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Cameron B. drank Kamairicha Issin by Nio Teas

4278 tasting notes

Nio Teas Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 20

Ooh, something a bit different for day 20! I’m familiar with kamairicha, but I haven’t tried many of them. The leaves are pan-fried, similar to some Chinese green teas, which is not normally part of the processing for a sencha. The little curly leaves are so cute!

Yum, it’s quite nice. I definitely get a little bit of the toastiness of the pan-frying, it adds such a nice warmth around the edges. Otherwise it’s quite vegetal, with somewhat intense squashy notes and a touch of the ubiquitous spinach. Very nutty as well, almost like a sobacha, and it has a thick and creamy texture that’s so restorative in this cold weather. It reminds me of drinking some kind of vegetable broth, but with the additional toasty grainy nutty flavors.

Really loving this cuppa tonight! I’ll have to look into trying more kamairicha in the future… :)

Flavors: Broth, Creamy, Grain, Kabocha, Roasted, Smooth, Spinach, Squash, Thick, Toasted Rice, Toasty, Umami, Vegetable Broth, Vegetal, Wheat

Preparation

160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 0 sec 5 g 5 OZ / 150 ML

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2 comments

LuckyMe
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Kamairicha is so underrated!

Cameron B.
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It seems so! I’ll have to keep an eye out for them. :D

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Comments

LuckyMe
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Kamairicha is so underrated!

Cameron B.
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It seems so! I’ll have to keep an eye out for them. :D

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 157

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing