60
drank Tama Ryokucha by Teavana
300 tasting notes

This one is a bit better, the first steep at 15 secs was enjoyable while the second at 30 secs is more astringent. Me thinks this could be age. I’m not getting fruit or citrus, mostly vegetal with a bit of nuttiness and slightly creamy. Can anyone with experience with high quality green tea shed some light, are the leaves usually fine and short? The few that I have had always seem choppy and get mushy real quick. I wonder if this contributed to astringency in the same way cut tear curl black teas are prone to getting bitter. I have also heard that some Japanese green tea aficionados like their greens strong and bitter. Perhaps I just prefer Chinese, though I do enjoy Gyokuro from time to time.

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 0 min, 15 sec
xhado123

As a japanese tea fan, I brew mine at 140 degrees for 1 minute. No bitterness, lots of subtlety. rebrew a few times, same direction. I own this tea as well, cherish it, as we’ll not likely see this again in our lifetime.

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xhado123

As a japanese tea fan, I brew mine at 140 degrees for 1 minute. No bitterness, lots of subtlety. rebrew a few times, same direction. I own this tea as well, cherish it, as we’ll not likely see this again in our lifetime.

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Druid, artist, poet, mum, lover of tea, ritual and myth. I grew up on Celestial Seasons herbals but fell in love with straight loose leaf tea working at my local Teavana for a year. I am grateful for the introduction and the experience, but have moved on.

I see tea as an experience for the senses, I like to imagine tasting the land and the weather as well as the effect of sun, air, fire and the human hand. I have a soft spot for shu pu’er, yabao, scented oolongs, wuyi oolongs, taiwanese tea as well as smooth naturally sweet blacks, creamy greens and surprisingly complex whites.

I began ordering lots of samples from Upton to educate myself on different varieties of tea we didn’t have at work and have fallen head over heels for the unique offerings from Verdant Tea. I am learning things I like: buttery mouthfeel, surprising sweet or spice notes, woodiness, mineral notes, depth and complexity and things I don’t: astringency, dry and sour notes.

I collect tea tins and am in danger of collecting pots, though I am trying to restrain the urge due to current lack of space. I brew mostly in a glass infuser mug or a tea maker, only using cast-iron for company now (still need to get a gaiwan) and tend not to sweeten my teas unless they are British or fruity and iced, which is not often.

As far as ratings, I lack a definite system and haven’t been assigning numbers lately, wanting to spend multiple sessions with a tea first. I usually only log a tea once, unless it is a new harvest or I have significantly different observations, but will go back and edit or comment if I find something interesting or new.

Location

Baker Street, Berea, Ohio

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