Matsuda's Sencha

I’ve never had a Japanese green that I didn’t like….until this one. Although I guess since I typically DO like sencha, I still like all Japanese greens.
The smell of this tea was so promising – nutty and sweet, not at all grassy. After brewing, however, I was a bit confused. The wet leaves had swollen up a lot and were sticking together like a clump of wet grass. The tea was very cloudy and murky. There was also a very distinctive grassy scent along with the sweet scent from the dry tea. The tea tasted like sweet grass and not in a good way at all.
Now, I don’t typically think Japanese greens taste overly grassy, I actually usually enjoy the grassy aspect, but this one was way overdone. I was able to make it through 4 sips before dumping both the tea and the leaves in my infuser. I’m a bit disappointed and now I have a very strong grass aftertaste lingering. On to more tea!

I love this tea! The dark green blades open up to slick leaves with stems, and the pale green liquor is very attractive. The fragrance is sublime, for those who love strong, fresh, vegetal aromas. There’s even a popcorn-like background scent to the freshly-poured cup, which is the roasted “nori” that Harney detects. I like this tea as it cools as well. I steeped the first cup for about one minute. The second, about three minutes, which was probably a minute too long as it was slightly bitter (but not ruined).

Matsua’s Sencha is a truly sublime sencha experience. However, this tea is quite fussy, and easy to brew wrong. When brewed at a correct temperature and time, a beautiful balance of sweet and vegetal will enchant the taste buds.
-RA

There is no tea like this one for the price. It’s extraordinary. You can tell by the vivid, uniform greenness of the steeped leaves that this is a quality tea. I have tried many many senchas from Harney, Upton Tea, O-Cha, and Hibiki-an, and none of them offer one with as much character as Matsuda’s. There is something impeccably pastoral and authentic about this tea. However, like with all high quality senchas, it can quickly turn bitter. I recommend either 160 degrees for a little less than two minutes for a mellow grassy flavor, or 170 for a little more than one minute for a nuttier, roastier, deeper flavor.

I started this review on Super Bowl Sunday on my phone, but am glad it was really difficult to type on there. It’s also why I’ve found it difficult to write more reviews on here. I gave up and drank it another time. Which turned out better since I didn’t stick it in a thermos and take it with me.

I started my drinking of teas with greens. Salada to be exact. Then I quickly tried a loose Alvita green tea they don’t make anymore. Later on I started ordering from Adagio. Anyway, Matsuda’s sencha is an occasional green for me. I usually have it on hand but have it only on occasion. I drink black teas more often now, so greens are made on weekend more than anything.

This particular one is grown by a family in Japan and sold by Harney and Sons. The leaves are a bright green, which leads to pale green when brewed. It is easy to overbrew, and notes of spinach develop when done so. This drinking I made one infusion at 165 degrees for three minutes. When I’ve had a good amount of time, I often will brew this three times, starting with one minute and working to three.

When brewed well, there is a pleasing and not bitter vegetable taste to it.The website says nori, and that may be true. It’s one of my favorites, but also one I like to have on occasions I can slowly drink it. If any part of the process or drinking is in haste, I find it quite wasted.