Takumi

Tea: Takumi
Vendor: Zencha
Price: $31.00 / 100g (shipping included)
Source: Yame, Japan
Vendor Description: This premium sencha is produced from leaves of Gokou, a variety of tea plant. Only first two leaves and buds are carefully picked by hands.
Rich in natural sweet aroma and fresh scent with excellent astringent taste.

Leaf: This tea is very distinctively a fukamushi. There are primiarly small particulate pieces to this tea with a few larger, longer leaves. The larger leaves are all long and narrow. The dry leaf as a whole has a sweet aroma to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 185F, 5oz, 45s

1st Infusion: The infusion is lightly murky in color, somewhat expected of a fukamushi. It has a yellow-green hue to it with a light snappy aroma. The aroma feels a bit like there are hints of the sweetness of a yutaka midori in it, but the aroma is very light overall. There is a light marine flavor to the tea. The flavor overall is very delicate and complex. It finishes with a light astringency.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion has the characteristic dark green murky hue of a fukamushi. It is almost dark enough to be a forest green hue. The aroma is not very strong, but it is thick. The flavor of the tea is sharp and almost stinging in nature. There is a strong and bold central flavor to it with a light aftertaste. The tea finishes with a medium sense of astringency.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea was very interesting. It's another example of the somewhat hard to fine Yame sencha. It shows the complexity found in some of the other Yame Senchas, and performs pretty much as expected. The price for this tea is well within range for it's quality. I would love to see this tea as an asamushi though.

Premium Secha

Tea: Premium Sencha
Vendor: Aiya America

Leaf: This appears to be a chumushi type sencha, something of a rarity it seems nowdays. There is a moderate amount of polishing on the leaves, quite average overall though. The tea has plenty of nice long thin needles. There is a bit of a marine aroma to the leaf, but not too much.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: There is a clear light green hue to this tea, well in line with it being a chumushi sencha. There is also very little sediment and a sweet sencha aroma. It is a light and refreshing aroma that I don't run across very often. The flavor is light, but there are notes of marine in it. The rest of the flavor wraps around the marine notes in a light softness. The aftertaste is smooth and light.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a deeper yellow green hue to it. It is murkier than the first infusion, but not so much as say a fukamushi. The aroma is bolder with a much sharper presence. There are still strong marine flavors to the tea, but the tea feels overall stronger. It reminds me somewhat of a gyokuro and makes me wonder if this tea is a kabusecha. There is a light aftertaste to this bold flavor.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: I very much enjoyed this tea. The first infusion was delicate and pleasant, and the second showed more strength and reminded me of a kabusecha or a gyokuro almost. One thing I wish for with this tea is direct ordering / pricing. The tea itself was a growing rarity in this world of fukamushi.

Teabag - Sencha

Tea: Sencha
Vendor: Maeda-En
Price: $4.50 / 10pc
Vendor Description: Craving a good cup of tea, but not in the mood to deal with the mess? We have just the solution for you!
Maeda-en is proud to offer you deliciousness and convenience all at the same time: crushed Sencha leaves are packed in mesh pyramid bags for the maximum steeping & easy clean up. It brews the beautiful green liquor, and tastes just like a whole leaf brew!

About this tea: Recently Maeda-en contacted me and wondered if I would like to give their teabags another go around. It seems that since my last review of their gyokuro teabags they switched from using a satchel type teabag to using a tetrahedral teabag shape.

Teabag: Each of these teabags comes individually wrapped. When opening up the teabag, quite a bit of powder comes out with the teabag. The amount of tea reminds me of a matcha laced genmaicha, but this is just because maeda-en apparently crushes their sencha for packing in the teabag. The teabags are in fact now a tetrahedral shape, and they are filled with small pieces of sencha leaf. The leaf is all very uniform in size and shape, it is smaller than rooibos in size. There is a noticeable light green glint of stem in the mix. The aroma of the teabag is a bit unusual, it is lightly marine in aroma and smells very broad in nature. Unlike some of the more specific teas it has a very overall green aroma to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 1 teabag (2g), 5oz, 185F, 2min
1st Infusion: This teabag produces a murky darker green colored tea. There is not much of an aroma to it. The flavor is light and clear. The flavor is quite broad with a light central flavor to it. There is no astringency or bitterness, but overall the flavor seems a bit light. The used teabag is not pressing against the sides of the mesh strongly meaning plenty of space in the teabag, but at the same time there is room to have added more leaf in and still not see any size issues.

Rating: 5/10

Conclusion: While this is a significant improvement from the satchel type of teabags before, the tea is not terribly impressive. Granted it probably felt a bit weak due to the ratio I used, one teabag held 2g, wheras for this volume of water I'm normally using 3-5g at a shorter infusion time. The flavor was very broad, which I am getting the feeling that this was intentionally blended as such. All in all it's a somewhat inexepensive solution for individually wrapped teabags, good for taking tea on the go.

Kaboku

Tea: Kaboku
Vendor: Ippodo
Price: 1,250 Yen/ 50g
Source: Japan
Vendor Description: A harmonious blend of sweetness, bitterness, richness, astringency and fragrance this is sencha. It's easy to understand why sencha is such a favorite beverage in Japan, not only for those seeking to quench a thirst, but also for those wanting to sip on something extra special.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea consists of some dark green needles. They are very uniform in color and a dark green hue. It has a fresh crisp aroma. The size of the needles suggest this is an asamushi.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: This infusion has a clear yellow green hue to it. The aroma is light and crisp. The flavor pairs well with the aroma, feeling crisp and light. It is a very clear flavor with no bitterness or astringency. It is simple and refined.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 15s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion was a brighter clear yellow green hue. The flavor was richer and stronger than the first infusion, but it is sharp and clear. There is a little bit of bitterness as well as a light marine flavor.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 45s, 185F

3rd Infusion: This was a richer, more brilliant yellow hue. The flavor was a little bit lighter, it felt light and clear with a strong feeling of snappiness. It finishes with a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This sencha was quite outstanding. It was a light flavor that was clear and well defined. Even though the flavor was on the lighter side, it still was quite well defined and gentle. This is a fantastic asamushi sencha and while a bit on the pricier side, is still reasonably priced for the grade of the tea.

Sencha The Ultimate

Tea: Yame - Sencha The Ultimate
Vendor: Zencha
Price: $22.00 / 50g
Source: Yame, Japan
Vendor Description: This is the tea specially produced for exhibition and in limited supply.
Only first two leaves and buds are carefully picked by hands.
Rich in natural sweet aroma and fresh scent with excellent astringent taste.

Leaf: The leaf has a bold and fresh aroma to it. It is somewhat different than most sencha aromas, but I can't seem to pinpoint how. It has some very gracefully long and thin needles to it, but in general appears to be more of a fukamushi than anything.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: This tea has a brilliant green hue to it. It is a very bold and persistent aroma. It reminds me of the aroma from the leaf. There is a pleasant crispness to the aroma. The infusion is lightly murky with a bold flavor. It starts with a very sharp, but momentary flavor. On the back end there is a light marine flavor. There are other aspects to this flavor which I'm having a problem pinpointing. It feels very complex yet undefined. Overall the flavor starts off lightly and then hangs around in the middle to taper off to a long aftertaste.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a bold and rich green hue to it. The flavor is light and crisp with a light bitterness to it. The backend has a light bit of astringency, but it's showing the same complicated nature as the first infusion.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: While I was excited to try this tea out in order to see more of the spectrum that a Yame sencha could offer I was disappointed by this offering. The flavor was muddled and not as clear as I would expect from something labeled as the ultimate. Part of this may be from this tea being more akin to a fukamushi bordering on a chumushi. But I don't particularly see this tea as being any better / worse than the Serene Forest from Lupicia. And given that the Serene Forest is around half the price, I would suggest going with that one instead. Currently though Zencha has this in a shincha for preorder and that might have a bit more brightness and clarity that the sampled one did not have.

Serene Forest

Tea: Serene Forest - 8006
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $9.00 / 50g
Source: Yame, Japan
Vendor Description: Blend of tea grown under cover to block sunlight from Yame, Fukuoka Pref. It has slightly less astringency and stronger sweetness, a characteristic of Yame tea.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a dark green chumushi. There is a little bit of stem in the mix, but aside from that a very typical looking sencha.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: This tea has a rich sweet aroma. Instantly it reminds me of what makes Yame Gyokuro so special to me. The initial color of the tea is a bright green brilliance, which reminds me of the radiance of a shincha. It is lightly murky, nowhere near as much as a fukamushi though. Slightly after pouring the color changed into a yellow green hue. The flavor is rich and bold with a light astringency. It is a very strong and bold sencha flavor, similar to a fukamushi, but with the depth of an asamushi. There is a bold grassy/marine flavor to this tea, which again reminds me of a Yame Gyokuro.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 15s, 185F, 5oz

2nd Infusion: This infusion was a murky green hue. There was a lot of sediment in this cup, it reminded me much more of a fukamushi this time around. The flavor was lighter and clearer with just a hint of bitterness. The bitterness was paired with al ight sense of astringency which left me with a nice clean feeling aftertaste. The flavor was rich and bold.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: By the description of this tea it sounds like it is a kabusecha. In retrospect to the taste I can see where this is noticeable, without having said that though I probably would not have noticed at all and just chalked this up as a very interesting sencha. It is unfortunately a bit on the pricey side, but it also is in a very rare class of tea. Yame Senchas are not very commonplace from what I have seen, only a small handful of vendors even offering one. It shares a lot of characteristics with it's much more famous Gyokuro brother and I found myself very much enjoying this tea. As I continue to try more Yame Senchas though I wonder how this one will compare to those. An enjoyable and unique experience though.

Tanegashima Kuritawase 2008

Tea: Tanegashima Kuritawase 2008 - 6411
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: Japan
Vendor Description: The first flush green tea from Tanegashima island have a refreshing aftertaste

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a very well formed Asamushi. The needles are long and thin with a minimal amount of dust. Some of the leaves are almost an inch long and there is very little stem in the mix as well.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 170F, 45s

1st Infusion: This tea produced a pale yellow green color. Considering that this is an asamushi there is a fairly green hue to it. There was a ligth nutty aroma to it. There was a rich umami flavor to this tea, it is almost like a gyokuro in texture. There is a typical light bitterness in the aftertaste. The flavor is very crisp and pleasant. There is not much of a shincha radiance to this tea though.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 10s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a more intense green color. The aroma is very light and uplifiting. The flavor has light and fruity notes. This fruitiness is followed by a light bitterness. There are hints of the thickness from the first infusion, but nowhere near the same as the first infusion. There are also grassy notes in the aftertaste that compete with the sencha kick.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is a very enjoyable asamushi. This is one of the shincha offerings from Lupicia and I did not open until well past the initial few months when shincha is freshest. Even with a few months of aging under it's belt it still shows a very pleasant flavor and some very complex characteristics. I look forward to trying it again this year.

Ashikubo Gold

Tea: Ashikubo Gold
Vendor: Chado Tea House
Price: $15.15 / 100g
Source: Shizuoka, Japan
Vendor Description: Asamushi Sencha = traditional light steamed sencha. Its refreshing and mild with a vibrant, golden-green infusion, bittersweet flavor satisfy even the most critical tea connoisseur.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea has a fresh, refreshing aroma to it. The leaf is dark green in color and has an appearance similar to a chumushi. There is a fair amount of dust, but nowhere near a fukamushi level. The leaf is moderately glossy. This tea is listed as an asamushi and even though it does somewhat look like a chumushi it still leans toward it's asamushi distinction.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 185F, 45s

1st Infusion: The tea has a radiant light green color to it. It is almost a pure shade of green with little to no yellow undertones. The flavor is light yet full bodied. It is very clean feeling. There are hints of grassiness to it, but nothing too alarming. There is no real bitterness or astringency to be found. All in all this is a very calming tea.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 15s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion shows a murkier color. The tea has a yellow green hue to it this time. The aroma of the tea is considerably thicker this time. It doesn't feel as clear and clean as the first infusion. The flavor this time is very up front and early. There is a clean sense of bitterness and a medium sense of astringency. The flavor is overall richer.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This tea is a very good asamushi. It is light and delicate, yet still flavorful. It has a brilliant color to it. The price is very reasonable. All in all it's a great tea, but just lacks a little something to kick it over the top into a 10. Also Chado Tea House is not to be confused with Chado Tea.

Sencha "Kanaya"

Tea: Sencha "Kanaya" - 7465
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $9.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: As the leaves are small, they are thinly rubbed, producing this distinctive tea with elegant sweet aroma.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea looks like a yellow-green colored fukamushi. There are a few longer leaves in the mix, but the majority is the fukamushi style small leaf pieces. There is quite a bit of the fukamushi style powder though. The leaf is medium glossy. It is not quite matte, and not quite glossy at the same time. The aroma is very traditional for a fukamushi.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 45s, 185F

1st Infusion: The first infusion is yellower in color, but surprisingly clear for a fukamushi. there is a light murkiness to it and a sweet sencha aroma. The aroma reminds me of a fukamsuhi,b ut has hints of something similar to a yutaka midori in it. The flavor is on the bolder side of things. It has a distinct gyokuro like flavor at the onset. The strength of the tea reminds me of a gyokruo in something most akin to the marine flavor of a gyokruo. It's strong enought that it has a certain bitterness that pairs with a strong sencha flavor. There is no astringcency ot this tea, and considering the amount of strength in this cup that it is rather surprising. Most of the flavor is not foudn up front, but rather in the middle. There is not much aftertaste to speak of.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion is quite different in appearance than the first one. It is murky enough that it is almost opaque. This is much more characteristic as a fukamushi. The color of the tea is deep enough of a green that it reminds me of a hunter green in color, just a slight bit yellower. There is a light aroma to the tea. The flavor of this infusion is completely different than the first infusion. It is light and snappy. The flavor is very crsip with a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This is probably one of the most interesting fukamushis that I have tried to date. It showed a drastic change between infusions, neither being better or worse than the previous. It's price feels a bit steep though for what it is. I feel like this is more an interesting tea than an outstanding one. Fuka fans should probably give this one a try.

Sencha Uji 2008

Tea: Sencha Uji 2008 - 6426
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Source: Kyoto, Japan
Vendor Description: The first flush green tea from Soraku district of Kyoto. The exquisite aroma lingers in the mouth.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea has lots of long thin needles. There is lots of dark green color with very little stem in the mix. There is no dust to speak of, the aroma is very sweet and sencha like. From the looks of the tea it is most likely an asamushi tea.

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

1st Infusion: The tea is lightly murky with a bright yellow hue. There is a very light and crisp sweet aroma coming from this tea. The flavor is lightly grassy as if to hint at a gyokuro in flavor. The flavor is rich and clean, with just a light sense of bitterness and a light clean aftertaste.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion as well was lightly murky. The hue darkened though to a yellow-brown hue. There is less aroma in this infusion and the flavor is a bit lighter, but it still feels quite clean in flavor. There is just a little bit of grassiness poking out here and there in this tea.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is a very good asamushi. Even though I ended up opening it a bit past it's prime as a shincha from last year it still exhibited a wonderful freshness and cleanliness that is characteristic of an asamushi. The flavor is very light and clean, just as an asamushi should be and it was a prime example thereof. I can't wait to see what the 2009's hold.

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.

Organic Sencha

Tea: Organic Sencha
Vendor: Plymouth Tea
Price: $12.50 / 4 oz
Vendor Description: An organically grown superfine grade of Sencha. It has an intense fresh vegetal bouquet and a dry ending. The organic method of raising these bushes seems to intensify all the qualities of Sencha that make it a regular choice of green tea lovers.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a very matte colored dry leaf. There is a fair amount of brown specs and stem pieces to this tea. These are somewhat indicative of bancha, but this tea was labeled as a sencha. The leaves are quite veiny and have lots of brown stems. Most of the leaf is chopped up and in small pieces

1st Infusion Parameters: 2.5g, 2.5 oz, 185F, 90s

1st Infusion: This tea was quite foul. The color was a yellowish hue and no particular aroma. The tea tastes somewhat chemical like in flavor. It feels like it was a flavored bancha, but there is no flavoring. I couldn't even finish the 2.5 oz of this cup.

Rating: 1/10

Conclusion: This tea was probably the worst sencha I have ever tasted. In all rights there is no reason to ever get this. I can't think of any redeeming qualities to this tea. Unfortunately my rating scale is 1-10 so it gets a 1. It almost gives othe 1 rated teas a bad name. Thank you to Jessica at Authoritea for providing this sample though.

Sencha Ashikubo

Tea: Sencha Ashikubo
Vendor: Davids Tea
Price: $9.38 /25g
Source: Ashikubo Valley, Japan
Vendor Description:If you’re a lover of Japanese sencha, this tea is a must. It comes from the stunning Ashikubo valley in Japan, and is dried the traditional way – using wood fires. As a result, it’s milder and less grassy than regular senchas. Admirers point to its characteristic fruitiness and to the hint of toast that comes from the firing process. Most say they can’t go a day without it.

Leaf: the leaf is either a chumushi or asamushi, it's along the line between the two. The life has a nice glossy appearance to it, there are a few nice long needles and not too much powder.

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

1st Infusion: The infusion is a clear yellow hue. There is no sedient or murkiness. The color has a brilliant yellow radiance to it. The aroma reminds me of a heavy grassy sencha aroma. Even though it's a thick and heavy aroma it was not very strong. The tea has a certain woodiness to it. It is lightly bitter and has a hint of grassiness. While the tea is very subdued it has some very mild tones.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: This infusion was lightly murky. It has a sweet aroma and a light astringency. The flavor is lightly marine.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: This is a very puzzling sencha. It is mild and very much like an asamushi or a chumushi, but it's hard to tell where between the two it lies. The first infusion had an interesting woodiness to the flavor, possibly a result of the wood fires from the description. In a way it reminded me of the Kuradashi Sencha from Hibiki-an. The flavor is light and appropraite and quite good. It's hard to describe, but it was a very solid tating tea. The downside of it is that this tea is very highly priced. At almost 40 dollars for 100g, this is one of the pricier senchas around. While quite tasty, I'm hesitant to say that this tea is worth the cost.

Hosen

Tea: Hosen
Vendor: Ippodo
Price: 1,500 Yen / 100g
Source: Japan
Vendor Description: A harmonious blend of sweetness, bitterness, richness, astringency and fragrance - this is sencha. It's easy to understand why sencha is such a favorite beverage in Japan, not only for those seeking to quench a thirst, but also for those wanting to sip on something extra special.

In the morning or afternoon, before or after a meal, sencha is the perfect drink to revitalize your mind and refresh your spirit.

For the sencha drinker who appreciates a refined, well-balanced tea, Hosen is an excellent choice. Its subtle sweetness, elegant fragrance and fresh aftertaste are characteristic of Ippodo's premium sencha blends. Though recommended primarily for seasoned tea drinkers, Hosen is also a good choice for newcomers and those seeking a slightly richer and sweeter version of Sho-ikeno-o.

Leaf: The leaf for this is lightly polished. It is a thin dark leaf with a light and uplifting aroma to it. The leaves swirl with an almost fluid motion. There is a little bit of fleck to the leaf, but it consists primarily of larger longer leaves. The aroma feels smooth, almost reminding me of a gyokuro aroma.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 185F, 60s

1st Infusion: The tea has a bright yellow hue. It has a light and crisp sencha aroma. The flavor is smooth and light with a light sense of bitterness. There is no astringency, and the flavor feels very clean. There is a bit of a tang on the sides of the mouth, and it is a very uplifting lightness.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 0s, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a light and crisp aroma. There are hints of a grassy flavor to it, but the flavor is upflifting and clear still. There is a light sense of astringency paired with a medium bold flavor. It is stronger than the first infusion even with the instantaneous infusion.

3rd Infusion Parameters: 30s, 185F

3rd Infusion: This infusion was a murky yellow hue. The flavor is lighter and sharper. The astringency has developed into a medium strength, and the flavor is much richer. It hints at grassiness, but is much richer still uplifting.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This is quite an impressive asamushi sencha. The flavor is light and clean feeling without being to harsh and strong. It's priced rather cheaply, but like all Ippodo tea you have to pay a high shipping cost. Even with the high shipping costs this tea is still a good bargain. The flavor is comparable to some of the much more expensive senchas that I have tried. This is probably going to be in quite a few of my Ippodo orders in the future.

Teabag - Mecha

Tea: Mecha
Vendor: Zencha

About This Tea: This was a teabag that was a sample included with my latest Zencha order. I did my best to translate the packaging, and the title of it was Mecha, so I'm assuming that this is mecha.

Teabag: This teabag consisted of a satchel style teabag that had a very loose drawstring / tag line at the top and was sewn shut at the top. Unlike pyramidals this was not designed for expansion, just knowing that it had space in the bag to puff out though. The leaf is very small bits of stem and leaf, which correlated with my previous Mecha assumption. There is a like sweet Yutakamidori aroma to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 185F, 5oz, 45s

1st Infusion: The infusion was lightly murky with a yellow green hue. There wasn't much aroma to the leaf, the aroma that was present with the dry leaf appears to be gone. The flavor is light and sweet. There is a bitterness at the tip of the tongue. The flavor is quite bold and strong and exhibits traces of a gyokuro like grassiness.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 1:15, 5oz

2nd Infusion: This infusion was much murkier in color. It however didn't have much aroma and not much flavor. It really seems like this tea was only good for one infusion:

Rating: 6/10

Conlcusion: While it's hard to give this tea a rating because I don't know the pricing for this tea. It's not particularly interesting as a tea, but it's not bad. It's a rather good teabag, and at around $6/10 this would be a good teabag to get. Good flavor, just not much of it after the first.

Sencha Harebare

Tea: Sencha Harebare
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $7.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: Blend of aromatic Sayama tea and processed with a strong fire. The refreshing mint-like flavor, a characteristic of this variety called "Sayama Kaori" is very appealing.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea has a very fukamushi like appearance. It has a fairly rich aroma to the leaf, and a hint of yellowness in the color.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 185F, 60s

1st Infusion: The first infusion had a yellow murky color to it. Not surprising considering the fukamushi appearance to the leaf. The aroma was sharp and crisp. The flavor was very bold. Early on it felt very sweet and forward like a fukamushi normally is. The middle is dominated by a light bitterness and finishes with a light astringency. Overall this has a very clean feeling and a long lasting lingering aftertaste.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 15s

2nd Infusion: The second infusion was a murky yellow. There was not much different about the flavor, it was simply a distinctively fukamushi flavor.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: There was nothing terribly outstanding about this tea, nor did it have any major faults. It was a normal fukamushi and is not that pricey. All in all not a very interesting tea.

Chiran Kanayamidori

Tea: Chiran Kanayamidori
Vendor: Wegmans Food Markets / Ito-en
Price: $87.99 /lb /$16.50/ 3 oz
Source: Kagoshima, Japan
Vendor Description: Harvested in Kagoshima prefecture, Chiran Kanayamidori bears a flavorful, verdant liquor with succulent notes of leafy greens. An excellent accompaniment to flavorful dishes.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea was mostly smaller particles and had a few longer needles to it. Based on the appearance I would say that this is most likely a fukamushi sencha. The green color was a bit muddled, almost bordering on shades of brown at times and didn't have much of a shine to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 180F, 60s

1st Infusion: The tea was yellow green in color and very murky. This was a very characteristic fukamushi tea. The aroma was light and snappy. The flavor led off with a sharp bitter flavor on the tip of the tongue and transitioned to a long lingering smooth aftertaste. It finished with a light sense of astringency. The bitter flavor was very short lived and dropped down quickly into the tapering flavor.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 180F, 30s

2nd Infusion: This infusion had a darker murky green hue. The up front flavor was again very sharp and snappy. This time it felt like the flavor consisted mostly of a bitterness and tapered into a lingering fukamushi flavor, although the dropoff was not as fast as the first infusion. The flavor felt muddled and a bit confused, like a blend of two teas trying to display at the same time. There was a medium sense of astringency to the power in this tea. The flavor of the tea overall felt a bit light.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This tea seemed to be a bit subpar for a Chiran sencha. This flavor was dominated by the fact that it was a fukamushi and little other than that. It produced an appealing looking cup of tea, but the flavor itself was quite snappy and sharp. If looking for a fukamushi from Chiran/Kagoshima, I would suggest sticking to a yutakamidori instead.

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.

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.

Kuradashi Sencha

Tea: Kuradashi Sencha
Vendor: Hibiki-An
Source: Uji, Japan

About this tea: This tea was a limited time offering from Hibiki-an. Kuradashi Sencha is an intentionally aged sencha. Normally the aged tea is a gyokuro producing a Kuradashi Gyokuro. Instead with this tea it was an aged sencha. The sencha was aged for 18 months in a storehouse.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea had a rich uniform dark green color to it. Most of the leaves were good sized leaves and there was almost now powder to it. This suggests that this is probably a chumushi style sencha. There was an interesting woody light aroma to this tea leaf.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 170F, 1 min

1st Infusion: The tea has a light green hue with a hint of yellow to it. The aroma feels smooth and balanced. The flavor is exactly matching the aroma, smooth and balanced. It is mild with no bitterness or astringency. It is slightly sweet, but the main aspect that comes to mind when tasting is how smooth of a sencha this feels.

2nd Infusion Parametsrs: 170F, 1 min

2nd Infusion: This is a darker and murkier yellow hue this time. The leaves have expanded nice and fully. The aroma is very sweet and mellow. There is a hint of woodiness similar to a kukicha, but more refined and mellow. There is a light bitterness paired with a rich sencha flavor. It provides a very smooth flavor again that is well balanced with the bitterness. There is a heavy flavor in the mid-end portion of the flavor.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: When the kuradashi sencha first was released on their website I was dubious as to if this was something that created an interesting product or if it was just a ploy to sell more tea. It turns out this is quite the interesting product indeed. The aging process seems to produce a very mellow flavor out of the tea, and this causes the tea to be very smooth and mellow. I very much enjoyed this tea and look forward to it again next year.