947 Tasting Notes
[Spring 2020/21 harvest]
This is a note for one of three teas that make up this blend (even though from different batches). Namely, I drank the Mannuo today. Interestingly, it has been kept in an enclosed package ever since I got it a year ago, unlike most of my other teas.
As I open the package, I get quite a fruity and perfumy vibe. This is reflected also in the aftertaste later. Otherwise the wet leaves don’t have a particularly strong aroma.
The taste is nutty at first. Soon it turns fruity, but not really sweet. The liquor has a medium to thick texture and is somewhat fluid if that makes sense. I mean, it doesn’t bubble up much at all. There is a good amount of bitterness, but too much astringency, which makes it a tea that’s not so easy to enjoy casually in its current state. The finish is particularly tannic and mouth-puckering. The aftertaste is a little sweet and has hints of tobacco.
[Spring 2019 harvest]
This tea is quite perfumy with an aroma of cherry wood. The taste has a lot of underlying bitterness, as well as a strong mineral presence that makes is quite savoury, almost salty. There is also a kind of vegetal note and a sweet finish with a very strong aftertaste subsequently.
The liquor has quite a presence. The mouthfeel is at first silky, then mineral and astringent, almost tannic. The finish is somewhat cooling with an expansive fragrance.
Flavors: Ash, Astringent, Bitter, Cherry Wood, Coffee, Mineral, Perfume, Salty, Sweet, Vegetal
Preparation
This one is not too abrasive and reasonably fresh tasting for a 1 year old green tea. It is sweet and grassy with a sugarcane flavour and a floral, cooling aftertaste with a hint of malt.
Most importantly, however, I used it for kombucha and it turned out to be one of the most successful batches I ever made.
Flavors: Floral, Grass, Malt, Sugarcane, Sweet
Preparation
A rainy summer day calls for a tea like this. Its profile is like a mix of hei cha and sucond flush Darjeeling. I also like the buttery and coating mouthfeel that makes the liquor full bodied.
The aroma reminds me of peanut butter, hibiscus and muscatel. Taste is sour, sweet and woody, while the aftertaste is cooling and herbaceous with notes of maple syrup, peach, sesame seeds, and bog.
Flavors: Butter, Herbaceous, Hibiscus, Maple Syrup, Muscatel, Peach, Peanut, Sesame, Sour, Sweet, Wet Earth
Preparation
This sencha is very aromatic and savoury, which makes it a profile that really appeals to me.
Dry leaves smell of pine and fruits, and then a bit like a vegetable broth in a preheated teapot. From the wet leaves, I get more of a meat broth scent, as well as notes of ash and honey.
The taste is strong and mineral with floral, nutty and leathery flavours. It is a little bitter, and shows also strong umami without much sweetness that often comes with it. The aftertaste is also strong and bring more bitter honey tones again.
Flavors: Ash, Bitter, Broth, Floral, Fruity, Honey, Leather, Mineral, Nutty, Pine, Umami, Vegetable Broth
Preparation
[Spring 2023 harvest]
A superb green tea all around. Its energy brings me very much to the present, the liquor has a good astringency and depth, and the aftertaste is particularly intense.
The aroma is quite pleasant, fruity and grass-like, with notes of fern and green peas. The flavour is more vegetal, floral and nutty with a spicy finish at first. Later infusions get pretty sweet and also a bit sour. The mouthfeel is milky and coating.
Flavors: Astringent, Floral, Forest Floor, Fruity, Grass, Milky, Nutty, Peas, Sour, Sweet, Vegetal
Preparation
[Spring 2023 harvest]
This tea is good, but not close to the best Kabusecha I’ve had. Its taste and body is a bit lighter than I would prefer. It does, however, have a very nice long aftertaste that is nutty and mineral. The aroma is of grass (compost), matcha, and baked apples. Taste is sweet and floral, while the mouthfeel is oily and smooth.
Flavors: Candied Apple, Compost, Floral, Grass, Mineral, Nutty, Sweet
Preparation
[Spring 2023 harvest]
Dry leaf aroma is crisp and reminds me of apple leafs and custard. During the session, the smell is very pleasant, full bodied, and it has a sort of tropical character. For instance, there are hints of vanilla and longan fruit.
The mouthfeel of the liquor is milky and smooth, but not too thick. Taste is grassy and very floral, with a sweet and nutty finish. It does get a little bitter too, which is very nice. Flavours include lemon balm, almond skin, as well as many other plants. The aftertaste is crisp and numbing, and brings notes of broccoli stalk and orchid.
All in all, a lovely FF experience.
Flavors: Almond, Apple Skins, Bitter, Broccoli, Custard, Floral, Grass, Herbs, Nutty, Orchid, Sweat, Tropical Fruit, Vanilla
