1120 Tasting Notes
I’m very glad I decided to try Den’s Tea’s sampler, as it has been exposing me to a nice variety of high-quality green teas, ones that are clearly far more complex than what I’m used to drinking. It’s also encouraged me to try writing more formal/informed tasting notes, so please bare with me if I sound inexperienced!
Each time I’ve had this, I’ve oversteeped it slightly on purpose as I tend to favor strong tea and this one in particular works well when it’s strong, despite being a green. This is definitely a good pick for people who are like me in that respect and/or who tend to oversteep by mistake.
I don’t notice a strong aroma coming from the leaves or liquor, but I’m inclined to blame that on my stuffy nose rather than the tea itself. What I can smell reflects the flavors of the tea very well — no surprises here! It’s an attractive tea, too: the leaves are a bright, deep green and the liquor a saturated green shade as well.
The flavor profile is notably nutty and grassy from the moment it touches the tongue to the moment it slides down the throat, but I also notice a buttery edge that really sets this apart from cheaper greens. There’s also a notable aftertaste, one that is reminiscent of these main flavors but with more of a sour or bitter punch — not overwhelming in the least, and I tend to shy away from bitter flavors.
I’ve also found that this can be resteeped once for a cup that’s nearly as good, and again for something that’s drinkable but reminiscent of much less exciting teas.
It’s a great combination of tastes that really captures some of my favorite qualities to find in a green tea. I’m definitely planning to purchase a bag of this now that I’ve finished up my sample.
