The roasted quality of this sobacha is distinctly present but enjoyable.
The green tea base is a very well chosen complement to the soba grains. I only get a hint of that sencha flavor I despise in the aftertaste. And really, even then, it’s so subtle that it adds to the enjoyment of the soba.
The dry tea blend smells like a houjicha. However, the brewed tea has a heavy roasted aroma that’s more like genmaicha than houjicha.
The color of the tea is very light, much lighter than I expected. But it does have a green tea base, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I wish I had written more about what the genmaicha I’ve tried tasted like so I could compare it better.
Overall, this probably isn’t a tea I’d drink all the time. But it’d be fun to have every now and then to shake things up. It is a very distinctive, unique tea.