Hanami

My last bag of Hanami from GTC’s Treasures… I am sad to see it go! :( Unlike TWG Tea, I don’t think I can get GTC’s tea anywhere but in Singapore…

This is surprisingly creamy, a quality that I do not expect in a sencha. Sakura presents in the form of soft floral fragrance and subtle sweetness in the tea, which is lovely. The sweet flavour reminds me of sakura-scented Japanese sweets I had before. It certainly evokes the image of sakura bloom in spring (in fact, hanami is Japanese for flower viewing)! I can almost see sakura petals in the cup. ;)

The Japanese often pair sencha with sweets (wagashi), and I think this tea is exactly the result of such pairing. I am impressed :)

I think I’ve never had any good sencha, probably only a few basic teabags here and there. I believe Fleur de Geisha by Le Palais des Thes was also a Sencha, as it was a Japanese green in leaves. It was also flavored with Cherry Blossoms. However I finished this bag a few years ago and am not in a position to directly compare.
I was quite careful to avoid overbrewing and using too hot water, as I am wary of bitterness.
The brew was very light colored, more yellow than green to my eyes, and very clear.
The taste was surprising: the brew felt really creamy with a very strong grass taste. The grass taste was actually nice, as it felt like “fresh and rich” grass, and reminded me of an Irish lawn sprinkled with clover everywhere.
I have to admit though that this grassy taste, that I did not expect coming out so strong, totally covered the cherry blossom flavor, which was probably too subtle regards the tea base. I’ll see if I can get it while brewing my second bag of this tea.

Gryphon’s POTO is one of my long-time favs and Hanami could be my perfect Sakura cuppa.

Other cherry blossom blends I’ve tried in the past came across as either sharp ume-ish concoctions, or bitter like cough syrup. But Hanami is sweet and creamy. I was surprised its base is Sencha. Coz it didn’t strike me as dark or mellow at all. There’s a hint of vanilla or some kind of gourmandish note, as well.

Also, I find Gryphon’s silky gauze sachets diffuse flavour better than paper tea bags.

Elegant drop perfect for late evening. Hints of marshmallows and musk. Lovely !!!