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“This came in my recent order with Mellow Monk so I thought I’d try it out today… This was steeped for around 90 seconds at approx. 170F (I was guesstimating) Ooooh, I really like this! A light...” Read full tasting note
“I’m not normally a fan of Japanese green tea, but I picked this one up on a whim. It is very mild and not too vegital, so it has been a very enjoyable tea for me. It took a few tries for me to brew...” Read full tasting note
“Quite vegetal (think buttered steamed asparagus) on the first infusion, and mildly astringent after that. Surprisingly flavourful and long-lasting for a karigane! First infusion – 5 g. per 8 oz...” Read full tasting note
“The white stems of the leaf are left attached and it has a unique overtone that I can’t quite describe… Perhaps ‘herbal’? As of late November (last night, actually) this tea was renamed from...” Read full tasting note
Monk’s Bliss™ is a shiraore, luscious sencha green tea with some white stems. That, plus a slightly different tea-crafting technique, results in a completely different tea—a rich, thick mouthfeel, a dry texture, and a surprising smooth, lightly tasty flavor. This tea is always first flush—made from the first harvest of spring leaves.
In Aso, this tea is often given as a gift on occasions like New Year’s or as an ochugen, or summer gift.
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This came in my recent order with Mellow Monk so I thought I’d try it out today…
This was steeped for around 90 seconds at approx. 170F (I was guesstimating)
Ooooh, I really like this! A light green sencha with white stems. My tea liquor is a light chartreuse color. This is exceedingly mild and mellow, perhaps because of the white stems? It ha a definite brothy, vegetal tone with slight notes of seaweed and a sweet finish with a tad bit of astringency, a slight grapefruit element here.
I’m a big fan of Japanese green teas and this one is really nice! Mellow Monk describes it as luscious and I would agree. It just kind of rolls around on your tongue in a delightful manner. One of my favorite senchas to date.
I’m not normally a fan of Japanese green tea, but I picked this one up on a whim. It is very mild and not too vegital, so it has been a very enjoyable tea for me. It took a few tries for me to brew it correctly, so be careful. It is easy to over steep.
Quite vegetal (think buttered steamed asparagus) on the first infusion, and mildly astringent after that. Surprisingly flavourful and long-lasting for a karigane!
First infusion – 5 g. per 8 oz water, 60 deg., 45 sec.
Second infusion – 5 g. per 8 oz. water, 60 deg., 1:30 min.
Third infusion – 5 g. per 5 oz. water, 60 deg., 10+ min.
The white stems of the leaf are left attached and it has a unique overtone that I can’t quite describe… Perhaps ‘herbal’?
As of late November (last night, actually) this tea was renamed from “Monk’s Bliss” to “Frosty Garden.” I assumed this was done to help others differentiate between it and Mellow Monk’s “Blissful Buds.”
I really do wish I liked green teas. Ugh, I just don’t.
Flavors: Bitter, Metallic
The way you feel about green tea, is how I feel about black tea!
I’m glad I’m not the only one! I always feel like such a bad tea drinker because I don’t appreciate everything.
Everybody’s tastes are different!
I strongly dislike heavily roasted oolong. Every now and then I try one again to see if my tastes have changed but they’re generally a lot of “burnt floral” nopes. :)
Oolongs aren’t my favorite either, but if I’m drinking one I prefer the roasted type to a greener oolong. And don’t even get me started on white teas. Seems like we might be on different teams! :D
This is my favorite tea. Having tried several others from mellow monk this one gives the best headbuzz of them all and long lasting for me on 1 cup. The “monks bliss” is accurate description I believe, it’s a relaxed yet alert feeling. I’ve tried: Kuma green, ASO black, Top Leaf etc. This one has both the best flavor and effects for me. can easily be brewed 2-3 x.
Flavors: Asparagus, Creamy, Floral, Rice, Seaweed, Smooth, Vegetal
I like this tea. It has an interesting taste. It has a green veggie taste and it is slightly salty. The liquid is a bright green and it is kind of thick. This tea seems a little picky with the water temperature. The flavor gets more balanced with the second and third steeping.
~2 tsp for 80ml; loose-mesh stainless steel strainer in small ceramic cup
Dry leaf warmed in cup. Delicious, complex, and full smell of sweet grass.
Changed up the parameters a bit—greater ratio of tea, even lower temperatures. It is interesting trying to find an ideal brewing process with this tea, as it seems fairly forgiving.
01 (1m30s; 155F): Very full flavor and velvety feel, though not overwhelming or bitter. The attack has a flavor that’s somewhere between salty and umami (possibly, not sure about my sense of umami). Perhaps a little too high of a ratio on this steeping, as the mouth notes were a bit muddled together. However, the finish was impressively long in the mouth—I had to run a quick errand after finishing this cup and each breath of unseasonably warm, humid air gave me an opportunity to consider many of the flavors which were more difficult to discern while drinking.
02 (20s; 155F): Much less muddled, as I compensated by steeping a little more water, perhaps a bit short too. Nice sweet and grassy notes, though a less velvety feel and little to no salt/umami.
03 (50s; 155F): Still tasty, very similar to 02.
04 (2m; 160F): You know …
Oh! I haven’t tried this one! Sounds awesome tho!!!
It is!
I thought this might be a blended Sencha, but doesn’t appear to be. Sounds awesome!! Glad you enjoy it Amy. :))
On my list! There’s something about drinking sencha that makes you feel fantastic, you know?
@Kwinter – YES!
Don’t get me wrong, I love Chinese green tea, but Japanese tea is just so FRESH and full of life!
I do not like Chinese green tea nearly as much as Japanese green tea.
Same here now that I think about it haha. The only Chinese greens I’ve had that I really loved are jasmine pearls and dragonwell, and I have to be in the right mood for them.
Well, then, we might have to have you try the cloud and mist or the valley peak. I visited both these farms when in China. Pretty dang great! When you two come for tea tomorrow afternoon, we’ll make some :)
Garret – I do like your Valley Peak quite a lot!
That’s right! I remember that now. You’re still invited for tea tomorrow, though :) We will drink some of the new mandala raw cakes that are just arriving. I have them up on the site. 3 new 100grammers. Time for bed here in MN! My early morning run comes a lot earlier when I get to bed this late! Have a great night, my friend!!