Tea Review: Tanegashima Island Asatsuyu Single Cultivar Sencha (Yunomi/Iba Takahiro Tea Garden)

Tanegashima Island Asatsuyu Single Cultivar Sencha
Iba Takahiro Tea Garden/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture, Tanegashima Island
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 140° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves have a nutty and marine green aroma.

The light yellow-green infusion has a savory aroma of nuts, sesame seeds, and edamame.  The taste has notes of nuts, green beans, grass, and nori with a long green finish.

This sencha was refreshingly green throughout three infusions with the promise of more.  While the recommended 2-minute steeping was quite nice, I found that reducing the 2nd infusion to 1 minute resulted in lower astringency and more nutty notes which I tend to favor, while also retaining most of the other flavor notes.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Boseong Sejak Green (Cultivate Taste Tea)

Boseong Sejak Green

Cultivate Taste Tea
Type: Green
Origin: South Korea, South Jeolla Province, Boseong County, Unrim Village
Product Description: 

This is a first flush Boseong Sejak green tea that has a taste of early spring. Grown in Unrim Village in Boseong County, South Jeolla Province in South Korea. This tea has a fresh early spring taste to it and uses the Japanese method of steaming the green tea leaves to prevent oxidization. It has a unique flavor profile and aroma, with notes of watermelon seed, cucumber, almond, and floral grassy. Some say it has an umami taste with notes of stir-fried vegetables and roasted cashews. It is known as small beak or sparrow beak green tea.

Temperature: 180° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minute

The dry leaves have a nutty and sharp green aroma.

The golden liquor has an aroma of sweet grass, green beans, nuts, and edamame.  The taste is grassy green with mild astringency and a long green finish.  

This tea was refreshingly green and full-flavored throughout three infusions with sweetness developing by the third.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Okumidori Roasted Spring Tencha Amehojicha (Yunomi/Kiroku Tea Garden)

Okumidori Roasted Spring Tencha Amehojicha
Kiroku Tea Garden/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Wazuka
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 194° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1 minute

The dry leaves have an aroma of roasted nut shells.

The reddish-brown liquor has an aroma of heavily roasted nut shells, nuts, and seared wood.  The taste is rich with notes of roasted nuts and a long, rich, roasty finish.

This tea was delicious with rich, roasty notes throughout three infusions.  Note that tencha is much lighter in weight than regular tea leaves so using more leaf when brewing will bring out the best flavor.  At the time of this review, this tea was not in stock, so be sure to check the official Yunomi website for when they restock.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Tanegashima Island Shimamidori Single Cultivar Sencha (Yunomi/Iba Takahiro Tea Garden)

Tanegashima Island Shimamidori Single Cultivar Sencha

Iba Takahiro Tea Garden/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture, Tanegashima Island
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 140° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of nuts and wheat bran.

The liquor is light yellow with savory, nutty, and edamame-like notes.  The taste has notes of nuts, edamame, and green vegetables with a green finish.

After the initial infusion the savory notes made way for mild astringency and fresh green notes like spinach and grass.  Though I stopped at three, there were easily a couple more flavorful infusions to look forward to.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Tanegashima Island Meiryoku Single Cultivar Sencha (Yunomi/Iba Takahiro Tea Garden)

Tanegashima Island Meiryoku Single Cultivar Sencha
Iba Takahiro Tea Garden/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture, Tanegashima Island
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 140° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1-1.5 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of nuts, rustic bread, and something that reminded me of kinako (roasted soybean powder).

The pale green liquor has a savory nutty aroma with edamame notes.  The taste is savory with umami as well as notes of nuts and a hint of edamame.  

The flavor profile of this sencha was lovely when prepared as suggested by steeping for 1 minute in 140° F water.  Steeping the tea for an additional 30 seconds brought out stronger notes of edamame in the aroma and green vine in the flavor which, while I preferred the umami notes of a shorter steep, was also quite pleasant.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Tosa Wakoucha (Charaku)

Tosa Wakoucha

Charaku
Type: Black
Origin: Japan, Kochi Prefecture, Nyugauchi
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 205° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3-4 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes of nut shells, wood, salty nori, and sweet grains.

The liquor is dark red with an aroma of autumn leaves, green beans, nut shells, and a hint of fruit. The taste is nutty and woody with notes of green beans. 

For the purpose of this review, I following the recommended brewing instructions, steeping the first infusion for 4 minutes and the next two infusion for 3 minutes.  The fullest flavor was in the first two infusions, though the third was still enjoyable with woody notes moving to the front.  I was reminded of pleasant things like autumn leaves and forest trails.

This tea is not currently in stock at the time of this review, so be sure to check the official website for when it becomes available again.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Menehune Sansho Hojicha (Yunomi/Ohana Botanica)

Menehune Sansho Hojicha
Yunomi/Ohana Botanica
Type: Flavored Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture, Fujieda
Product Description:

Menehune are forest spirits in the mythology of Hawaii who come to help you with your work. I grew up looking for the menehune who helped clean my room when I was a child, looking into the forests as my family drove home in the evenings from our relative’s house in the mountains above Honolulu.

This hojicha flavored with Japanese pepper evokes the mystery of the forest with its unique spicy, woody flavor. Available as tea bags and leaf tea  

Temperature: 160° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1 minute

The dry leaf blend includes hojicha and Japanese sancho peppers.

The copper-orange infusion has an aroma of spicy peppers and roasted nuts.  The taste has notes of peppers, roasted nuts, and a hint of cocoa.  

The aroma and taste of sansho peppers was up front and present throughout three infusions without any unpleasant burning sensation.   Cocoa notes became apparent in the second infusion and citrus-like notes took their place in the third.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Zanzibar Chai (Kazi Yetu)

Zanzibar Chai
Kazi Yetu
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: Tanzania, Zanzibar & Tanga
Product Description:

An authentic chai with spices famously grown in Zanzibar and Tanga.

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

The dry leaf blend includes black tea, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

The bright red liquor has an aroma of spices and fruit with notes that remind me of warm spice bread.  The taste has notes of spices, warming ginger, and cocoa.

The dry leaf aroma was so good, I almost forgot to brew the tea.  The flavor was well-balanced between the tea and the spices and the cocoa-like notes in aroma and taste were a pleasant surprise.  This tea was delicious throughout three infusions with the spices moving to the front by the third.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Kaga Bocha Genmai (Yunomi/Yamane-en)

Kaga Bocha Genmai

Yamane-en/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture and Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa
Product Description:

The region of Ishikawa Prefecture was once called Kaga and has a centuries-long history of roasting the stems of tea leaves. Though the region itself doesn't have a large commercial tea agriculture industry, they are masters at roasting leaf stems from other parts of Japan.

This version includes a mix of toasted rice for an extra nutty flavor.

BOWCHA is our partner in this region, and has provided us with a light roast of high grade spring tea leaf stems.

Temperature: 194° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time:  1-2 minutes

The dry leaf has notes of ground nuts and sesame.

The golden liquor has a toasty aroma with notes of cooked rice and a hint of vine bean.  The taste is toasty with notes of nuts, rice, and corn.  

This was a comforting tea with roasty notes throughout three infusions. Increasing the steeping time of the third infusion to 2 minutes really brought the flavor back out.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Da Hong Pao (Steep N' Clay)

Da Hong Pao/Big Red Robe
Steep N' Clay
Type: Oolong
Origin: China, Fujian Province
Product Description:

This Chinese Oolong is also known as “Da Hong Pao” and is from the Fujian region of China. It is a dark, long leaf Oolong tea with an exquisite taste and one of China’s classic teas with ancient origins. This special oolong is cultivated in rocky crevasses in the Wu Yi mountains in China’s Fujian province. These hardy tea plants grow between the gaps in the rocks and are nurtured in the mineral-rich soil of this rugged area. Trace minerals are infused into the leaves and together with the high-altitude climate come complex flavors and aroma unique to this fine oolong tea.

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

The dry leaves have aroma notes of roasted nut shells, fire-seared wood, spices, and moss.

The copper orange infusion has an aroma of roasted root vegetables, roasted nut shells, fire-seared wood, and caramelized sugar.  The taste has woody notes, as well as roasted vegetables and roasted nuts.

While the fullest, most nuanced flavor was in the first infusion, the second infusion had lovely roasty notes, as well.  I especially enjoyed the long, roasty caramelized sugar-like finish that reminded me of toffee-coated nuts.  For the purpose of this review, I prepared this oolong in a cupping set.  However, it really shines when prepared gongfu-style with more leaf in a small brewing vessel with a higher water temperature, becoming more flavorful for more infusions.

This tea was purchased by me.