Cameron B. select Send Message

339 Followers / 327 Following

Recommended

Cameron B. drank Dobashien No. 10: Genmaicha - Kinu by Yunomi

3986 tasting notes

Hooray, Yunomi finished reorganizing/revamping their subscription program and sent me my first month (I paid for 3 months not knowing it had been suspended so I’m getting them now!). The concept is actually quite cool, it’s a comparison of the same tea with and without matcha. They sent two versions (with and without matcha) of three different teas, for a total of six samples. Tonight I felt like a genmaicha, so I figured I’d break into the samples. The sencha in this tea has very thin and dark leaves, but unfortunately it’s very broken up, which makes me worry about getting a bitter brew. There is also the usual toasted rice and a few pieces of popped rice. Dry scent is rich and buttery.

Thankfully, I can smell the toasted rice more in the steeped aroma. It’s a lovely lime green color. There’s a bit of sediment at the bottom of my cup, so I’ll try to drink this as quickly as possible to avoid any bitterness. I can taste the roasted flavor best in the beginning of the sip, after which the sencha takes over until the end. The sencha here is quite smooth, but has a concentrated vegetal flavor that reminds me of steamed spinach. There’s also a nice touch of sweetness reminiscent of snap peas. I can also taste a nice, brothy umami presence that makes this so satisfying to drink. In the aftertaste, the rice flavor comes back out to play and mingles well with the other notes. Overall, it’s quite nice and I can definitely tell that this was made with a premium sencha.

Flavors: Broth, Grass, Peas, Spinach, Sweet, Toasted Rice, Umami

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 0 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

11 likes

2 comments

TeaBrat
Delete

Yunomi has a subscription?!

Cameron B.
Delete

Yes, they do. It’s kind of hard to find on their website for whatever reason…

https://yunomi.us/shop/9337/tea-discoveries-subscription/

People who liked this

Comments

TeaBrat
Delete

Yunomi has a subscription?!

Cameron B.
Delete

Yes, they do. It’s kind of hard to find on their website for whatever reason…

https://yunomi.us/shop/9337/tea-discoveries-subscription/

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing