Sencha Premier

Today I have had perhaps 7-8 cups of Sencha and in fact I’m going to have some more!

This is an awesome tea and I’m so glad I got to try it! While normally known as a bitter and grassy tea I was very pleased with the smoothness of this one. The aroma kinda reminds me of the ocean, and is super soothing. Can be enjoyed for several infusions without really losing any of the complexities. Enjoy!

Wow. It’s been awhile since I last reviewed anything.

I like this tea. I don’t love it but there is something endearing about it to me. There is a fresh grassy taste that can be a little strong at times but usually isn’t too intrusive. It actually reminds me of Matcha only with out the consumption of the powdered leaf. I would really enjoy drinking this on a nice temperate day during the spring. Maybe one day the weather will get to that point.

Robust, deeply vegetal, sweet. Smooth texture, rich flavour. Buttery, slight lemon. Intense for an asamushi, and I really enjoy it.

Steep 2: 165* 30sec
3:175* 60 sec
4:185* 2 min
5:212* 3 min

This one was really nice. It had a faint grassy smell to it with a lot of buttery caramel overtones. The grassy smell toned off considerably on drinking, but the caramel was still there faintly. I could drink this every day and be happy.

I originally purchased this tea because it comes from the same region of Japan that I stayed in when I went there a few years back.

This tea has the perfect amount of grassiness for my preference, at least compared to other green teas I’ve tried so far. Once this tea cooled down, it was very good. None of the flavors were very sharp, which I like. It all seems to mesh together quite well.

I do see one problem however. I only made two cups worth, and I am starting to think that was not enough! This might qualify for a re-steep.

I’ve never experienced sencha before. And I was a bit trepidatious to find it amongst the sample packets I recently received. So I followed Adagio’s instructions exactly, for western style: The full 3 gram packet in my stainless steel infusion basket with 8 oz 166°F alpine spring water, for 2 min. The dry leaf had the appearance of chopped grass clippings, so I didn’t expect much, despite the alluring nutty aroma with notes of fresh-cut hay. The aroma intensified nicely during steeping, and a bright, light green liquor was produced, with an almost golden glow to it. The flavor was somewhat reminiscent of a nice dragonwell I’ve had, but somehow richer, butterier, and with notes of both chestnut and Brazil nut. I really liked it and had to force myself to slow down, to enjoy it even more! There was no bitterness or sourness and only a touch of astringency. Really the best part was the wafting aromas in my sinuses, filling my palate with taste, and even notes of edamame. I want to say it was sweet, but really that part of my tongue disagreed: it simply lacked the bitter sourness that contrasts with sweet. There was some umami sensation, too, but not fishiness nor notes of seaweed. A single re-steep following the same parameters produced a bright yellow infusion with just a hint of green. The aroma and flavors were reduced and the butteriness was gone, but the tea was still enjoyable, without defects.. Yes, I like it and will continue exploring senchas. It’s hard to give a comparative rating, as it is my first sencha, but for satisfaction overall, I’ll rate as 81 and recommend. Thanks to Adagio for including it in the assortment!

Color: chartreuse (traditional), lemon-lime. Green with some bright golden hue.
Body: light-medium, smooth finish but with some lingering astringent after taste
Initial aroma strength: slightly on the delicate side but generally welcoming
Aroma: grass, lime, nuts (high fat), butter. Throughout the drinking/steeping stages, some interesting resemblances to either creamy oaked chardonnay or grassy/citrusy Loire valley sauvignon blanc.

One of the better sencha teas I’ve tasted. A bit expensive compared to others of equal and better taste straight from Japan. Of all the Adagio Japanese greens, this is my favorite. The first steep (77 C, 45 s) is grassy with floral notes and full body. The second steep (79 C, 30 s) is more cloudy, of course, with a bit more of the buttery notes. The third (79 C, 1.5 min) is the last pull for me, and it still remained above many other senchas.

If I was stuck on a deserted island and could only take one tea with me, this would be the one.