No. 31 Ho-Ho-Hoji-Chai

I received this as a gift from Todd back in 2020, and I’m working on sipping it down by enjoying it in the mornings. The hojicha is lightly woody/nutty, and I like how it compliments the spices — in particular, the citrusy notes of the cardamom really pops. In some sips the woodiness of the hojicha mixed with the cardamom create an almost piney sort of flavor. It is the strongest spice I’m getting, though I do taste a bit of the ginger and the cloves and the cloves in particular leave a strong aftertaste. Apparently this tea is supposed to have chocolate flavoring and cocoa nibs according to the ingredients? I don’t taste even a hint of chocolate. (I know it’s old, but it has been kept factory-sealed in the tin since I received it, so I thought at least some of the flavoring notes would survive…)

This is very enjoyable… definitely a cozy-feeling tea.

I swear I wrote a note on this one the year before last. Anyway, Backlog, I’m glad it’s on the site. I contemplated on toxically “therapy buying” some for the incoming cold weather in Michigan. I liked this one a lot, but didn’t absolutely need it. I did finish this one quickly and a part of me wish I re-orderd it for the last order I did because it’s one of my top 6 steven smith blends.

The spices are really well balanced in warming, and I always got a nutty graham cracker vibe from it. The cocoa nibs comes in hints after the spices, but I remember the ginger and cinnamon being pretty noticeable. I think there needs to be more hojicha blends period because it works well to add nutty and more caramelized notes to a tea if it’s not overcooked, and it’s one of the few green teas that I’ll drink nearly any season, but especially in winter. Price is the only gripe.

Sipdown (1396)!

Thank you for sharing Cameron B. – I have a deep love of hojicha so I was thrilled to get to add another to my list of blends that I’ve tried!

I enjoyed this one a lot, although I found it quite mildly flavoured. It was very thick and toasty with deep roasted notes of caramelized nuts and grains – very golden and warming. I definitely tasted a bit of the cocoa flavour from the blend additions and I thought that was a very smart and pleasant addition. I actually did not get much in the way of spices though – I thought maybe I was getting a hint of cinnamon but I couldn’t be sure if that was my mind playing tricks on me or not.

Even if those spices didn’t come through, though, it was still delicious!

2021 sipdown no. 61

This is a bit of a sad sipdown because this tea exceeded my expectations. I really wasn’t sure how the chai spices would be against the hojicha base but the hojicha base adds so much to this blend, and I may possibly prefer it over a black base. The light yet deep roastiness of the base complements the spices so nicely. The spices have a great balance where no one spice overshadows the others. There’s also a sweetness here that isn’t cloying at all and while I’m not completely sure where it comes from, it’s welcome.

Thanks to Cameron for sharing another wonderful tea!

Oh my, Smith, you’ve done it again.

This houjicha-chai tastes like gingerbread! And wood a bit, cause it’s houjicha. I can pick out notes of clove, chocolate, cinnamon, and gingerbread.

I find it resteeps pretty well. I plan to try it with almond milk too, hot and iced. I got a 2.75 oz tin, although I plan to send some to Sara soon. She’s the one who linked me to it.

Oh. I have some gingerbread. Dips gingerbread into the tea Gingerbreadception! Holiday overdose! Also tasty.

I had a very happy tea mail day today, with orders from Dessert by Deb, Adagio, and this holiday tin set from Steven Smith Teamaker. All the things! This is the one I was most excited about, so since I’ve finished all of my advent teas for today, I thought I’d steep up a mug to try. By the way, the tins are gorgeous and such nice quality!

Yum, this is very tasty. The hojicha base is, of course, cozy and comforting with a lovely soft toasty flavor and notes of nuts. The spices are light and not overpowering, and I definitely get cardamom and clove with a bit of ginger. I can actually taste the chocolate, and it’s very natural and goes well with the toastiness of the hojicha.

Tasty, I dig it. I’m very happy that the spices are light enough to let the base tea shine through!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIg9poog7aC/

Why are there not more flavored hojichas? This is so tasty-slightly burnt caramel and cinnamon, with a bit of cardamom and ginger in the finish.