Gyokuro Imperial

Tea type
Green Tea
Ingredients
Green Tea Leaves
Flavors
Grass, Green, Vegetal, Seaweed, Smooth, Bitter, Salty, Freshly Cut Grass, Sweet, Umami, Astringent, Butter, Burnt, Hay, Straw, Sweet, Warm Grass, Dark Bittersweet
Sold in
Bulk, Loose Leaf
Caffeine
High
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Brandice
Average preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 1 min, 15 sec 7 g 20 oz / 592 ml

From Our Community

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20 Want it Want it

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189 Own it Own it

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109 Tasting Notes View all

  • “SIPDOWN! Thanks to Raritea for this sample. Now i’m not huge fan of straight greens but this one is for sure one that I could keep around for when i’m in the mood for a straight green. There’s a...” Read full tasting note
    80
  • “Thanks to Raritea for a sample of this one! Unfortunately, although I knowingly wrote 1 tsp on the bag, I clearly put 1.5 into it, so this is not yet a sipdown :( Ahhh, this is tasty. Vegetal and...” Read full tasting note
    82
  • “Loose Appearance: long fine leaf, dark forest green Aroma when Dry: buttery, smooth, sweet (eastern) After water is first poured: buttery, smooth, creamy, sweet (eastern) At end of first steep:...” Read full tasting note
    70
  • “This poor tea… I killed it with both steeping time and hot water. My mom still loved it, but I thought it was too astringent for me. She said “it tastes like spinach water” and, as she is someone...” Read full tasting note
    80

From Teavana

Rich, almost full-bodied, smooth taste with sweet ending & complex notes.

The finest of Japanese teas, Gyokuro bushes are covered for several weeks before harvest with bamboo or straw shades to increase the chlorophyll content of the leaves. The results of this transformation are the renowned dark green leaves with high concentrations of Antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids. Celebrated for its emerald green infusion and sweet aftertaste.

How to Prepare
Use 1 teaspoon of tea per 8oz of water. Heat water to 175 degrees (79 degrees Celsius) and steep for 45 seconds to 1 minute. For stronger flavor, use more tea leaves. 2oz of tea equals 25-30 teaspoons.

About Teavana View company

Company description not available.

109 Tasting Notes

70
70 tasting notes

Thanks to T.C. for this sample! Brews up yellow-green and very slightly cloudy (that could be from the broken leaf). Aroma is highly vegetal and sweet, as is the flavor. I used to get these vegetable chips that were basically flash-fried green beans, carrot and other assorted root veggies. This is basically the same flavor profile: a sweet, beany broth. Spinach notes as well. I want to pair it with a slice of salty buttered toast.

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 0 min, 45 sec

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96
431 tasting notes

Delicious mild, grassy, and vegetal. I make this one double strong and ice it. Although it does taste nice hot as well I just much rather prefer it cold and unsweetened. I only really drink this one hot when I am not feeling well.

Preparation
Iced 3 min, 0 sec

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75
61 tasting notes

drank it cold-brewed. took out the bitterness

Elliott Mann

I recommend that you try steeping it hot, but at a lower temperature to have your tea without the bitterness. Green teas are easy to “burn” and quickly become bitter when steeped at high temperatures.

Shanti

Gyokuro is pretty special in that it’s often prepared cold-brewed, not hot, and you get different flavors from cold-brewing than hot-brewing. But yeah, it’s nice both ways. (Not sure about Teavana, just gyokuro in general).

xhado123

140 degrees at 45 seconds ought to do this one justice.

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85
7 tasting notes

This was the very first loose tea I expermented with. Tried it once that same day I purchased 16 oz, a tea tin, and my beloved faded green cast iron tea cup which I use exclusivly for gykoro and sencha. This is still one of the best teas around and a staple in my tea collection.

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16
15 tasting notes

Normally I love this tea. I ordered this as a hot cup to go at Teavana as a special treat. The water they used was too hot and it was way oversteeped. It also tasted and smelled strongly of cinnamon, I think they had done a tea with cinnamon previously in their steeper. I couldn’t even drink more than a few sips. I was truly disappointed. I will never order this in-store again, and I can’t afford to buy it to make at home, so… no more yummy gyokuro for me.

ashmanra

Sorry to hear your tea was disappointing!

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99
48 tasting notes

Fresh air, sweet spring grass, clean earth, the ocean: this is a tea I love. It just tastes so, so good.

Preparation
165 °F / 73 °C 1 min, 15 sec

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87
7 tasting notes

I’m really a fan of Gyokuro, and this is not version of it from Teavana. The tea is a nice bright yellow-green color, almost fluorescent looking. It’s got a strong green smell, that of artichoke or spinach with a hint of sweetness.

The flavor is more robust than other green teas I’ve had, nice astringency. Tastes lightly of fresh grass and earth.

I really love this tea, it’s very calming, and has a tendency to uplift my mood more so than other green teas I have currently in my collection.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 0 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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87
1113 tasting notes

I never knew a straight green could taste this complex! It is very mild and smooth and almost floral.

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92
257 tasting notes

Very beautiful spring green color when brewed. Been drinking this tea daily with lunch as I got it a while ago and got lots of it. Definitely drink this one with food in your stomach because the green tea tannins are heavy on the stomach. The flavor is very vegetal and lovely. I always feel transported to Japan when I drink this tea and daydream. This is very good green tea.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 0 min, 45 sec

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37
2 tasting notes

This is the first Gyokuro tea that started my addiction to Gyokruo.

Its a little rough and has gone down in quality, despite its increase in price.
Uneven tone in leaves, a bit choppy and not as lusterous as perhaps 2008.

Brew is pale yellow to bright green depending on preparation.
Take care in brewing the second infusion, as tea leaves have already unfurled and will steep faster.

Do not be misguided, this is not near the creme de la creme in the world of Gyokuro.

Preparation
150 °F / 65 °C 1 min, 0 sec

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