely crafted classic Indian Chai with extra cardamom for an enriched flavor experience.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom.

The dark red infusion has an aroma of cardamom and baked fruit.  The taste is mildly astringent and filled with cardamom.

This tea blend delivers exactly what the name implies.  While I found a nice balance of flavor and astringency by steeping for 2 minutes, a 3 minutes or longer steep will produce more astringency if that is your preference. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Chocolate Peppermint Pu-erh (Smith Teamaker)

Chocolate Peppermint Pu-erh
Smith Teamaker
Type: Flavored Puerh
Origin: Not provided
Product Description:

A complex offering combining the creamy flavor of Pacific Northwest grown peppermint leaves with rich cacao nibs, aged pu-erh and flavorful orange peel. Delicious and decadent any time of day.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 5 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with peppermint, cacao nibs, and orange peel.

The liquor is dark reddish brown and opaque with an aroma of chocolate and mint and a hint of earth.  The taste is earthy with chocolate and mint notes and a long chocolate and mint finish.

The aroma of the dry and infused leaves reminded me of a lovely mint chocolate sipping cocoa.  While not as rich as the the aroma suggested, the taste is a nice blend of the earthiness of the puerh and the dessert-like flavors of chocolate and mint.  This was flavorful throughout three infusions.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Kashmiri Kahwa Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Kashmiri Kahwa Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Green
Origin: India
Product Description:

Quintessential Kashmir in a cup - aromatic and earthy, with a fine green tea blended with rich spices.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1.5-2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, and almonds.

The golden infusion has an aroma of sweet cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.  The taste is mildly astringent with bold notes of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon.

The aroma of the dry leaves reminded me of holiday cookies thanks to the combination of almond and  spices.  I found this quite pleasant when steeped for 1.5-2 minutes, while a longer steep at 3 minutes produced similar spiciness with more astringency.  I would usually recommend lowering the water temperature as an alternative, but that tends to weaken these particular spices.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Maharani Oolong Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Maharani Oolong Chai

Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Oolong
Origin: India
Product Description:

An indulgent combination of a medium-bodied & mellow Oolong tea livened with cheerful spices.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.

The reddish-orange infusion has an aroma of sweet cinnamon and cloves.  The taste is mildly astringent with spicy notes of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and a hint of cardamom with a long spicy finish.

The aroma is deceptively mild with cinnamon being the focus and then that first sip is filled with the wonderfully bold spices and low astringency.  This chai blend is very pleasant on its own, though it may hold up well with milk and sugar if steeped longer.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Sweet Cinnamon Spiced Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Sweet Cinnamon Spiced Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

Sweetly spiced traditional Indian Chai enhanced with extra cinnamon for a lingering flavor.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom and cinnamon.

The dark red infusion has a sweet cinnamon and cardamom aroma and taste with mild astringency.

Steeping for 3 minutes produced a cup of tea that was nicely balanced with the natural sweetness of the cinnamon and mild astringency.  A shorter steeping time will mellow the astringency for those who prefer something milder and a longer steep will allow the flavor to shine through with the addition of milk and sugar.  This flavor and aroma reminded me of cinnamon candy. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Morning Light (Smith Teamaker)

Morning Light

Smith Teamaker
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India, Sri Lanka
Product Description:

Awake to a festive gathering of delicious and highly sought-after teas, combining flavorful Ceylons, rich and caramelized North Indian Assams and high-grown Darjeeling teas with rosemary, black currant and a pinch of cassia. Whoa, tannenbaum.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 2.5 grams
Steeping Time: 2-5 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with rosemary, cassia, and black currant natural flavor.

The dark red liquor has a sweet and savory, spicy and nutty aroma.  The taste is mildly astringent, and spicy with notes that remind me of cooking spices and pine and a sweet and spicy finish.

The results were bold and moderately astringent when steeped for 5 minutes and I found that the slightly mellower results from a 2-3 minute steep where just about right for me and a lower temperature and/or even shorter steeping time should produce a flavorful yet less astringent cup of tea if that is your preference.  The aroma of the second infusion seemed to deepen with the spices becoming more pronounced and I was reminded of holiday spiced nuts. 

This tea was purchased by me.