[Spring 2017 version]
What an incredible tea. Tons of flavor, lots of complexity, long-lasting durability, very affordable… It checks every box. It also works extremely well both gong-fu and grandpa style. I don’t know what to fault this tea on, so I’ll give it my highest rating yet.
The complex flavor profile includes grass, vegetal umami, fruit, saltiness, and sweet spice. Flavors pop on your palate, but are balanced and always very pleasant. Also, flavors rise and fall throughout the session as if it were a puerh. New flavors are highlighted with different infusions. This even occurred while drinking grandpa style. Long-lasting complex aftertaste as well.
Maybe I’m gushing a little over this tea while it has me in its caffeine-induced sway, but this is an absolute masterpiece and a joy to drink. I can’t imagine a green tea being much better than this.
If you are fan of sencha, I would highly recommend you try this tea. There are definite parallels – grassiness, umami, some saltiness, fruit, etc. – but I think this tea offers more complexity and durability.
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Dry Leaf – very sweet (like strawberries and cream flavoring!), pine, light beer malt, sugared berries. In preheated vessel: roasted corn, tomato vine, sun-dried tomato
Smell – mint, vegetal (corn, edamame, tomato vine), cooked blackberries
Taste – summer grass, vegetal (roasted corn, cooked spinach, edamame), some slight saltiness like edamame and salted cantaloupe, hints of sweet cinnamon and chocolate. Aftertaste of light mint, cantaloupe and hint of blackberry. The strawberry-cream note from the dry leaf is hinted at in the aftertaste as well.
