3 Tasting Notes
A crisp, simple blend that works beautifully as a staple white tea. Blueberry is in my opinion the ultimate fruit pairing for a white tea, as the grassy flavors of the tea naturally complement the more earthy tartness of blueberries. This allows the blueberry whites to maintain an earthy profile while also allowing a tease of sweetness through. That’s my opinion, at least, as I’ve always found the citrus varieties to be overpoweringly sweet.
This white is no exception. It is subtle as you would expect from white tea, and is refreshing both iced and hot. There are higher quality teas out there, but for the price this is an excellent white to keep stocked on a regular basis. I think the flavor could be more complex (leaves with a nuttier profile, for instance), and the blueberry is more aromatic than anything, but that is the best I can do to criticize it.
Preparation
This isn’t the world’s greatest tea or anything, but it’s a reliable blend that’s commonly available. I keep it stocked for when I want to relieve a bit of stress at work but don’t have the time or energy to brew loose leaf. The flavors are nicely balanced between chamomile and rose hips, but it’s hard to taste much else in this. My favorites of similar blends leave a nice, citrusy mint mouthfeel which this fails to do. It works in a pinch though and is still pleasing overall.
Preparation
My first matcha after my fiancee ordered a chawan, chasen, and chashaku for Christmas. I’ve had this about 3 times now, the first 2 times unsifted. The 3rd time I was able to work up a light but thick froth that made the experience quite enjoyable. I think this is an appropriate beginner’s matcha. The flavor profile is slightly sweet with an underlying earthiness you would expect from green tea. It is not overly complex and really helps to bring you into matcha.
