Sakurai Tea Experience

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Recent Tasting Notes

Gongfu!

Quick little morning sesh. My little tea nook was immediately flooded with mouthwatering notes of fresh popcorn and peanut butter the moment the water hit the tea leaves, though upon first taste the flavour was much, much darker and roasty with strong notes of burnt toast, barley, espresso, chicory root and charred peanuts. Very cozy and comforting, with an overall heavy/dense liquor that really stands out compared to your typical kukicha. Though I thought the first steep a smidge harsh in its roast notes, it settled into a very nicely balanced mix of toasty grains and rich nuts that I quite enjoyed.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_s9hsHOnV-/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qa4p1kLkuA

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I’m on my third read through of The Summer Hikaru Died while I very impatiently wait for the release of the fourth volume, and this time around I’ve been really leaning towards Japanese green teas while reading – such as this one with its more toasty profile of mixed grains and nuts, though still with an edge of something more green and seaweed-like. This manga takes place in a small rural village in Japan so, in addition to those more roasty and cozy flavours being comforting in some of the more suspenseful moments of this slow-burn eldritch horror, this style of tea pairing has done such a good job evoking the setting of the story and make this reread so much more immersive!!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kHMY2OSFB/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1qtONRHabI

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Gongfu!

I had my first experience with this style of exceptionally weird and funky fermented Japanese tea several months back, and I’ve been so intrigued by it since then – so I was incredibly stoked to cross paths with this tea. The tasting notes are so widespread and all over the place, but there’s definitely a sweet acidity that really puts it’s stamp on the whole experience. It reminds me so heavily of apple cider vinegar (in a good way), but also crossed with a more grounded note of baked apple and a very nostalgic undertone of barnyard hay and yeasted breads. In fact, there’s something to the taste that really reads as sourdough starter in a way that I know would be off-putting to some, but bizarrely captivating to others. I am definitely in that latter camp of people. I could not get enough of this tea!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7bz7nZuyaF/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RVeo79yfw0

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