90

A winter harvest bancha tea, heavily roasted. The leaves are large, broken, rustic in appearance with some leaves blackened, burnt even, while others remain olive green. Same goes for the stems which are included in higher proportion than any other Japanese tea I’ve had excluding kukicha or kuki-hojicha.

The easiest way to describe the type of smokiness and other qualities of the tea is to make a comparison. If you could bottle the essence of charred summer squash or chayote and corn husk with stray blackened kernels all with their steaming, gentle nutty-vegetal sweetness, this tea would be it. The liquor is silky smooth and carries the smoke quality with a deft touch across the palate. The char aroma is strong but for me it does not overwhelm at all. I find it comforting, like bringing a part of summer with me into depths of fall.

A refined tea this is not, however I want to say that whoever grew and processed this tea absolutely knows what they are doing. It brews consistently every time with boiling water. It is a functional tea made by a skilled craftsman.

For the price, I can’t think of a cheaper, more reliable tea to drink as I hopefully transition out of a time frame that’s left me questioning my sanity. This tea is gently grounding and refreshing. I am very to grateful to have it at my table.

Flavors: Burnt, Corn Husk, Grilled Food, Nutty, Silky, Smoke, Smooth, Squash Blossom, Sweet, Sweet Corn, Tangy, Zucchini

gmathis

Teas made by people who know what they’re doing. That is a comforting description. I love it.

Kawaii433

It is a comforting description! Derk’s vivid description of the Tie Luo Han 铁罗汉 was awesome too. Gave me the feelys lol. Love it.

Leafhopper

Agreed, not every good tea needs to be expensive. I had Tillerman’s Sweet Scented Dong Ding recently and thought basically the same thing, that this is a tea made by someone who knows what he’s doing.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Comments

gmathis

Teas made by people who know what they’re doing. That is a comforting description. I love it.

Kawaii433

It is a comforting description! Derk’s vivid description of the Tie Luo Han 铁罗汉 was awesome too. Gave me the feelys lol. Love it.

Leafhopper

Agreed, not every good tea needs to be expensive. I had Tillerman’s Sweet Scented Dong Ding recently and thought basically the same thing, that this is a tea made by someone who knows what he’s doing.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possess off flavors/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

bicycle bicycle bicycle

Location

California, USA

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer