Man I was ready to write off this tea because it had been so dismal but today I casually steeped the last few grams at work and it was unexpectedly good. It’s amusing – and a little perplexing – how the most meticulous gongfu setup at home, right down to precise weight and water temperature, sometimes gives inferior results compared to just winging it at the office. On a side note, please ignore the brewing directions on the package. Any sencha steeped for 3 minutes will be terribly bitter.
Anyway, the first steep was lip smacking good. Wonderfully sweet throughout and balanced umami. Notes of spinach and fresh grass transitioning to a crisp lingering grape-like sweetness. Easily better than the pricier shinchas I’ve had this year. But subsequent steeps are a reminder of why this is a budget tea. The second steep had a generic sencha flavor and almost all of the flavor was washed out in the third infusion leaving behind a sulfur like taste.
So yeah, pretty good for a one and done kind of tea.
Flavors: Grapes, Sweet, Warm Grass, Umami
