Uji Gyokuro Gyoku Hou

Tea: Uji Gyokuro Gyoku-Hou
Vendor: O-cha
Price: $44.95 / 100g
Source: Uji, Japan
Vendor Description: Uji Gyokuro "Gyoku-Hou" - A very high quality first-flush gyokuro from Uji, near Kyoto. Gyokuro is shade grown before harvesting, giving it a greener color and sweeter taste. Once you learn to make it properly, you wil be hooked for life! Make sure to read our brewing instructions, as it is brewed differently than sencha.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea was lightly glossy with a dark green color. The green color was very even and consistent throughout this tea and there were a few very noticeable long leaves in there.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 140F, 60s

1st Infusion: The first infusion had a pale light green almost luminescent hue to it. There was a very faint murkiness to it. The flavor was smooth, with a light sense of grassiness. There was a mild sensation of rich umami flavoring, but not much marine flavor. There was not much flavor on the backend of this tea. It had a very strong showing in the early to mid portions of the taste and had a very mouth opening feel to it. It was different than the clean sensation from a good sencha, but similar.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 145F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion was slightly murkier. The color was green, but not quite the same luminescent hue as before. The flavor was light and had a certain emptiness to it. It felt like the core of the flavor was not well represented in this infusion, but the surrounding aspects of flavor were still present. There was more flavor in the back end than the front and mid. This flavor represented itself as a light grassiness, but aside from that there was not much else.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 150F, 60s

3rd Infusion: The color was light and clear again. The flavor was once again very clear. There was a light sense of astringency in this one, but it still felt like the core of the flavor was missing. There was a light flavor hiding toward the back of the flavor, but it felt like it was hiding.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: As much as I've heard wonderful things about the gyokuro offered by O-cha, I was disappointed by this tea. It felt like after the first infusion, the tea didn't really open up for the successive infusions. It may have been that upping the temperature or infusion times could have opened it up more, but it felt like there wasn't something there to open up to. I find that in second and to a lesser extent third infusions of gyokuro, the flavor should be open and almost only need be rinsed to get the flavor out. I was not impressed by this gyokuro as being a top end contender, but it wasn't a bad gyokuro. This would be an ok frequent drinking gyokuro if someone was looking for something to have once a week or so.

Persimmon Leaf Houji Cha

Tea: Persimmon Leaf Houji Cha - 8801
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $5.50 / 50g
Vendor Description: Persimmon leaves rich in Vitamin C, K, B1 & B2, Carotene and other minerals are blended with Houjicha to produce a very easy-to-drink tea.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is very light and fluffy. The majority of it is not tea, but rather the persimmon leaves with a little bit of houjicha mixed in. The leaf gives off a light autumnal aroma and even sounds like the rustling of leaves when moved around.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 208F, 3 min

1st Infusion: The tea produced a very rich golden brown hue that was quite clear. The aroma was sweet. It was a mixture of the roasted aroma from the hojicha mixed with the sweet aroma of persimmon. The flavor was was very light, less than a traditional hojicha for obvious reasons. The flavor was full bodied yet light. It was smooth and sweet, and left with a light fruity aftertaste.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This tea was very unusual. It was a pleasant experience, although it was a bit too light considering the amount of leaf used. The persimmon leaves were a bit too much in comparison to the hojicha leaves. I would have preferred more tea and less persimmon in the mix. It was still pleasant though. Given the option I think I will stick to a traditional hojicha instead of this mix.

Takibi

Tea: Takibi - 5539
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price : $7.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: Chinese oolong tea flavored with tropical fruit. Enjoy the aroma and sweet aftertaste.

Leaf: The leaf takes the form of large leaves in oddly twisted shapes. It is a rather normal appearance for an oolong though. There are also yellow blossoms mixed in with the oolong leaf. It has a very sweet and fruity aroma to it. The aroma almost reminds me of bubble gum.

1st Infusion Parameters: 3g, 5 oz, 208F, 2 min

1st Infusion: The tea has a clear brown color to it. There is a very noticeable and enjoyable sweet fruity aroma to it. The tea itaself has a very fruity flavor mixed with the flavor of a heavily roasted oolong. The flavor keeps reminding me of bubble gum. The flavor however is veyr short lived and light. For it's short life though it is a very smooth flavor.

2nd Infusion: This infusion was lighter in color, and the fruity aroma had waned as well. The flavor however was fruiter, but it also had less of the oolong flavor of the first infusion. It was a longer lasting flavor with no bitterness or astringency. It still managed to retain it's smoothness though.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: This tea was enjoyable, but there was not enough presence from the tea itself. The flavoring was not overpowering as it is with some flavored teas, but it feels like the tea was still not pulling its weight. The second infusion was especially weak on the tea flavoring, which should be more dominant in a tea such as this.

Takaragi

Tea: Takaragi
Vendor: Koyama-en
Price: $20.00 / 100g (not directly from Koyama-en), 1155 Yen / 100g directly.
Source: Japan

About This Tea: Koyama-en is primarily a producer of matcha in Japan. This was actually the first sencha that I have tried from them, and wasn't expecting terribly much considering that it was in the middle of the quality line and not their primary product.

Leaf: The leaf is lightly glossy with a deep green color. The color is dark enough that this may almost pass for a gyokuro based on appearance of the leaf alone. There is not much aroma to it, but it has a nice balance between larger needles and smaller bits of dust. This is a chumushi steamed sencha.

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

1st Infusion: The tea had a light pale yellow green color to it with a light murkiness. The aroma was light and tart, with a certain sense of snappiness to it. The flavor was very smooth. It started out very light and developed a sweetness midway. It had traces of a light nuttiness to it, and just a light sense of bitterness to give a nice clean feeling.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 30s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a yellower murkier color to it. The flavor was richer and paired with an increased bitterness. There was a light sense of astringency this time, but also a light grassiness.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is a very good chumushi sencha. The flavors were nicely in balance and developed nicely between the two infusions. The leaf is quite appealing and the price was very reasonable for 100g of tea. The only downside of this tea is it's availability. Currently I only know of one vendor in the US to get this tea, and they don't have an online presence. The only other option is to go through a very manual process to get this tea delivered directly from Koyama-en.

Chocolate Mint Truffle - Teabag

Tea: Chocolate Mint Truffle
Vendor: Mighty Leaf
Price: $9.95 / 15 pouches
Source: South Africa
Vendor Description: Chocolate Mint Truffle made with rooibos tea, an herbal plant also known as Red Tea from South Africa, is an intoxicating blend of chocolate cacao nibs, mint and rooibos leaves. Rooibos and chocolate are both known to be good sources of antioxidants. Enjoy this guilt-free indulgence, great for kids and adults alike.

Teabag: This teabag has a very noticeable aroma to it. It hints of cocoa like aroma with a definite mintiness. There is also hints of a spicy peppery aroma to it as well.

Infusion Parameters: 1 teabag, 6 oz, 208F, 5 min

Infusion: The infusion has a rich red color. There is a very strong and prominent mint aroma coming off of the tea. There is a light rooibos flavor to the tea itself. The mint and the rooibos flavors blend well with each other. There are hints of chocolate in the aftertaste. The tea has a light astringency, but it accompanies a smooth warming flavor.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This tea was enjoyable. It was warming and smooth. The color was actually quite a sight to behold, and my picture doesn't do it justice. It was a clear ruby red. The minty aroma cleared the sinuses and lungs. Unfortunately the chocolate and rooibos components were not as prominent of flavors as I felt they should be. The rooibos was very subdued and the chocolate was in mere hints. As a mint rooibos this would have faired a bit better, but this is a Chocolate Mint Truffle tea.

Fujieda Fujikaori

Tea: Fujieda Fujikaori - 7463
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: Shizuoka, Japan
Vendor Description: Originally created by crossbreeding black tea and Japanese tea, it has a brilliant elegant aroma.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea had an unusually brown hue to it. I found this quite rare for a sencha style tea, possibly a carryover from the crossbreeding. The aroma hints of a bancha like aroma while at the same time reminding me of dry straw.

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

1st Infusion: The tea exhibited a yellow brown color. The aroma was light and crisp. The flavor was smooth with no astringency. The flavor was long lasting and even.

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a slightly murkier color to it. The color was still yellow brownish in color. There was a light sense of bitterness and a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This tea was a very unimpressive sencha. It seemed to almost border on feeling like a bancha. The flavor was mundane, and there wasn't much to it. It was mostly just average and mundane. There are many much better options out there to try.

Kyobancha - Iced

Tea: Kyobancha Iced- 7433
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $6.50 / 100g
Source: Kyoto, Japan
Vendor Description: Typical Bancha tea in Kyoto. The tea leaves are sun-dried and look almost like dead leaves, but their uneven roasting process makes the tea's flavor richly alluring.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea reminds me of the fallen leaves in a forest. It's a mix of leaves, large twigs, and lots of large full leaf. The leaves aren't rolled, folded, compressed, or otherwise manipulated like most teas are. The leaves are all dark brown / black in color. There are a few greener leaves in the mix.

1st Infusion Parameters: 15g, 2L, 3 min, Rolling Boil

Infusion Instructions: The infusion for this tea is very different than most teas. The water used was boiling, but the brewing instructions were to boil it rather than infuse with boiling water. And 15g of leaf are used to make 2 Liters of tea. Quite a lot of tea for that amount of leaf.

1st Infusion: After infusing I placed this tea in the refrigerator overnight. The infusion had a clear brown color with no murkiness. The flavor was very smooth and it reminded me of a mugicha in flavor. The flavor was much richer than when it was hot. It is full bodied and has a woodiness to it. The woodiness reminds me of a scotch in a way.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: Based on this tea before and after icing, it's apparent that it should be iced. It develops more flavor when stored and given the pricing of it, generates a rather large amount of tea for very cheap. Still it is not an amazing tea, although a very nice summer tea for when it's hot out.

Kyobancha

Tea: Kyobancha - 7433
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $6.50 / 100g
Source: Kyoto, Japan
Vendor Description: Typical Bancha tea in Kyoto. The tea leaves are sun-dried and look almost like dead leaves, but their uneven roasting process makes the tea's flavor richly alluring.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea reminds me of the fallen leaves in a forest. It's a mix of leaves, large twigs, and lots of large full leaf. The leaves aren't rolled, folded, compressed, or otherwise manipulated like most teas are. The leaves are all dark brown / black in color. There are a few greener leaves in the mix.

1st Infusion Parameters: 15g, 2L, 3 min, Rolling Boil

Infusion Instructions: The infusion for this tea is very different than most teas. The water used was boiling, but the brewing instructions were to boil it rather than infuse with boiling water. And 15g of leaf are used to make 2 Liters of tea. Quite a lot of tea for that amount of leaf.

1st Infusion: The infusion has a light aroma and a rich brown color. The tea has a light roasted flavor, but aside from that there is not much behind it. There is a little bit of flavor in the middle. There is not much of an early flavor and no aftertaste. There is no astringency or bitterness

Rating: 2/10

Conclusion: This tea has very unusual infusion instructions. It takes longer to infuse and takes more care to setup than most teas, at least with my regular setup. The cup of tea it produces has a very weak flavor. There are not many downsides to this tea, but there aren't that many upsides as well. A regular hojicha is preferrable in taste. This tea may be better iced.

Keemun Rhapsody

Tea: Keemun Rhapsody
Vendor: Adagio
Price: $ 18.00 / 4 oz.
Source:Anhui, China
Vendor Description: Black tea from the Anhui region of China. Keemun tea, perhaps the most famous of Chinese varieties, is prized for its rich chocolate-like flavor, and sumptuous aroma. Our 'Keemun Rhapsody' is a hand-made, limited production 'superior mao feng' grade tea. It is a rare embodiment of this tea's wonderful potential, with taste bud entrancing cocoa notes, biscuity nuances, a whispering fruitiness and a flickering shadow of classic Keemun smokiness.

Leaf: The leaf is long and wiry for a black tea. The leaves are twisted and contorted. There are a few small brown colored hairs on the inside of the container like there would be with a silver needle, although brown instead of white. The aromoa is not strong nor weak, but is very hard to place.

1st Infusion Parameters: 3g, 5oz, 208F, 5 min

1st Infusion: The tea has a light red/brown color to it. The color is surprisingly light for a 5 min steep. There is a heavy and rich bouquet to the aroma. The flavor is very smooth and characteristic black tea. The flavor is mild with no bitterness or astringency. It is very smooth and full bodied, and a bit sweet for a black tea.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is a very good black tea. It's not overpowering or harsh. It's not overly floral or bland. It is smooth and slightly sweet. I can imagine this would make a very enjoyable iced tea or serve well with milk and sugar if that is your preference. Albeit I don't think this would be a standard in my cabinet.

White Symphony

Tea: White Symphony
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $6.00 / oz
Vendor Description: An exquisite version of the White Peony variety, a delicate tea made from tea buds collected and withered prior to opening. It offers a preponderance of unopened leaf buds that create a pale yellow, light bodied, yet complex cup with hints of honeydew and a faint floral sweetness. If you enjoy the soothing flavor of our 'White A' Cappella' tea, we invite you to savor this more refined version.

Leaf: This tea appears like a mix of a silver needle and a Bai Mu Dan. It has both buds and developed leaf. The leaf is very fluffy and light and gives off a very strong white tea aroma.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 180F, 7 min

1st Infusion: The infusion has a very dark yellow color, its almost a light brown hue. The aroma is thick and malty. It is heavy and very reminiscent of a strong Bai Mu Dan with just hints of a lighter silver needle aroma. The flavor is best described as being purely smooth. The initial flavor is very bold and strong. It is very bold and long lasting. It starts at the tip of the tongue and tapers the flavor slowly back down the tongue. It is thick with a richness that is almost like a melting milk chocolate bar. There is no bitterness or astringency, and it almost hints at a zuchini bread flavor of zuchini. It also has a nice hint of sweetness in your mouth after you finish your sip.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea is good. I ended up trying this at a long steep for only a single steep. It produced a rich flavorful cup, but it feels like a blend between a silver needle and a white peony. Personally I like the notion that if I want a silver needle, i'll have a silver needle, if I want a white peony, i'll have a white peony. I don't really see a reason why I would want the blend of the two. If you look at this from the standpoint of being a high grade white peony, it's a bit expensive. This might be a good starter tea for someone looking into white teas. It offers a bit of both worlds without sacrifing the other.