Smile Tea

Sipdown! (56 | 186)

Finishing off this sample packet that was so kindly gifted to me!

I’m lazy today. So I steeped this as I would any other tea, instead of in a kyusu as I normally do for sencha. What can I say, it still tastes good! XD

Anyway! Definitely getting more intensity out of this one today, as I steeped it longer than usual. Powerful steamed spinach notes are the main focus, with just a hint of pleasant bitterness underneath. There is some creaminess here as well, and a light grassy freshness. Some sweetness comes out at the end of the sip, as well as the taste of green apple skins and a light cucumber note. I love that green apple aftertaste, it’s so refreshing!

I feel like I always describe sencha the same way, and I need to get one of those aroma wheels to help me out and pull me out of my comfort zone.

Also, the sediment at the bottom of my cup is very clearly shaped like a clawed hand. Well, at least it’s not the Grim, right…?

This tea was gifted to me for review.

I did 3 steeps at 160°F – 60s, 15s, and 45s.

This was much lighter and mellower than I was expecting for a shaded tea. I did use a new (to me) kyusu, so it’s possible I misjudged the amount of water. But it was still very pleasant! Smooth and slightly sweet with vegetal spinach and umami notes. Not as much intensity as I generally find in shaded sencha, but also no bitterness to speak of. There was a nice crisp and refreshing green apple skin note toward the end of the sip that I really enjoyed. I actually found that same note in their matcha, which is interesting…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMdS-HHAEBj/

Sipdown! (33 | 163)

Oops, so apparently I never wrote a note for this one. Luckily I did do an Instagram post on it, so I have the notes from that!

The powder has a gorgeous vibrant green color and fresh scent. It whisked up well and the stunning color continues in the prepared matcha!

This matcha has a delicious fresh flavor with a good balance of clean grassiness and richer umami and vegetal flavors. There’s a light sakura note and a crispiness at the end of the sip that reminds me of green apples. It’s also quite smooth, with a bit of pleasant bitterness. My only criticism is that there were some larger leaf particles that sank to the bottom of my chawan, even though I sifted the matcha.

So today, I’m finishing this sample off in oat milk. I had originally planned to make 12 ounces, but there was quite a bit more matcha left in the packet than I expected, so I ended up having to add more oat milk, ha ha. So giant oatmilk matcha latte it is! :P

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLVWf7NgDj6/