Karigane #22

I used to drink tons of green teas, but somehow I’ve fallen more in love with the roastier teas. However, I still enjoy some greens as well. This one as particularly nice, with layers of flavor. I followed the initial steeping parameters of 1.5 min, then added 30 sec to each additional sip.
The first cup was redolent with ’green’ness, like a cup of matcha, so very fresh tasting, rich & clean. The very essence of spring, a thick lush spring. The 2nd steep started out a little astringent, but continued the wonderful savory tastes, adding a mouthfeel of nutbutter, creamy & thick. I’m on the 3rd steep now, the color of the tea is still a nice yellow green, the flavor pure, the texture like water from a mountain spring. After each sip there is a bright almost citrus sensation up the center of my tongue, & a lingering thickness around the edges.

Tea #3 from my free Steepster Select box!

This is my kinda green! It is like a heartier gyokuro…sweet and intensely GREEN with no bitterness. Very nice. Thanks Steepster!!!

Part of my first Steepster select box. I have to say it’s fun getting a bunch of mystery teas in the mail. ;)

I get that Japanese green teas may be an acquired taste for some people. For example the BF had his first matcha latte a few days ago and kept asking why it tastes like seaweed.

This is only the second karigane I’ve had (the other one came from Japantown in San Francisco). It brews up a beautiful transparent clear green color. I am definitely getting the nori notes as well as some grassy ones and the nuttiness is evident too. There is a bit of astringency in the finish but that may be my fault since I’m not exactly sure what water temp. I used.

I haven’t been buying a lot of green tea in the last year or so because I can’t seem to drink it fast enough. This was a nice treat and the little packages are the perfect size to stash in a desk drawer at the office. You also get some paper T-sacs and a muslin drawstring bag to keep your teas in.

Yay Steepster select! Was I supposed to drink these in order? This was my first one.

Fantastic colour! A vibrant buzzy green! Very fresh flavor, smooth, creamy, grassy, vegetal, buttercup floral, buttery and a bit of unami nutty. This was the tea I liked the least in the box, but was otherwise a pretty good green.

Full review of the Steepster Select Dec 2013 box on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/steepster-select-january-2014-teas-oolong-owl-tea-review/

hmm, I seem to be the first and only one reviewing all the Steepster Select teas. :D

The dry leaves of this tea smell so fresh and grassy, almost like a fresh batch of Laoshan Green. I love the smell of fresh green tea. The taste of this one doesn’t disappoint either. It is creamy and vegetal and not wimpy about its flavor at all. Just the way I like my green teas.

Another one that’s not for me. It’s a pretty green color and brews up nice and refreshing-looking, but the taste is bitter even with careful preparation. There’s some seaweed/vegetable taste to it. The aftertaste is sweet but I really can’t handle bitter flavors! I guess my other packet will be going in the swap pile.

This is the other Steepster Select sample I picked up from Jason at the meetup, and I think it might be my first karigane. It’s light and vegetal, with no bitterness whatsoever. I’m getting some grass and some seaweed and a little bit of nuttiness; there’s the tiniest bit of astringency (which is a good thing in my opinion). There’s something very fresh and spring-like about this tea, and I’m liking it quite a bit. This is one I wouldn’t mind having some more of.

Part of my first month of Steepster Select…
I have to admit, when I first read the description that included the phrase “chewy mouthfeel” I was skeptical. What does that even mean?? I took one sip and thought, “Wow, I actually get it!” It has something that hits you in the cheeks, and if someone hadn’t pinpointed the word “chewy,” I would’ve never known how to describe that. My first cup brewed up cloudy. I’m definitely getting strong flavors of nori, fresh cut grass, and a subtle hint of nuttiness at the end (moreso when it’s still really hot). I usually prefer to drink green tea with honey, but the flavors of this tea are so complex and strong that I like them just the way they are. :)

(Sipdown to 2014!)

I really think I am not experienced enough in the various green tea flavours, being a green tea newbie for the most part, to really fully appreciate this tea. It smells very robustly green and vegetal, although I could not tell you what plant. It smells like a strange combination of edamame and spinach to me but I have no idea what nori smells like so it could be that too. Not so much grass.

I managed with the tools I have to steep this in approximately 175 degree temp as stated by the really unrefined meat thermometer my mom got me for this purpose. Best I could get on short notice from a pretty rural Massachusetts grocery store, really, and I broke her crappy gravity infuser the first day so I was grateful for the teabags that came with this. The tea ball she has is not a very fine mesh.

First steep: definitely a deep and rich cup, nothing simple about this. Picking up some grass now, especially in the aftertaste. I can sort of taste the nuttiness in the cup but nothing specifically hazelnut.

I am super craving something sweet so I am debating whether to go to the next steep now or make a detour. I have about 3 more tea hours this afternoon to play with.

Second steep: the vegetal smell is weaker and the grass is much brighter this steep. I drank this one warmer and I definitely get ‘chewy’ this time around. There is more taste up front and it matches the aftertaste better and soy beans is what I am getting. I like this steep better than the first.

I have to say, I love the name of this tea. It makes me feel like an ultra modern tea tasting pro; like I should be sipping this tea while criticizing performance art instead of enjoying it over a poached egg.

While brewing, it smells like fresh sushi is being prepared nearby.
Flavor is a strong and up-front grassy green with a bit of a darker seaweed type flavor underneath. A lot of grassy teas taste a bit one-dimensional, like they’re just hitting that high, springy note over and over again. That is definitely not the case with this complex, oceanic tea.
Not quite getting that ‘hazelnut finish’ by the second brew, unless the package is describing the overall nutty well-roundedness of the cup.