Rishi Tea

This tea was a light black. It was also very slightly sweet reminiscent of an Oolong yet with the distinctive Darjeeling taste. There was also a slight metallic taste. I was surprised that I liked the second flush more. There weren’t as many things to note in this tea.

I made this for my dad and myself after he dropped me off at my apartment and was so kind as to purchase the stuff for me. Back to school soon, blagh. Having this straight up because, I don’t have any milk right now so the traditional preparation is out. This is nice, it’s spiced, but not too spicy. I was a bit worried that it might be overwhelming but it really isn’t. It seems to be getting sweeter as it cools off too. It seems to have a sort of stick-to-your-ribs vibe about it. Like it’s filling. I’m sure it would seem even more filling with milk and sugar in it as well.

I bought this at my local health foods store for only 2.05 per ounce. I like this Earl Grey. It has a classic taste and I think it tastes best with 1/2 tsp raw cane sugar. I like Twinings better, but I will buy this again.

Morning tea has to be different than tea throughout the day, don’t you think? It has to be a spot on. Freshly brushed teeth, empty stomach… It just sets the tone. I’ve seen the Rishi brand around a lot so I picked some up to give it a try. I have to say as a morning tea, this was a letdown. It’s not bad, it’s just mainstream. It’s good wholesome tea, but nothing special.

It’s like… a tea, that can’t decide if it wants to be Sencha, or Houjicha!

I like it. It’s very good. However, I would choose both Sencha or Houjicha over the Bancha. Just a personal preference I suppose! Sencha for savoury, Houjicha for roasty. Yum yum yum.

One word: UMAMI.

Only I like to say like this: UuuuuuuuuuuuuuuMAMI!!!!!!

That’s the way… uh huh, uh huh… I liiiiiike it! Uh huh, Uh huh…

Mmmmmmm… this tea. A green tea, but a beautiful amber infusion, and a lovely roasty flavour. And when I say roasty – I mean it in the best possible way! The PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO SO MANY MEALS.

If you’re entertaining, and you’re unsure of which tea to serve with the meal, Genmaicha and Houjicha are always a safe, yet impressive route to take!

And as I will often claim, Rishi provides the best I’ve found in both categories. The look, the smell, the big leaves, the infusion colour… it’s like I can taste Japan…

… and Japan tastes good. REAL GOOD. :)

Bancha…without doubt a lower quality of tea which is drunk in Japan during meals. Therfore the aromas are kept quite simple as the tea should not overpower one’s sushi or sashimi.

It is loosing it’s flavor very quickly and never lasts more then 3 brews.

Lacking of personality but a must in a Japanese household.

Very interesting flavors. But certainly not everyones cup of tea…

Seems to me that the rice grains truly develop there aroma not earlier than during the third brew…thats why I steep it in a small tea pot and combine 4 brews in one big pot. That allows me to enjoy all aspects of this versatile blend within one cup.
I prefer Genmaicha in the afternoons…standing alone, not necessarily in combination with food.

Was a bit disappointed as I read that the Japanese growers put so much effort on the plants…

I very mild green tea. Strength of the grassy taste can be adjusted by water temperature and -quality.

I will keep trying but still prefer a strong cup of sencha if I would have to make a choice on Japanese tea.

Spring is starting to show up. Finally. There was even non-white and fluffy precipitation today so yay! But even though my mood has taken an upswing with the weather, I find myself gravitating towards heavier, non-spring-like teas today. Like this one.

This tea is not springy. This tea is too rich and darkly decadent to be springy. Crisp, mature, fresh and sweet. More like very early fall than something that matches what is outside right now. But I don’t care. It may not be seasonally appropriate, but it is good. So that works for me.
4g/8oz

Today this smells like brown sugar and grass. No no, that’s a good thing. Tastes sweet and mellow and green. It will make me sad to go back to drinking Jade Cloud once I’m done with this one. Probably need to go back to the 4min steep time, though, since this is just a hair too light.
4g/8oz

I had to up the rating just a squidge because this? Is just so good. Sweetly nutty, floral and just a great delicate but powerful flavor. Mmm.
4.1g/8oz

I’m a bit at loose ends tonight because my evening activity, a hockey game, doesn’t start until 9pm central. So I’m waiting and kind of being unproductive. So I thought I’d do something semi-productive and try a new tea!

Such pretty pretty leaves. Curly and colorful and pretty. I’m a little stuffy so I’m not getting much of anything off the dry leaves, but as soon as I poured hot water over them, I got a poof of sweet greeness. It reminds me a bit of Jade Cloud, but sweeter.

Oh but the taste. It’s a bit like Jade Cloud – a lot of the same tastes, but tweaked and rebalanced until this is so much better. It’s sweet and there is no salty/briny taste at all. And the aftertaste has a light nutty flavor. Not faint nutty, but a lighter colored/tasting nut.

So yeah, overall this tea is very similar to Jade Cloud. But better. Mmm.

I needed something caffeine free last night and this fit all the parameters. I used up what was left to make a nice, big hot mug of “tea”. I’m not re-ordering, but I do need to remember to keep some caffeine free options in the cupboard!

So much better than the last time I tried it. I used more of the “tea” and steeped for a good long time. (It’s not like you can oversteep fruit tisanes anyway, right?)

This time it has a strong fruit flavor along with an earthiness that is very appealing. I’m changing the rating a bit to reflect the goodness of today’s tasting.

This is good, but seems a little weak. I’m thinking that I needed to use more tea. I know I brewed it long enough!!

I have a lot of other fruit teas that I like better, but I’ll definitely finish the pouch I have.

So fresh and so clean (clean).

Completely deserving of accolade, this tea has substantial depth . . . really just a delicious, perfectly constructed green tea that is brothy, full bodied and generously graced with pieces of yuzu.

What we have is a concoction that must be tasted to be believed.

This is such an easy tea to reach for when you’re in the mood for an easy to enjoy experience. Smooth flavor, a little hint of sweetness and just a touch of smokey accents mix together to form an impressive flavor that’s the perfect start to a cold winter morning.

This tea redefines what a smooth, semi-sweet black tea should taste like.

The leaves are a beautiful golden color, and the tea actually turns out a lot darker than you’d expect based on the color of the leaves. Once steeped, there are hints of sweetness in the aroma, though the true flavor really comes out in the first few sips. While not a ‘hit you in the face with flavor’ type tea, the sweet tones and hints of honey and caramel create a subtle yet complex flavor that’s hard to disagree with. With a four minute steep, there is no bitterness, which creates a really smooth flavor that can be savored and enjoyed. The finish is equally enjoyable, with a sweetness that lasts from sip to sip. Definitely a winner that’s worthy of the ‘best black tea’ distinction.

The best Darjeeling tea I’ve had to date. I went to Temple Coffee and Tea in Sacramento and wasn’t sure if I should try the 1st flush Darjeeling or the 2nd. Sounds like a no brainer; go for the 1st, right? But I wanted to try to taste the muscatel note that it claims to have. So . . .
The first sip was so good. It was crisp and refreshing, lighter, and not astringent like other Darjeeling teas I’ve had. Now I finally understand why they call Darjeeling tea the champagne of tea. I just had to have a good one to understand it. Super good, I hope to add it to my cupboard.