865 Tasting Notes
Made this before I leave to go w/ my friend looking for a bridesmaid dress for her dad’s wedding. 3oz water/1 scoop. Wow! The flavors pop even more when made thick! I just wish it frothed a bit more. This may be my favorite unflavored matcha yet, unfortunately it’s also the most expensive.
Preparation
I placed my 1st order w/ The Tea Farm just to get their free dragonwell so I wanted something available in a 2oz size and was less than $3. I also didn’t want to try something that (like dragonwell) I could easily find somewhere else so I went w/ this one. I’ve never even heard of the Champaca flower before. So my apologies, but I really have no idea what I’m doing w/ this review… or more specifically what I should be smelling and tasting to compare to.
What… an… interesting… tea! This is by far the strangest tea I’ve seen. The raw flowers are a gorgeous dark reddish purple color and are huge! They greatly out scale the coiled and twisted green tea leaves. The aroma is that of flowers, sweetness (almost in the form of fruityness), and a hint of pepper.
I have no clue what the base tea is so, until I do, I go w/ the suggested (although suspiciously general) temp and time. I make some adjustments elsewhere though. I do not rinse and I use 6oz of water instead of 8.
The liquor is a light, buttery yellow which is no surprise given the small amount of actual tea that was in my tablespoon. The aroma is that of the raw leaf, only w/ less pepper. The flavor is nearly identical to the aroma, only stronger… I’m still amazed by this tea. It definitely needs time to sink in. Definitely worth the $2.32/oz (~15 cents a cup) to try it. And if you don’t like it, give it to 14 friends (there are ~15 servings/2oz) for one of the most unique green tea experiences they’ve had!
Preparation
2nd infusion, 4min: After the 1st infusion and decantion the tea leaves are much closer in size to the flowers and look like raffia. The liquor of this infusion is darker than the 1st, a beautiful golden color. The aroma is ever so lightly lighter. The flowery aspect to flavor is not weaker, but the tea flavor is stronger which makes for a more balanced cuppa. The flavor lingers in my mouth, leaving a strange, but good, feeling.
I’m noticing it’s slightly astringent (or is it bitter?) as it cools.
Sounds cool!
It’s one of those teas that leaves you speachless. I can’t decide if it’s like drinking perfume or not… you’d think it would be obvious lol!
Sounds really interesting.
3rd infusion, 5min: Ever so slightly lighter liquor and flavor, but still a very good cuppa!
4th infusion, 6min: Much lighter in both liquor and taste, but the taste is not weak. It’s still a well balanced cuppa. The leaves are done though. As good as this cup is, I doubt the quality of the next.
Champaca are the flowers that Nag Champa incense (most popular in the 60’s) is based on. I was eyeing this tea too—I love Nag Champa incense!
Curled up w/ this before Prayer + Share this morning. My 4th unflavored matcha, 3rd prepared myself, 2nd from Den’s, and 1st organic matcha. I really wish I had some Kaze left to do a side by side comparison.
The powder is a pretty bright green and the smell is quit strong, stronger that O-cha’s Kiri No Mori and, from what I remember, a bit stronger than Den’s’ Kaze as well.
Half a bowl- 1 scoop/8oz water.
This matcha incorporatesw/ the water a little differently than Kaze. A few bubbles of foam form on the rim of my bowl. Yay! The color is an absolute gorgeous green color.
Wow! Boy do these flavors pop! I wonder if it’s because it’s organic? It’s definitely vegetal like all matchas should be, but it’s also smooth, clean, and… sweet? I’m not sure if that’s the word I’m looking for, but it’s not bitter. Spectacular.
Preparation
I like the taste of toffee, but not the hard crunch, so I was really excited to be able to try this tea thanks to Kitch3ntools!
Yummm… This smells so good! Have you ever smelled a tea that you wanted to eat the raw leaves w/ a spoon? This is one of those teas.
2.25g/6oz purified water. The liquor is a rather dark brown w/ a reddish tint to it and is topped w/ lots of essential oils from the ingredients. It looks like an oil slick, but it’s also a sign that there are lots of healthy things in this tea.
Well I definitely don’t have to worry about not tasting the camellia sinensis like I do w/ a lot of flavored, and especially black, teas. There’s no chocolate flavor and no toffee flavor. Don’t get me wrong, this is a sweet black tea, but that doesn’t mean it tastes flavored. There are lots of unflavored black teas that have sweet cocoa notes, and this tastes like one of them. I would have never guessed this was a chocolate flavored tea if I’d done a blind taste test. I’m not getting the toffee flavor either, although I think it may be contributing to the sweetness.
Conclusions: While it is a good black tea (and black teas aren’t even my personal preference), this does not live up to its name. Would be good served after a meal, but it is not a dessert tea so it could be served any other time as well.
Preparation
I had a similar problem with their butterscotch chai – smelled great but the butterscotch flavor just was not there. At all. :-(
BUTTERSCOTCH CHAI??? YUM!=D
yeah, that’s what I thought too.. Wish I’d kept it and experimented with the steeping a bit more to get it to taste right, but I gave it away out of frustration (this was in my pre-Steepster days)
Used to have the same problem with butterscotch flavoured coffee…
Cofftea: Oil slick on top of toffee and chocolate tea = healthy things
Shanti: Oil slick on top of toffee and chocolate tea = melted oils from toffee and chocolate, two foods primarily composed of sugar and butter fat.
Funny how people can react to the same things in completely different ways :)
agrees with Shantea. Doesn’t oil floating on top mean bad things? o.O
Lol Ricktea.I forgot, usually I see the oils if it’s a heavily flavored tea as well (flavoring oils).
nice review I was curious about this tea so disappointing that the chocolate and toffee arent there. Becuase I am a big fan of dessert teas but its hard to find good ones.
Shanti, It also can be from the essential oils and antioxidents. That oil slick is very common in true teas although being a chocolate and tofee tea it was thicker than normal. The leaves were also greasy when I tossed them… ew.
Silvermage2000, It is a very good tea for a sweet tea- but if you want a tea you could identify as a chocolate toffee tea in a bilnd taste test, this isn’t it. W/ most dessert teas you either taste all flavoring or all tea. :-/
Sorry, but 1) antioxidAnts themselves do not appear in the form of oil, although small amounts have been found in food oils…you seem to be incredibly mistaken about the relative size of an “antioxidant molecule” in relation to a uL of oil, or even to a single fatty acid chain, 2) what do you mean by “essential oils”? Do you mean reduced oils from certain plants, often used as natural flavorings, or do you mean oils that are essential to health? In the first case, they are not particularly healthy or unhealthy (I challenge you to find one replicated and peer-reviewed study that says otherwise); in the second case, the oils and fats used to make toffee and chocolate are NOT “essential oils” or even “good” oils that people don’t get enough of or are beneficial to health, 3) I’m assuming that by “true teas” you mean unflavored Camellia sinensis varietals, but in my experience (and from what I’ve read from other people’s reviews of flavored teas), flavored teas are known for having sometimes seeming oily due to the flavored oils applied to the leaf, 4) the majority of the oil found in tea and indeed in most plants is located in the seed, not the leaves, 5) I’m willing to be that the oil slick was from the melted chocolate and toffee, and perhaps partially from hydrophobic flavoring chemicals.
ps. sorry for the long comment, but there are few things I hate more than pseudoscience, especially when the purported science can be harmful.
My 2nd order from Den’s Tea! It was shipped on the 29th and arrived today. Very quick considering yesterday was Sunday!
I spent $34.05 on my order ($3 of that was shipping) which consisted of this (30g), 2oz of Bancha Suruga, organic matcha, Lucky Gold Tea, and I was also surprised w/ the "Sample Tea of the Month: 10g of Premium Sencha Shin-ryoku! (Although it’s not listed as “premium” on their site… I wonder why…) Now that’s value! I didn’t get the Sample Tea of the Month w/ my matcha set in Dec. Maybe that was because I got the sampler instead.
Whoa… mmm… Looks like matcha, smells like matcha too- only stronger. Both the vegetal and sweet aromas are stronger.
I know this isn’t matcha, but I prepared it like it. 5oz hot water, 1/8tsp (although it seems weird using a plastic measuring spoon instead of my Chashaku) powdered sencha in my matcha bowl then whisked w/ my chasen.
The liquor (is this the proper term even though this isn’t decanted tea?) is a gorgeous green color and it whisks up similarly to my Mandarin Matcha only not as thick, although it still does foam up slightly.
I’ve decided that the word to describe matcha and like teas is sensual. Lucious also fits. This is amazing. Stronger than some matchas in both the vegetal and sweet aspect. Each sip is a little different. This is definitely a good matcha substitute.
Preparation
I hope you have enough to try the sample tea iced as well. I’ve been toying with the idea of buying some powdered sencha for iced tea.
fcmonroe, the sample was premium sencha (leaf, to be steeped and decanted). I have 30g of this stuff! But yes, I will try this iced as well. I just hope it isn’t like instant tea- matcha isn’t so I have hope for this iced as well.
Oh. I thought it was some of the whole leaf powdered sencha.
That’s what this tasting note is. It’s not a sample though, it’s 30g as my tasting note states.
I must try matcha…
Yes, you must. It’s wonderful!=D
Woah lots of stuff came! Where’s that lucky gold matcha now? =P
Ricky, Just didn’t have time this morning. May not tomorrow morning either, but I’ll try that Thurs morning at the latest.
4oz cup/5.33g tea. This is a 2nd infusion. I made apple cider w/ the 1st last nite. I was really hoping it’d be apple chai-ish, but it just tastes like I steeped it in vastly diluted apple juice. Not good.
Preparation
hmm, you’ve done that before as well. Perhaps you could go the other way – make Turkish Apple tea and add the spices.
Yes, I could. It’s very good the 1st steep. It’s the 2nd that’s lacking. So next time I’ll just add milk/creamer to it to hide the extremely water logged apple flavor.
But of course, experimentation is the source of discovery, and you are the world’s foremost researcher on tea/cider hybrids.
Aww, that’s too bad. I like hearing about your tea drink combos, though.
How do you keep your leaves overnight? Do you refrigerate them?
I find if you drain all of the liquid off the leaves each time, they will keep ok in the pot
Shanti? Refrigerate?! No way. I know some people do, but personally I’d think that extreme cold would ruin the flavor. Even if it didn’t then I’d have to wait til they warm up. Just too putzy for me:) I just keep them in my steeping vessle (either my ingenuiTEA or glass Tea Garden tea pot… I would not suggest it using a basket or paper filter).
Oh okay, neat. Hope I didn’t offend you…I had just never heard of anyone keeping tea leaves overnight before :-) That’s cool that you can keep them so long…I’d be too afraid of decomp/bacteria/mold, especially in my “warm” aka sweltering apartment…stupid landlords! lol. :-)
No, I was afraid I offended you. I realize some people do do that- I just personally can’t fathom it.:)
How much flavor do they lose after being out so long? I would guess that the moistness from the wet leaves would evaporate, taking some of the flavor, as well as some of the compounds breaking down over time after being moistened. Do you notice any difference?
I’d almost have to do a side by side (example 2nd infusion made immediately after the 1st and 2nd infusion steeped 4hrs after the 1st) to tell you, but I have no complains so w/o actually doing the side by side I’d say little to none.
Made orange pineapple matcha this morning. 2oz pinapple juice/6oz water/1 scoop matcha. Swap the water for coconut water for an even more exotic treat. The pineapple juice, although in a much smaller amount than the water, balances nicely w/ the orange and gives it a little more body.
Preparation
Chocolate apple chai cider!
5.33g tea/4oz apple juice.
I love a good apple cider, although the acidity of hot juices have a tendency to burn my throat. The chocolate in the chai sweetens it and covers the acidity so the only burn is from the cayenne. I just wish there was caramel in it!:)
Preparation
Sounds good! Have you ever tried the Caramel Apple Spice at Sbux? So good!
I actually don’t care for it. I think it’s the ratio of the flavors, not the flavors themselves. I order a tall steamed apple juce w/ 2 pumps each vanilla and caramel (and gingerbread during that season) w/ 2 chai bags.
I see. I’ve had it maybe 3 or 4 times so far…two times it was amazing, and two times it was “good” but not omg-i-want-more good. So I think you’re right about the ratio being critical here.
I think size has a lot to do w/ it. I only get talls because I can’t get the ratio of flavor/milk/espresso/chai or whatever combos may apply right in any other size. 12 is the only ounceage (ounciage LOL!) divisible by 6 (unless you get a venti iced).
What size scoop are you using? I thought thick matcha was ~3-4 bamboo scoops in 3 oz. water, and thin is ~1.25 scoops in 3 oz. water.
I haven’t tried organic matcha yet, but it sounds good!
There are different sizes of Chashaku? How can you measure .25 of a scoop other than measuring what a scoop of matcha weighs and then using 125% of that weight? Thin/thick is relative I guess then. My definition of thick is 1 scoop in 3oz water and thin is 1 scoop per 8oz water (for half a bowl, 2 scoops, 16oz for a full bowl).
Quality chashaku are handmade, unique and are all slightly different as a result. However, most bamboo cheapo ones are about the same. I was asking if you were using an actual chashaku or a tablespoon. Sorry, I cut off the last part of that, it says 1 1/4-2 scoops for thin. You can eyeball a quarter or half of a scoop pretty easily…
Sorry, I was a little confused by your reviews and your using the words thick and thin to describe how you prepare your matcha. Like I’ve said a million times, different strokes for different folks (to a point). If you like it like that, then you like it like that! :)
By the way, sorry, I got the water off…thick is 3-4 for 1.5 ounces, thin is 1.25-2 for 2.5-3 ounces. The rule of thumb is double the matcha and half the water, at least according to my Japanese teacher…
If you have any more info, that would be great.
Gasp! Tablespoon/teaspoon?! lol. J/k personally I’d never make matcha w/o the authentic tools (which is part of the reason I have a beef w/ Rishi). That’s just me though.:) Sorry, I thought that was clear by my use of the word scoop instead of tsp. I cram as much as I can on the scoop then just use 3 or 8oz water. I’m really freakin bad at eye balling things so no I can’t eye ball it easily. It doesn’t help that matcha balances very precociously on my chashaku and I’m absofreakinlutely terrified of spilling and wasting it. Not to mention it makes a HUGE mess. I’ve spilled matcha once and I bawled for 20 min, yes I’m very attached to my matcha lol.=D
I see…funny, I wouldn’t have pegged you as the type to be a purist about making matcha, considering your notes about steeping and cooking tea :-) Personally, I don’t see why not using a chasen or chashaku is a big deal if you’re not even making it traditionally. :) I don’t think I could stand sitting on my knees for so long either, LOL!
Careful with the matcha! Especially if it’s the 52teas matcha :)
I think I can clear up the thin, thick thing. ;). It slightly depends on what school of sadou you follow! The temple I studied at only used koicha for special occasions. Shanti’s teacher is right, though. The “typical” system is to double the tea and half the water. Koicha should be thick, almost like honey (but not so sticky of course!) Also… if you want to be technical about it, you RARELY make koicha from the same tea as you would make usucha. You can… but generally a higher grade is used for koicha. Koicha is usually sweeter and the matcha powder selected for koicha comes from older trees almost exclusively.
If your matcha brewing is for private use, there is no need to be a purist about it. Make it to the taste you enjoy the most. In my case I like a heavy flavour but am not a big fan of Koicha’s texture. I usually put in 2 HEAVY scoops. Unless you are performing the ceremony or making it for guests, go with the flow and make it how you like it. It sure will last longer as usucha though! ;)
お茶を楽しもう！
Thanks Haruka for the explanation! There is a wonderful woman who teaches tea ceremony at my school, but her class filled up quickly so I didn’t get a chance to sign up for it.
I agree with you, I think if you’re making tea for yourself, you might as well make it as you like it. I use the chasen because I like my tea frothy, but I’m not going to make fun of someone if they don’t use one. Not to mention, chasen/chashaku/bowl/sifter can be hard to find unless you order online or have a specialty store nearby.
(And yay, I think I understood the last part…you wrote “o-cha wo tanoshimou/Let’s enjoy tea!” right? My kanji is really bad so sorry if I’m reading that incorrectly!)
your reading is correct.
;)