ShiZen Tea

Sipdown! (10 | 331)

Finishing off this packet from an Instagram swap. I prepared it cold brew, just shaken with ice and cold water.

It’s quite good really. I happen to love genmaicha hot and iced, so this is sort of like a more concentrated version. It has a lovely pronounced nuttiness from the toasted rice, and the matcha gives the green tea base a bit more body and umami.

I think Obubu has a powdered version of their genmaicha, I may have to try it sometime. And really, I should cold brew some genmaicha next because it’s so tasty cold. ❤

Another one that I’m trying from my swap!

I prepared this as an iced latte with oat milk and just a touch of sweetener. I’ve never had a genmaicha latte before, but it’s tasty enough. I will say, I’m surprised at how much bitterness I’m tasting given this is essentially a cold brew. Not sure if the bitterness is from the green tea in the genmaicha powder, or the matcha, but it’s a bit distracting.

I think next time I’ll have to try this cold brewed!

The dry leaf for this tea might be a bit intimidating for some. Not as strong as some lapsang or genmaicha I’ve smelled, but it is a slightly funky, earthy, and straw-like scent. The brewed tea is much more mild and smells almost like roasted corn. I was afraid this tea would be similar to barley tea (mugicha), which for some reason I don’t like the taste of, but I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of this tea when brewed. It stood up to a nice long brewing of 3 minutes since it is less fragile than a non-roasted green tea. There is absolutely no bitterness, astringency, or even the slight acidity that regular green teas can sometimes have. It does inherit the grassiness and smooth buttery finish of a high quality green tea. The finish is sweet and smooth, reminding me of a non-salted version of those grocery snack corn nuts. The after taste has a bit of tannin that reminds me of oolong teas served in restaurants to help with digestion, but it is more of a nostalgic reminder and does not affect the overall taste of the tea at all.

Backlog:

I love ShiZen’s teas. I really enjoyed their tea powders, those were great for on the go. I would bring them with me on days when my daughter needed me to be at her dance school pretty much all day for rehearsals and such, because I could enjoy a bottle of green tea without all the sugar of the stuff you’d buy at the convenience store.

Earlier this year, they introduced a line of loose leaf teas and I’ve also really enjoyed those. They have two different Senchas. I previously reviewed their Superior Sencha: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/06/02/organic-sencha-superior-green-tea-from-shi-zen/ and this tasting note is for their Everyday Sencha: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/07/31/organic-sencha-green-tea-from-shi-zen/

Both of these offerings are organic, and I like that. This Sencha is not quite as sweet as the Superior. It tastes a bit like young, tender, lightly buttered lima beans. A hint of savory bitterness offers some contrast for the palate. This one has become a favorite for mealtime.

Backlog:

It’s been a while since I last posted which has put me even further behind. Ack!

I love Houjicha tea. I love that sweet, roasty-toasty flavor and I love how the roasting of the green tea leaves transforms the flavor from a vegetal/floral taste to a sweeter, nutty flavor. Mmm!

So good! It’s a very autumnal taste (or as I describe in my full-length review of this tea – http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/07/13/organic-hojicha-roasted-green-tea-from-shi-zen/ – it’s like a warm, fluffy blanket in the winter.)

Sweet, mellow, roasty-toasty goodness with a delicious, caramel undertone.

Backlog:

Lovely! I love Genmaicha, and I generally like it even better when it’s been dusted with Matcha. The Matcha gives it a richness in texture and a deeper and sweeter flavor. It just makes it yummier.

Sort of like … ok, a cupcake is tasty, but it’s even better when it’s been filled and frosted. Like a lemon cupcake that hasn’t been frosted … it still tastes good, but when you fill it with lemon curd and then top it with a luscious creamy lemon cream cheese frosting it’s even better. It’s sort of like that only it’s not cupcakes, it’s genmaicha tea.

I think I shouldn’t listen to this song when I’m writing backlogs of my reviews because the reviews get kind of weird.

Anyway, this tea: delicious, roasty-toasty, nutty, sweet genmaicha that’s been dusted with a light coat of matcha that adds a sweet flavor and creamy texture to the cup. Oh, did I mention that it’s also organic? Bonus points!

Read my full-length review here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/06/21/organic-genmaicha-with-matcha-green-tea-from-shi-zen/

Backlog:

An excellent Japanese Sencha. It is crisp and vibrant. Sweet with a slight savory tone that develops at mid-sip. This Japanese Sencha seems sweeter than many of the other Japanese Sencha teas that I’ve tried. I like that.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/06/02/organic-sencha-superior-green-tea-from-shi-zen/

A mild vegetal note, hints of butter and salty kelp. A nice balance between sweet and savory, with more emphasis on the sweet. A really good Sencha.

I have two of these straws, I believe they came from TeaTiff originally. I guess I’d just forgotten I had them because this is the first time I’ve tried one. There is no English on the packet, so I read the Steepster description to find out how much water I was supposed to use. I mixed it up in a glass with 16 ounces of water. I must say, the powder did not want to dissolve easily – I often have the same problem with Crystal Light mixes and that sort of thing. It would probably work better if it was done in a water bottle so it could be shaken. Eventually, it dissolved, but there is definitely a little layer of sediment at the bottom of the glass that settles after you stop stirring it.

The flavor is actually quite good. It tastes similar to a mild sencha – vegetal and somewhat grassy but with a little bit of natural sweetness. I could definitely see myself drinking these straws if I had a busier lifestyle and was out running errands or going to school a lot. They would be very convenient!

Backlog:

I’ve loved the different teas that I’ve tried from ShiZen. Prepared “traditionally” (as I would prepare Matcha), the surface of the tea was very fluffy and frothy.

This is also great served cold (measuring out a couple of scoops into a water bottle and shaking vigorously) – it’s a delicious alternative to the sugary RTD teas … LOVED it like this.

Creamy and sweet, notes of savory bitterness, and a delicious nutty background. Really good.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/11/12/organic-genmaicha-powder-with-matcha-from-shi-zen/

Backlog:

Yes I know that there is also an “organic” Japanese green tea powder from ShiZen, but they are different products.

I really like these green tea powder packets from Shi Zen. It makes tea on the go so easy. I don’t really care much for RTD teas … I mean, there are some that are alright, but, they are generally too sweet for my liking. These are just right. Just the right amount of natural sweetness, and I like that I’m tasting green tea and not the sugar, syrup and flavoring that is in most of the “to go” kind of tea drinks.

Tasty, sweet, vegetative … and after a good, vigorous shake, the tea powder stays incorporated in the water. No gritty sediment.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/08/27/pesticide-free-japanese-green-tea-powder-packets-from-shi-zen/

Backlog:

Even though this is not a matcha, I prepared it the same way I would a matcha, in my chawan, whisking it with my chasen. I was surprised at how much froth the powdered sencha produced! It resembled a high-quality matcha! Impressive!

Sweet, vegetative (this side of grassy) and buttery, with creamy notes, there is some bitterness to this, but I like it. It offers a nice contrast to the sweet notes and gives the overall bowl a sort of savory quality.

A very invigorating tea! Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/07/22/organic-green-tea-powder-from-shi-zen/

Backlog:

Different? Definitely! But different is good.

This Matcha froths up really nicely, it has a strong vegetative taste. What’s interesting about this Matcha is that it is actually blended with the powder of the cherry blossom leaf, so you get some authentic flavors there. This isn’t flavored via crystals or flavoring.

I really enjoyed it.

Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/07/12/sakura-komachi-green-tea-from-shi-zen/

Backlog:

I really like these green tea powder packets from ShiZen … it’s great for on the go. When we go for a road trip or something, I always put a few of these in my purse so that I can buy a bottle of water and have some green tea that doesn’t taste like the over-sweetened RTD teas that they sell at the convenience stores. With these, you just tear open the little pixie packet and pour the powder into the bottle and give it a really good shake, and wa-lah! Tea that tastes like tea not sugar.

Refreshing and invigorating.

Here’s my full-length review of it: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/07/03/japanese-organic-green-tea-powder-packets-from-shi-zen/

Incredibly creamy matcha! Lovely Cherry Blossom addition! A very unique and flavorful yet natural matcha offering. A pure delight! This matcha froths extremely nice, too! Two thumbs up!