Yunomi

I am eating the most delicious bread before I get into my tea. It is a Ciabatta that is baked with Feta cheese and Kalamata olives and it is to die for. I also gained enough points using Bing’s reward thingy (I do a lot of searches related to tea, no surprise there) to get a gift card for Amazon, so I bought a (used) book I have had my eye on. Read and Write Chinese by Rita Mei-Wah Choy, I like it because it is really well organized, has both Mandarin and Cantonese, and you can look up character by Chinese, English, and stroke count. It will be so useful for translation. It has been a good day and I am happy.

Today’s tea is Spring Sencha Teabags from Takeo Family Tea Farms and Yunomi.us. As I am sure you can glean from the name this tea is harvested in spring time (first harvest actually), but who wants to just stop at that little nugget of information. The tea was harvested in the Mie Prefecture, which is part of the Kansai region on the island of Honshu. This beautiful coastal prefecture is home to the Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) which is really high on my list of ‘must see places’ list. The aroma of this tea that is in a bag is faint but distinct. There are notes of gentle sweetness, spinach, and fresh grass. Primarily the aroma is more of a savory sencha quality than a sweet one with a very slight finishing note of fresh pine needles. Luckily I did not notice the teabag itself adding any aroma to the tea, it is always so annoying when I can smell bag.

Once the tea gets a steeping in some nice warm water the aroma becomes stronger and quite spring like blending vegetal spinach and grassy green with a bit of kelp. There is also a slightly sweet citrus finish as the teabag is pulled away from my questing nose. The liquid is quite sweet, smelling more like fresh hay than veggies of any sort. There is a very slight hint of kelp hiding under the hay.

The taste is at first that of kelp giving it an umami quality that is quite appealing, especially as it fades to a fresh grass sweetness in the aftertastes. Of course there is a midtaste in between, and it is a blend of spinach and kale, but without the bitter quality that kale has when raw. This tea is quite good for bagged tea and is, of course, the quality I expect from Yunomi.us. I received the teabag as a sample in a previous order and could see myself ordering more for when I travel or don’t feel like breaking out the Kyusu and making a big deal of drinking my Sencha.

For photos and blog: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/yunomius-and-takeo-family-tea-farm.html

I’m going to call this a sipdown since mom is having the last cup. Again, this is a really good cup. I think the best word for it is “mellow.” It’s a comforting taste that reminds me a little of houjicha but not as roasty.

This cup comes to me from Jennkay. Thank you! This one is nice and mellow. It’s a little sweet but not in a sugary way: more like in a fresh green beans way. Something about it is just relaxing, and I definitely recognize the flavor from the Bancha Houjicha I liked before. I think Bancha could earn a spot in my cabinet.

Hello again Steepster!

It’s been a while since I wrote anything here. But it’s been a cold winter and I have been drinking a lot of tea. The roasted lemongrass from Furyu and Yunomius has been an interesting thing to try at night, when I don’t want any caffeine. It’s roasted to have some of the same flavors as a hojicha, but it’s made out of lemongrass, not tea, so it is fruitier and, well, less tea-like. Definitely an interesting experience, and it’s pretty light, so the 10g packet goes longer than you might expect.

Sipdown (126)! I’m sad to see this one go, but at the same time, I don’t think I will miss it too much because I have so many other Japanese greens. I overleafed a bit (last of the sample) and steeped for under one minute in order to avoid bitterness with success! I’m not sure if it’s because I overleafed a bit, but it also has a very thick feel this morning. There is a hint of astringency, but it’s barely there. I’m actually more excited that I’m having a sipdown on Saturday Sample Sipdown! Maybe I’ll finally really participate and find some other teas that I can sip down… Time to go through my (physical) cupboard!

After tasting a bunch of new teas from the TTB, I wanted to wander back into familiar territory for a bit. I tend to love Japanese greens, so I came back to my sample of this tea. It was nicely savory and grassy at the same time, and I think I’m gonna bump up my rating of this a bit. I will say, though, to be careful because it can get very bitter quickly. I think I steeped for one or two minutes and it was fine, but I left the leaves in my teapot, and the rest of it got bitter. I added some more hot water to try to rectify the situation, but ended up making it too diluted. Anyway, keeping an eye on steeping the first time around seems to be the key here. Looks like I only have enough for one more go, so I’ll be sad to see it go.

I have a sample size of this from my last order from Yunomi that I’m finally getting around to. The dry leaf is very clumpy, which I didn’t realize was supposed to be the case until I read the description again about the tea leaves being “rolled”. It smelled grassy and a bit like hay. After steeping to a vibrant yellow-green, it tastes grassy and savory at the same time, if that makes any sense. It’s a nice cuppa, but not my favorite type of Japanese green.

Frank….. why? Why must you re-blend a bunch of awesome tea around the same time that I bought A&D shtuff and a Music Theory book that I needed. resists temptation internally The funny part is that I was thinking about how I wish I could have some Banana Foster Tea again. I guess I have to play the creeper and watch till the stock gets to low for now.

Tea

This was part of the 3 month free trail sampler from Yunomi.

STEEPS:
Steep 1: Classic smooth green taste, but with a bold roasted note and hints of mesquite.

Steep 2: Similar flavor as before but stronger and now has sweet undertones with hints of butter.

Steep 3: The butter flavor is not as present. The roasted mesquite not is stronger now and isn’t as sweet; there is also some mild woody spice notes

Steep 4*: Has a similar flavor as the second steep, but the roasted notes are stronger. There is a slight astringency and a light menthol like mint in the after taste.

OVERALL FLAVOR:

A nice sweet and slightly savory roasted Japanese green tea. It doesn’t have a strong smokey taste, but instead has hints of mesquite wood spice and a small undertone of mint; depending on how long you steep it.

Full review: http://tunesntea.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/tea-obubu-tea-10-houjicha-light-roast/

Guys, I think I have to replace my favorite teacup. Yes, the adorable small, clear glass one that I use all the time, because it has developed a white film around the rim and NOTHING I do will get rid of it. It is a mystery since none of the other glassware I use has this problem, I assume it was the dishwasher’s fault. Maybe sticking my 50 cent possibly from the 70s teacup in the dishwasher was not a good idea. Live and learn and off to the thrift store for a new one!

Today’s tea is Standard Gyokuro Tea from Yunomi.us and the Kurihara family, it is grown in the Fukuoko Prefecture in Southern Japan. Gyokuro (Jade Dew) is considered to be the finest of the Japanese Green teas and is grown in the shade, giving it a more delicate, balanced, and sweeter taste than teas like Sencha. This specific Gyokuro, also called Netsuyu Gyokuro, is shaded for a shorter period of time and so is not a premium Gyokuro. I figure this is a perfect place to start since this will be my first ever Gyokuro. The aroma is very green, like fresh grass and moisture, an odd description, but it reminded me of the way cut grass smells after a brief rain storm. There is also a touch of nuttiness and sweetness with an end note of sweet peas.

Once the leaves are steeped the aroma is still very green and sweet, but now there is a very faint kelp and sea air aroma as a delicate undertone. I can also detect delicate chestnut and fruity notes. Everything about the steeped leaves’s aroma is delicate and refreshing. The liquid a paradox, it is both delicate and rich mixing grass, kelp, and chestnuts while also being heady. I have never described a tea that was not floral as heady, but the way it knocked me off my figurative feet was certainly a heady response.

Even though the tasting notes from this tea are quite old (poor neglected notebook) I can still recall the bouncing around I did as I was waiting to taste this tea. Fun fact, Gyokuro has been on my ‘must try’ list since I was in high school (a decade ago, it doesn’t seem that long ago) and I could barely contain my excitement. The taste is a bit grassy and sweet like stone fruit, there is a touch of fresh kelp and a touch of spring dew. The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth and as it cools it becomes honey sweet. The flavors are incredibly subtle while being distinct.

Steeping a second time brings out more of the kelpy and grassy aroma and is not as sweet. The taste is milder, with notes of sweetness and a touch of kelp with a finish of fruit. The fruit taste reminds me a bit of Asian pear (my personal favorite pear) and has the same juicy mouthfeel.

Traditionally you can eat the steeped leaves with a bit of soy sauce like a tasty salad. Before I doused the leaves with sauce I nibbled them and the taste is quite good! Like a mix of seaweed and lettuce with a hint of kale bitterness. Adding soy sauce makes it even more like seaweed salad and leaves me craving sushi.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/yunomius-kurihara-tea-standard-gyokuro.html

Backlog from yesterday. I recently bought two new tea tins to match my existing ones from World Market (I love that store), so of course I rediscovered this tea which was in one of my older tins. I figured it’s autumn, so why not go for an autumn bancha, right? Is that how it works? Anyway, it steeped up to be a lovely transparent light green with a slightly sweet, vegetal flavor.

I particularly like drinking this one alongside my meals because of the vegetal flavor. I don’t like having sweeter or flavored teas when I’m eating because it throws me off. Besides, Japanese greens seem to always complement foods nicely.

I had a lot of errands to run after classes today, which usually wouldn’t be too bad, but the cold weather seems to make simple tasks seem all the more formidable. Anyway, I was finally relieved to get back to my cozy apartment and brew up a nice pot of tea to warm up. Because I’ve been drinking sweeter teas lately, I decided to change it up a little and drink this bancha. It has a more vegetal and slightly roasty taste that I also drank with my dinner.

I have two reasons I am so very excited for this tasting note other than the tea itself. First off, I got to use my new clear teapot from Teavivre! Secondly, I did so while watching the third episode of Sherlock season 3 (OH MY GOD). I literally gasped out loud several times during the episode. The show is definitely worthy of all the hype that it gets.

Anyway, back to the tea. The dry leaf is very flat and long. The smell reminds me of dried anchovies. The tea brews up to a light yellow color. It tastes vegetal and also a bit like anchovies. Although, a lot of Japanese greens taste like anchovies to me. This was the perfect tea for my new glass teapot because I can practically pick out whole tea leaves after steeping. I also resteeped a couple of times, and the flavor held strong. I can see this being a nice tea to have with/after dinner in the future.

I am currently drinking this matcha for the first time in a long while. This tea was the original reason we began working with this supplier…a unique matcha that is roasted ever so slightly to produce a sweet but full flavor…not exactly smoky, but if I were to dare say, it reminds me of the roasted quality of coffee. I do, much to chagrin of my tea master Haruna, also enjoy the taste of coffee though I am much less interested in the drink than I am in teas. (Ian, Yunomius Tea Merchant)

First infusion 135F for 3 minutes. Pale, light green. Thick and savory.

Second infusion at a higher temperature is a nice lightly bitter, grassy,

Backlog:

This was my favorite part of September’s Yunomi Mystery Tea Tasting Club’s package – we got a package of Toasted Rice so that we could make our very own genmaicha using whatever teas we wanted to use. Awesome right?

I first tried brewing it without any tea addition and it was yummy … reminded me a bit of a thin horchata without the spices and creamy consistency.

Then I tried it with the Bancha and the Houjicha that were included in September’s Yunomi package, and YUM! Then I tried making a black tea genmaicha using a Hawaiian grown black tea … and it too was yum.

Here’s my full-length review so you can check out all the details of each tasting: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/10/01/yunomi-monthly-mystery-tea-samplers-club-genmai-toasted-rice-kyoto-obubu-tea-plantation/

PS: I’m not going to rate this one, since it’s not really a tea but a tea component. But I highly recommend this to all genmaicha lovers.

Backlog:

I really miss the Yunomi Monthly Mystery tea club, I think I may have to subscribe after the first of the year as a belated christmas present to me.

This tea has a really lovely toasty aroma and flavor. It smells like autumn to me. Warm, roasted fragrance.

Sweet, toasty and nutty in flavor. The sweetness reminds me of honey, but not as thick or sticky as honey. Hints of caramel.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/09/25/yunomi-monthly-mystery-tea-samplers-club-autumn-houjicha-takea-family/

Backlog:

A tasty bancha. A bit more astringent than a typical Sencha, but, I find it to be very similar to a good Japanese Sencha. Sweet, vegetative, and buttery.

Nice.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/09/21/yunomi-monthly-mystery-tea-samplers-club-naturalitea-11-organic-autumn-bancha-tea/

Backlog:

I changed the info on this tea a bit to show that it can be acquired from Yunomi, since that’s where I got it, as well as where the original poster got hers from.

Anyway … a really good, vibrant tea. Very fresh tasting. Sweet with a sharp bitter tone that added contrast. A good balance between sweet and savory.

Light, brothy character, very comforting to sip.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/09/05/yunomi-monthly-mystery-tea-samplers-club-naturalitea-01-organic-handpicked-midori-first-flush/

Backlog:

A very unique sort of tisane, at least for me. I think it was a first for me … the first time I’ve had a tisane comprised of just mulberry leaves. It’s nice though.

Sweet fruity tones with leafy/grassy notes. Vaguely reminiscent of a sencha, actually. A very surprising tisane.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/08/28/yunomi-monthly-mystery-tea-samplers-club-kesennuma-kuwacha-sencha-mulberry-leaf-tea/

Backlog:

This is another tea that I received from my Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club from Yunomi. (I highly recommend this club. If you’re in to Japanese green teas … this is a great club to be a part of.)

This is my first experience with Gyokucha. It looks like a Chinese Gunpowder (although the color is brighter with the Gyokucha) and it tastes more like a Gyokuro, but it’s a bit crisper than a typical Gyokuro.

Nutty, sweet, and ends on a savory tone. A really interesting and delightful tea experience. Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/08/25/yunomi-monthly-mystery-tea-samplers-club-ureshino-gyokucha-ochatama/

This tea is a wonderful mixture of green colours and the leaves form thin, smallish pieces that are crisp to the touch. Like little grass shards.

It has a very sweet and grassy scent that is rather mineral and thick. I would say it smells astringent (if that is possible).

water – 80ml
Raw leaves – 5g
Temperature 60°C for first steep and 80°C thereafter
Four steeps – 2 minutes, 30 seconds thereafter

First steep – 2 minutes – 60°C
Cloudy yellow in colour. I exclaimed “Holy Monkey” when I tasted this…it’s bizarre. Sweet and buttery with mineral and astringency but altogether it tastes like some sort of Japanese soup broth but almost luke warm in temperature.

Second steep – 30s – 80°C
Cloudy yellow green now. It still reminds me of a soup broth. Very creamy, buttery, sweet and vegetal but there is something about it….something that makes it taste strange. More like an Oolong than a green I would say, like a milk oolong meets a mineral green tea.

Third steep – 30s – 80°C
This steep is less creamy and buttery but it is still noticeable in the after taste. The sweetness is now not masked as much as the other steeps and it has a slight toastness about it.

Fourth steep – 30s – 80°C
Now it tastes more like your standard green tea. It’s sweet, grassy, mineral, floral and delicious. This steep is more of what I was expecting throughout for this tea, I don’t think I have ever preferred a teas final steep above any other steeps before.

This tea was just way too bizarre for me and I feel it would be unfair to rate it…well I don’t have a clue what to rate it as anyway. It just is not for me, or at least not at this time.