Genmaicha

Tea: Genmaicha
Vendor: Wegmans Food Markets
Price: $16.99 /lb

About This Tea: This tea is another one that I picked up from Wegmans, and I'm not sure how well it matches up with the Ito-en offering of a matcha coated genmaicha. The price at wegmans was almost $1/oz, whereas the Ito-en version is closer to $3/oz.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea has a large amount of rice and is heavily coated in matcha. The tea has a very strong rice aroma, although it has a very dry sense to it. The matcha coating has a very dull pale color to it. It feels almost like it's washing out the color of the tea.
1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 185F, 1 min

1st Infusion: The tea has a rich rice aroma that is mixed with a certain driness. The infusion is a murky green color. The flavor is light and sweet. It primarily sticks to the front of the tongue. It is dominated by a very present rice taste, which is not surprising considering the rice:tea ratio present in this tea. There is not that much of a tea flavor in this infusion.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 10s, 185F

2nd Infusion: The tea is still murky, which is surprising for a second infusion of matcha coated tea. The aroma has a dustiness again. The flavor is light and clear, but there is not much flavor in general.

Rating: 5/10

Conclusion: This is not a terribly impressive genmaicha, but it's significantly lower price makes it a lot more attractive. This tea may have been better with a longer first steep and steeped only once. At it's price point I would not feel bad about doing this. I'm a little disappointed by the dusty aroma to this tea, this aroma is most likely due to the matcha coating, and the tea may be better served without any coating at all.