I wasn’t sure what to expect from this tea, but I really really enjoyed it. Definitely one I will be purchasing again in greater volume.
The dry leaf appeared in a variety of sizes. The color, however, was a uniform deep deep green as should be expected from a fukamushi. The aroma of the dry leaf is hard to describe. I want to call it deeply green, but that is more visual the related to smell. Nevertheless, that is what comes to mind. It was sweetly vegetal with hints of hay, but overall I would choose to describe it as deeply green.
The first steep of 5g in 1cup of water at 160 degrees for 30 seconds was not initially impressive. The wet leaf was average. The aroma of the leaf was slightly better. The aroma was strongly reminiscent of kale, spinach, and other bitter greens. The liquor, however, started to stand out. It has the appearance of a beautiful lime green color with lots of suspended leaf, even through my fairly fine strainer. The aroma was bitter, reminiscent of kale and bitter greens again.
The taste, however, was very much redeeming. It was simply very well balanced. It has a very light bitterness balanced with a sweetness and an astringent aftertaste. It is all things combined into one sip. Overall highly enjoyable.
Ratings (from 0-10)
6 – Dry Leaf Appearance
8 – Dry Leaf Smell
6 – Wet Leaf Appearance
7 – Wet Leaf Smell
8 – Liquor Appearance
7 – Aroma
8 – Taste
7 – Value (Is this taste, aroma, and overall experience worth the cost.)
= 73.5 = 74
Rating Multipliers
0.5 – Dry Leaf Appearance
0.5 – Dry Leaf Smell
0.5 – Wet Leaf Appearance
0.5 – Wet Leaf Smell
0.5 – Liquor Appearance
3.5 – Aroma
3.5 – Taste
0.5 – Value (Is this taste, aroma, and overall experience worth the cost.)
Flavors: Bitter, Green, Hay, Kale
