Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Tomo Sencha

Tea: Tomo Sencha
Vendor: Wegmans Food Markets
Price: $15.99 / lb
Source: Japan
Vendor Description: Japan. Echoes of grass and sun-warmed straw present in this light-bodied tea with a pleasing flowery-green fragrance. The Loose Leaf Tea Experience: For true tea lovers, nothing compares to the experience of the aroma and flavor of loose leaf tea. Since these leaves aren't constrained by a pre-measured steeping bag, your palate is your guide to full-flavored enjoyment. And making the perfect cup of tea starts with a quality filtered or spring water. This Tomo (which means friend in Japanese) Sencha, is a minimally processed blend of many fine tea leaves and it's the tea to enjoy anytime you need a quick lift. We re proud of this Tomo Sencha loose leaf tea and we hope you'll agree. Remember, your satisfaction is always guaranteed with Wegmans brand products - The Wegmans Family.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is rather small with a lot of broken pieces. It's rather distinctively a chumushi. It has a slight hint of bancha aroma.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 1 min, 185F

1st Infusion: The infusion had a lightly murky yellow green color. The flavor is light with hints of bancha flavor. There is a certain tanginess to the flavor. The aroma is quite like a normal sencha with hints of bancha aroma. There is a very distinctive bitterness to the flavor. It feels like a bancha bitterness not a sencha bitterness. The bitterness is most prominent at the tip of the tongue. It finishes with a medium sense of astringency. The flavor is full bodied, but is dominated by bitterness.

Rating: 2/10

Conclusion: This sencha really wasn't very impressive. The flavor felt a lot like a bancha, but not fully. It is nicely bodied. The flavor isn't spectacular, but the price is quite reasonable. If you are looking for a very budget priced sencha this is one of the more acceptable budget teas.

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