10 Tasting Notes
A strong black tea, which I brewed for three minutes rather than the recommended four as it seems like it would oversteep very quickly. Tasty enough and takes milk well but the leaves are more like coffee grounds than leaves. It looks like Lipton’s sitting in the basket. Fortunately it is better than that.
This time I ordered the usucha, a type of matcha I had not had before. It was much leafier than a steeped tea, with the texture of the powdery tea much in evidence. The higher chlorophyll content gave it a very planty character. I would have to have it several times before I would be able to determine if I truly liked it. My friend had the sencha again and liked it.
Iced green tea, unsweetened, from the Hunan Market in Westmont, IL. Little heavy, more Chinese green than Japanese, but refreshing following the very spicy dan dan noodles from Katy’s Dumpling House next door. The brand name is based on the affixed label, as the bottle had nothing but Chinese on it.
Another Target tea — but so far I have been pleasantly surprised by both of the teas I have purchased there. I brewed this tea for three minutes using very hot water, and am getting nice notes of chocolate and bread from it. It’s not the most complex tea in creation, but it’s a reasonable compromise between cost and tastiness. Also, the Archer Farms people must have a tea snob on their package design team, because the top of the tins are clear, allowing one to see the nice long leaves inside.
The Green Teaist is a somewhat new tea atelier in Lake Forest, Illinois. It is a bit pricey but the teas are wonderful, both in taste and presentation. The shin-cha was lovely: light and grassy, with no bitterness at all upon brewing. I would drink it every day if I were a wealthy woman.
