I had this for the first time yesterday; yet another of the free samples that Thes du Japon included in my order.
Wow! I mean, I knew from the description that it would taste or be reminiscent of an Oolong, but wow. The dry leaves filled the whole mini-package full of a flowery ali shan or tie guan yin aroma. The leaves were also very much intact, some as long as 1" (before infusion!).
I was a little intrigued by their infusion directions – 158F, 40 seconds, 3-4g per 70ml (2+oz), because it looked like they were for a fukamushi sencha. But, I heeded them.
And, this tasted just like a green oolong up front (flowery), followed by the nice refreshing bitter-sweetness of sencha.
I am very impressed… I just kept taking sips couldn’t believe this was a Japanese green tea! The fragrance and flavor were very strong and pleasant.
Interestingly, the wet leaves opened up huge to show mostly whole leaves, and many of them had a lot of browning along the edges, as a result of the withering/partial-oxidation process.
What a fun experience! This is an awesome, unique tea, and I look forward to comparing this sample, to the other micro-oxidized tea that I actually bought from them.
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Good to have your comments on Florent’s teas. They will help when I place my own order.
Best wishes,
sherubtse
Cool! Well, I’ve got 5 more to review, the 4 I ordered, and the last free sample they included (that wasn’t a duplicate, that is).
I look forward to your reviews!
Best wishes,
sheubtse
Whoa! How COOL! Take some pictures of the leaves if you get a chance sometime :) How many infusions were you able to get out of the leaf? I can usually get 7-10 gaiwan cups out of some good tie guan yin, but you know how Japanese greens love to expel their goodies.
Can’t wait to hear how the other micro-organized teas fare!
I think I was able to get 3 excellent steepings with very little flavor lost, and the 4th and 5th were slightly weaker, but still great. In terms of longevity for Japanese greens, this (and one or two others I’ve had from Thes du Japon but have not yet written about) definitely stands out!
Pictures of the leaves have been posted on teachat – go check them out!
Good to have your comments on Florent’s teas. They will help when I place my own order.
Best wishes,
sherubtse
Cool! Well, I’ve got 5 more to review, the 4 I ordered, and the last free sample they included (that wasn’t a duplicate, that is).
I look forward to your reviews!
Best wishes,
sheubtse
Whoa! How COOL! Take some pictures of the leaves if you get a chance sometime :) How many infusions were you able to get out of the leaf? I can usually get 7-10 gaiwan cups out of some good tie guan yin, but you know how Japanese greens love to expel their goodies.
Can’t wait to hear how the other micro-organized teas fare!
I think I was able to get 3 excellent steepings with very little flavor lost, and the 4th and 5th were slightly weaker, but still great. In terms of longevity for Japanese greens, this (and one or two others I’ve had from Thes du Japon but have not yet written about) definitely stands out!
Pictures of the leaves have been posted on teachat – go check them out!