Rishi Tea

I really like this tea! LOTS of flavor. Sure it’s more expensive than many others, but it’s worth it. Will definitely buy again. Love the combination of Sencha and Matcha. Great quality.

So I have this pile of Rishi samples that I picked up when I ordered another of the glass steeper that I like to use (they call it a “Simple Brew Teapot”, it’s like a French press but the strainer disc doesn’t plunge down). I’ve been trying to just clear out small lingering samples and things lately, so going to try to drink at least one of these a day until they’re gone.

To be honest, this mostly just smells like turmeric. Thankfully, the taste is not nearly as potent as the aroma. It is definitely turmeric-forward, and the ginger is noticeable as well. There’s a mellow fruitiness, but honestly I was hoping for more, given the list of ingredients? It’s not specifically mango to my palate, though I do pick up on the pineapple. Sort of just turmeric and ginger with a mild fruity sweetness to it. Fine and drinkable, but nothing super special. I wish I could taste more mango, the lime, and the jasmine.

Gongfu!

Today, I’m sipping on some Genmaicha while keeping cozy indoors. It’s Thanksgiving (in Canada) today, but also really grey and drizzly outdoors so something toasty and warm seemed appropriate as an interlude to some of the more decadent, spiced and otherwise Autumnal feeling teas I’ve been drinking the rest of this long weekend. I’m brewing with water just off a rolling boil and very, very flash steeps for more of the nutty and roasted brown rice notes and less of the green tea, my personal preference when it comes to a standard Genmaicha such as this one. Hope everyone else celebrating today is staying warm and drinking good tea!

(A quick note that this is a backlogged tasting note – so a belated Thanksgiving post.)

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBHR3UhSDTI/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl18B1E09h0

Thanks to Kaylee for sharing some of this!! I mixed it with cold milk, and it was definitely interesting! Sometimes it tastes like celery, which isn’t my favorite. Other times, I could really taste a tart flavor that’s reminiscent of sour candy. I had passionfruit a few days ago, so it’s pretty fresh in my mind, and it’s not exactly the same, but I can definitely feel the direction it’s going!

I enjoy green teas but Rishi Matcha Super Green is a BIG NOPE for me. First of all the IMAGE posted on steepster that shows longish thin needle shaped tea is NOT at all what this stuff looks like in the tea bag so I don’t think this is processed like sencha maybe it’s some kind of leftover product from food grade matcha who knows. The shape of the leaf in the teabags are irregular shaped bits NOT long in anyway but triangular broken bit so who knows that is going on in reality. So, I haven’t been tea shopping in a long time, well over a year. When I saw the boxes of Rishi teas I was skeptical because you know there is so much marketing in everything. I was looking forward to trying it and I tasted it tonight. It was underwhelming and disappointing in flavor and scent.
POSITIVES: The tea leaf is GREEN and not stale brown or yellow.
NEGATIVES: Well, I’ve had better sencha with “matcha?”
To my tastebuds this is just lacking in flavor it tastes like dirty water with a slice of radish in it. If I use my imagination… well even if I use my imagination I am not finding a sweet note, I am not tasting a grassy note, I am smelling a slight grass scent if I stick my face into the cup. It is also quite bitter and I did not overbrew it… I’ve made green tea quite a bit. The broken leaf shape in the tea bags do NOT look like longish sencha leaf which I tend to see on better tea. Sorry but everything about this was disappointing and the box cost $10.00 for a few teabags. I’m going to say this is all marketing nonsense like usual for Americans who have not had really good tea. Rating it harshly. Looking between 1 point and 35 points I am only going to rate it a 1 because frankly I don’t want to waste my money on this it feels a bit of a scam almost. I will NOT buy it ever again and I would NOT give it to someone as a gift. Tea like this makes me want to NOT try any more teas at this price. I don’t see where I can post photos but if I can perhaps I will add a photo of the tea leaf later.

Smooth, not too floral. Medium body.

Excellent daily green tea, with a soft, almost sweet green taste. Like very fresh garden peas.

You know how when you wait a long time for something, it’s hard to be sure that the thing will be as good as you’d hoped? I waited a year to get my hands on this tea. Kelly and Marika spoke so highly of it on GeekSteep that I really wanted to try it!

And you know what? It lived up to the hype! This tea is really, really good. It’s got such a wonderful passionfruit flavor to it -sweet and tart – on a base that complements it perfectly. I got sidetracked with life and the second cup cooled off, which resulted in a pretty different (and still delicious) flavor profile. Cold, it’s not as fruity. The thick mouthfeel and dark honey notes of the base tea come out more. The sweetness here reminds me so much of a bug-bitten tea, although as far as I can tell it isn’t one? Really looking forward to playing with this more. Thanks to Kelly and Marika for the remarkably good recommendation!

Exceptionally smooth! Maybe a little roasted nutty creamy with some vague, airy almost floral, almost aquatic blue-green quality. A shaded pocket of water lillies? Energy is strong, permeating; it is seemless with and complements my own. The powder is moist and oh so soft and fine. It whisks with ease and creates strong foam qquickly. Particles do not precipitate out of suspension.

Expensive but clearly excellent. This might be my favorite matcha.

Happy this turned out well yesterday for my boyfriend’s brother and his fiancee. Especially so for her since all her matcha experiences had been notsogood up to that point.

Had this hot with a little bit of milk – nice and strongly brewed. It was a very nice English Breakfast with a lot of really rich, robust malt and biscuit type flavours and almost a caramel-like undertone. Made me think a little bit of Lotus Biscuits, like what would traditionally be dunked in a nice cup of tea – but, like, “pre-done” in tea form. Really hit the spot.

An elixir, for sure. I don’t know what to think. I’m not too fond of the smell but I really like ginseng and schisandra for some reason, so I drink. This second serving from the sample packet has too much licorice root. If peppermint weren’t a part of this healthy hag recipe, I don’t know that I’d enjoy it as begrudgingly as I do.

I got a sampler envelope of this with my Rishi order. I like it, it’s a great everyday green tea. Grassy, vegetal, fairly mild in flavor. I would buy this on a future order.

Very, very classic tasting peppermint tea. Nice and strong with a super cooling sensation in the back of the chest after each sip. Only real downside is that the finish was a little more muddied tasting, and lacked the crispness I’ve tasted in other straight peppermint. That’s very nit-picky of me though – it’s a perfectly fine peppermint tea overall.

I’m cold. It’s cold outside. Need a cup of something. This was lying on the counter and I’m feeling lazy. Though honestly I feel like I should save this for when I get sick. This is a perfect waaabam for hitting those colds right in the face. The dry aroma is a zinger of ginger. Oooo wee. Yup. GINGER! The turmeric is there to but it’s subdued like an understudy for a Broadway play.

TTB tea! This was spicy and dirty tasting. It wasn’t that great. There was way too much licorice, so it was weirdly sweet. It was better with some soy milk.

A solidly good Earl Grey that I enjoy drinking. Wish it had a little more bergamot.

Really like this tea! It’s not showy, but it is what I expect from Earl Grey. Perhaps a bit more bergamot? I am drinking this every morning now, competing with my husband.

A bit less round and greener Rooibos flavor than the BK Tea Rooibos Chai. Thinner midpalate too. Some licorice sweetness, but an accompanying, slightly off putting seaweed taste.

Little soapy/perfumy. Spicy.

A little much cinnamon bark. Not their best. The straight Kapoor Tulsi is much better.

Ugh, just can’t do this

Bright/neon green liquor. Very fresh, grassy. Not bad, but not my style.

Red berry fruit, hibiscus, rosehip layer beautifully over the earthy ginseng. Taste is really good. This is a superb elixir.