Scheherazade Send Message

264 Followers / 340 Following

Recommended

Scheherazade drank (Deep Steam) Sencha by Aiya

2238 tasting notes

137/365

I didn’t have the highest hopes for this one when I opened the sample, primarily because the leaf is really finely shredded, and in that past that’s not yielded good results for me. I was expecting it to brew up very strongly very quickly, and while I like a green with depth of flavour, there’s a line.

Fortunately, I was wrong. It’s actually fairly slow to infuse, although I had to put it in a bag because the leaf was too fine for the holes on my infuser. Possibly that had some effect, because the bags I use are pretty thick. If it did slow things down, it was only for the good.

In the end, I gave this one 2 minutes in water cooled to around 175. It brews up a clear green, and is very vegetal in terms of scent. It’s pretty similar flavour-wise – deeply vegetal in the way of wilted spinach and asparagus, with a mild pepperiness. What I love about this one is how smooth and buttery it tastes. There’s absolutely no bitterness, even though it sits firmly on the savoury side.

If you like a buttery, vegetal green with a lot of flavour, this one’s for you.

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

I Like This

6 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

Bio

Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.