This dry blend smelled so deliciously of strawberries but once steeped all I can smell is the roasty, toasty rice. It is so unbelievably savory. I wasn’t too sure I would like it, I’m not a big fan of green tea anyway, and that toasted smell was making me wary of the whole thing. It no longer smelled like sweet, juicy strawberries, more like burnt Rice Krispies. I was happily surprised when I stated it to find that the strawberry sweetness is still there in the background and not overwhelmed by the toasted rice. I’m even enjoying the rice. It’s more subtle than I was anticipating. I’ve even starting to smell the strawberry again. This is only my second time trying genmaicha (I think) so I’m still very much learning my way around it. The last cup I had was brewed hot and came out bitter.
Flavors: Burnt, Roasted, Strawberry, Sweet, Toasted Rice, Toasty