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“Treating myself this morning ;)” Read full tasting note
“Absolutely hate it, tasted like fermented spinach” Read full tasting note
“It’s ok but nothing like the gyokuro from Arbor teas which was a revelation to me. It’s light and mostly sweet, very spinach-y/vegetal. Probably would not get this one again from Upton because it’s...” Read full tasting note
“It has a pretty chartreuse green color with a lot of fine particles of tea floating throughout. The fragrance is sweet and nutty and the taste is pleasantly delicate. The perfect tea for a...” Read full tasting note
The finest Japanese green tea, only shade-grown tips are used for Gyokuro. Prized for its delicate flavor and natural sweetness.
Steeping Suggestions: –
Leaf Quantity: 2¼ g/cup
Water Temp: 170º
Steep Time: 2 min.
Company description not available.
Absolutely hate it, tasted like fermented spinach
You might try steeping it in cooler water for a shorter time. I think I steeped it for 2 or 3 minutes in 160 degree water and it came out really nice, very light and sweet. In general I’ve found that I don’t like green teas when I steep them as hot as is recommended or as long.
160 is actually the low end of what’s recommented. Most sources say 160-180 for 2-3 min so that’s right on target. At least from what I’ve read.
Gyokuro can be hard to get right and it requires much cooler water than sencha to make it sweet. Ocha’s got a pretty good explanation of how to brew it best.
http://www.o-cha.com/brewing-gyokuro.htm
@Auggy, thanks! This is one green I haven’t had before so it’s good that I know this before I try it:)
No problem. Japanese greens pretty much have a whole other set of rules for brewing and the lower the water temp, the sweet it usually ends up. Which is kind of awesome. On the flip side, though, you get it too hot and it is NASTY.
@Cofftea: Thank you for the information! I’ve always see the 180 degrees for 3 minutes and it wasn’t working for me. It’s nice to know that I should be thinking of this as a range of time and temperature.
Green tea specifics like these have made me a bit more hesitant to try them over something like the blacks and oolongs. :( Well, I’ve got Adagio’s gunpowder on the way, so we’ll see how it works out!
Marlena, I hope the direction that everyone has given you helps you brew up a better cup of this!
The page Auggy has linked you to is right on the money. I’ve found Gyokuro works best if I use approximately two teaspoons of leaves per cup and steep at 55C/130F. It’s a really lovely green tea if you get it right but tastes absolutely foul if you get it wrong.
Well, from what everyone has said, I need to get another sample and keep this page next to me as I brew. It may be a while, as i have a HUGE selection of teas and the DH is complaining, nicely, of course.
Yeah, I think I did it much too hot. Sounds like Japanese greens and Chinese greens are quite different. I like most of the Chinese greens I’ve tried, but I also think I’ve known more by the time I tried them, so I did it better.
@Marlena, try 2tsp in 4oz of water in 160 degree water for 2 min. I’m going to be preparing all of my Japanese greens traditionally from now on, although it’s gonna take some getting used to not drinking 6oz cups. The amount of water varies by type of Japanese green and ranges from 2-8oz.
@Auggy, not according to my Den’s Tea info. Gyokuro is steeped at 160 and Premium Gyokuro is steeped (2 tsp) in 2-3oz of 140 degree water for 2.5 min. I could VERY well be wrong, but I’d think to be called premium it would need to have “premium” in the name. Maybe not.
Dear Everybody. I have some samples from other sources, and I am trying all your methods and I don’t Like it. It’s either bad spinach or, worse – Seaweedy or fishy, both of which I really, really don’t like. I have to say it was much better at the lower temps, but it’s not for me. I don’t like fish or seafood or seaweed at all, so therein is the problem. Oh well
I found this gyokuro to be a bit too bitter. I still prefer the terravita gyokuro from zooscape: http://www.ZooScape.com/cgi-bin/maitred/GreenCanyon/questp510438
Sipdown! (141)
This sample came from KiwiDelight. I’m sorry I took so long to try it, Kiwi! I didn’t mean to! :P I wasn’t a huge fan of the other gyokuro I tried, so I kind of avoided this one. But now that I’m trying to sip a bunch of teas down, all bets are off! The leaves are very dark green and look similar to sencha, maybe a little thinner. Dry scent is spinach and slightly sweet. I did a 2 minute steep at 175 degrees, just because I said so. Lol.
This is actually quite tasty. Gyokuro kind of seems like a more concentrated version of sencha to me. It’s very intense spinach flavor with some sweetness, but there’s something about it that seems almost savory as well. It’s smooth and buttery, and reminds me of pureed butternut squash. Not something I would keep stocked, because I think I prefer sencha, but I’m glad I tried it!
Flavors: Butter, Butternut Squash, Spinach, Sweet, Vegetal
First time with this type of tea. It was different, highly vegetal but with a lingering sweetness which was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s been about a year since my last batch tried from Upton. Could go for it again to treat myself.
I used to hate green tea. I thought it tasted like dry grass/hay, and sometimes even fishy. Lately though that is changing: I’ve really been enjoying Japanese green teas, including this one.
I realized in a panic it was steeping for too long, and rushed to get the infuser out, but it still tastes good. This is one of the first green teas I’ve had where the steeped liquid is actually pretty green looking. The taste reminds me of other Japanese teas I’ve had, except maybe a little less strong, with the buttery flavors in the forefront, and the grass-like, vegetal flavors more subtle. It also kind of has a mineral-esque taste in the background, not unlike those I get in oolongs sometimes. It has kind of a sweet aftertaste after I’ve been drinking it awhile. Great tea. A little pricey for me for regular drinking though.
Delicious. This is my first Gyokuro and it’s not disappointing. However, it tastes and smells almost identical to one of my favorites, Adagio’s Sencha Overture.. just a lot more expensive. I’m fairly new to loose tea, so it might just be that my palate isn’t as refined. :)
Nice intro to Spring! :D