Kukicha Osada FF

NIO advent Tea
If your green tea package has the name Osada on it I can personally vouch for their credibility and amazing tea. You may drink it and not even know you are because many companies, like Nio and Zerama, use them. I discovered them back in 2021 after trying out their Yamabuki Nadeshiko through Zerama. Then I had the great honor of interviewing them both Osada-san and Hiro-san are amazing people. Read my article if you have the time! https://teatiff.com/2022/11/04/osada-tea-japan/
Anyway, onto the tea. A bit more leaf gets through the built-in strainer than expected. But it’s good for you…. meh. Grab a strainer. I don’t mind eating a few leaves but it becomes annoying when it’s multiple pieces. The package calls for 45 seconds and they’re not kidding. The astringent grassiness comes on fast if you aren’t paying attention. The flavor has a bit of a toasty character to it. Bits of grassy notes mixed with some slightly nutty notes. The wet aroma is kind of roasted, kind of dandelion, and kind of grassy. I can’t put my thumb on one. It’s like a calm… tornado.

Another stem tea and my first kukicha! I steeped this tea in 150 ml of 160F water for 60, 20, 20, 30, 40, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.

The dry aroma is of roasted nuts, grass, and spinach. I’m surprised the first steep isn’t darker given the leaf appearance and roasty smell. I get notes of cream, roasted nuts, walnut skins, minerals, umami, and spinach. The next couple steeps have a lovely candied chestnut aroma, which appears less distinctly in the taste. By steep five, the tea has more spinach, grass, and minerals, though the roast is still there. The final steeps emphasize a heavier roast, nuts, grass, spinach, minerals, and umami.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this kukicha. I’ve been scarfing the last of my Dong Ding, so I guess the beginning of winter has made me want these types of nutty, cozy teas. I wish there was more of that candied chestnut and less of the grass, but overall, this is a nice, comforting, uncomplicated tea to enjoy on a fall afternoon.

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Nio Teas Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 10

This is a lovely kukicha! Very nutty, sweet, and smooth with a light flavor and echoes of kabusecha-like vegetal and umami notes. There’s a lingering sweet and creamy vegetal finish as well.

Subsequent steeps lose a bit of the creamy vegetal quality in favor of a more refreshing grassy flavor profile, but still very smooth with a light sweetness. A pleasant tea for a pleasant Saturday evening! :)