I was very excited to get this tea from Ian to try out. I’ve been eying it for a while due to it’s low cost and the fact that it is organic (a big plus for me). It seemed like a good everyday sencha. I have to say, I was not disappointed.
The dry leaf, although not super uniform, is a beautiful deep green. The aroma is fresh, grassy, and slightly sweet. After the water hits the leafs they turn into your typical wet tea leaf. A mixture of different shades of light and dark green. The aroma of the wet leaf is slightly sweeter than the dry. The liquor is a beautiful yellow, almost green. The yellow is much more prominent. The aroma of the liquor is light. Nothing too strong.
The taste is that of an average sencha. There is nothing that stands out, besides that it tastes good. It is grassy, sweet, and slightly astringent all at the same time. There are hints of umami, but nothing overwhelming like a gyokuro. Overall just a very good average sencha. Something I will certainly be adding to my everyday drink rotation due to the excellent price.
Ratings (from 0-10)
7 – Dry Leaf Appearance
7 – Dry Leaf Smell
7 – Wet Leaf Appearance
8 – Wet Leaf Smell
7 – Liquor Appearance
5 – Aroma
7 – Taste
10 – Value (Is this taste, aroma, and overall experience worth the cost.)
= 65
Rating Multipliers
0.5 – Dry Leaf Appearance
0.5 – Dry Leaf Smell
0.5 – Wet Leaf Appearance
0.5 – Wet Leaf Smell
0.5 – Liquor Appearance
3.5 – Aroma
3.5 – Taste
0.5 – Value (Is this taste, aroma, and overall experience worth the cost.)
Flavors: Grass, Sweet, Umami