Full disclosure: this tea was sent to me as a free sample by the vendor. However, there was no expectation that I would provide a review.
Continuing to explore the Maeda-en tea bag line in preparation for sampling the shin-cha this weekend, I moved onto the Premium Sen-cha. I turned up the heat a bit, seeking a little more thickness than the last brew.
I was surprised at how much dust came out of the nylon bag, but I think it was worth it, because I didn’t get that chalky paper taste from the nylon bag. This cup is sweet, clean and crisp, but lacks an overall depth of flavor and complexity. It’s bright, green, and heartily satisfying, but I want a little more from my sen-cha, some chewiness, some more chlorophyll, some more nuance. This is an improvement over the last bag, in my opinion, as it lacks the masking toasted character, the paper bag flaw, and improves in breadth of taste. However, it’s still rather light and simple. Glad to see, though, that it can take some heat without getting bitter.
