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Lion drank Soba Cha Deep Roast by Steepster

306 tasting notes

Forwent my gaiwan for this one in favor of a western style teapot.

The scent of the dry buckwheat berries is exactly like puffed wheat cereal (In the USA, think Golden Crisp, Honey Smacks, etc.) It also reminds me a bit of roasted soy nuts. What surprised me is how mellow this tea is. I was expecting an in-your-face experience like my last run-in with Houjicha.

The taste is pretty straightforward. Roasted, nutty, bready, grainy. The one element of the flavor that I wasn’t expecting is there is a sweet floral note above all the darker flavors. It is evident in both the taste and aroma. I’m not sure what type of flowers to compare it to. Maybe dandelions?

Either way, I really enjoyed this tea. I have to love that Steepster Select educates us by sending regional teas that are well known in their area, but many people outside have never heard of. Now I just need to go put some soba noodles and Worcestershire in the skillet! This tisane would pair wonderfully with them!

Edit: Tried it. Awesome. thumbs up

Flavors: Bread, Nuts, Roasted Barley

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 12 OZ / 350 ML

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Hi there, fellow tea lovers.

My name’s Lion and I’m a Gongfu Cha practitioner, so I usually brew with a gaiwan for reviews unless there’s a more suitable brewing method, like using Japanese teawares for Japanese teas. I tend to stick to straight loose teas and scented teas in general, seldom dabbling in herbal and flavored teas. My favorite tea is Kenyan Silver Needle.

Aside from tea, I’m a generally creative person. I love to cook, write fiction, draw, decorate, garden, and do just about anything creative I can get my paws on.

Animals are really important to me. I’m a lion at heart, and I strive to better understand, respect, and appreciate other animals as best as I can. I advocate for better stewardship of wildlife and captive animals. We’ve still got a lot to learn.

For a long time I rated every tea I tried, but these days I don’t rate them unless they’re exceptional and deserving of a high rating. Here’s my rating breakdown for my reviews with ratings:

0 = Unpalatable, harsh
25 = Unenjoyable
50 = I’m indifferent
75 = Enjoyable, average
90+ = The best, would buy more
100 = Incredible, a favorite