Mm, Sweet Roast Green. If Pokemon were iced tea, this would be a legendary. There was a huge batch for a party this week, and it was GONE before I could get a refill.
The leaves are fragmented, not a quality defect but a result of roasting. And what delicious roasting it is, producing a sweet-tart, and slightly toasty green tea with hints of pineapple and seaweed. The tartness is in the flavor and in the texture, with a strong, pleasant tingle especially when brewed hot (then cooled, if making iced tea). Absolutely no astringency or bitterness here, even when subjected to boiling temperatures in the way that I like to torture green tea sometimes (FOR SCIENCE).
And so easy to make too, it doesn’t take more than a short half minute to extract flavor from it, but it will take a beating too. Most interesting: that slight pineapple and marine character. Might be a consistent trait of the Hawaiian region. Go go US-grown tea!!
Flavors: Nutty, Pineapple, Seaweed, Sweet, Warm Grass, Tart
I have yet to try Hawaiian tea and I really want to try it pretty badly. That will go on my wish list right away! Love your review.
If tea reviewers were Pokemon you’d be a mythical.