Flavour: Moderately intense and somewhat complex. Hard to put a name on many of the flavour notes here. Notes of kale initially greet the palate with a finish hinting of sage. Vegetal and not floral. Clean, non-astringent, refreshing. I rather enjoyed this once the mug cooled off, too.
Aroma: Rather weak bouquet. Notes of freshly-mowed hay with, again, a hint of sage—but steamy more than anything. Not floral at all.
Mouthfeel: Surprisingly substantial for a decaffeinated tea, let alone a green tea.
Appearance of brewed tea: A turbid, saddle tan brew that deposited some sediment on the bottom of my mug.
Virtues: Flavour and mouthfeel unexpectedly satisfying.
Faults: Not much of a treat for the nose. Well, I guess you can’t have everything…
The Verdict: Very well done for a supermarket decaf green tea, and convincing evidence that cheap tea can be decent. A great value. Worth keeping around for a bedtime cuppa.
I recall saying this one was like a little oasis in a tea barren wasteland.
One year, I got some Salada regular green for my m-i-l for a stocking stuffer and she went on and on about how good it is. At the time I snickered and just attributed to grocery-brand taste, but this was a real surprise.
Oh I didn’t notice this was decaf. I’ve had the regular. M-i-l is correct. Now if I run upon the decaf one I’ll know to grab it as well.