Takeo Tea Farm: Organic Spring Sencha Kodawari #2 Premium 2014

I got this with my last Yunomi order. I had ordered their surprise New Year package which includes 4 teas. It seemed like a good deal so I went for it.

The leaves are a very dark green but that’s not unusual for a good sencha. I brewed this at a really low temperature – 160F for one minute. It brews up a rich green colour and the taste was sweet, very grassy , & a bit bitter. I just didn’t like the bitterness but otherwise enjoyed the cup. I haven’t been feeling too well so didn’t go for a second infusion until later this afternoon. I expected the 2nd cup to be better than the first. I was wrong. It was really bitter even though I still only brewed 1 min and at the same low temperature.

Now that I look at some of their brewing notes online, they do say the 2nd steeping should be shorter. There’s a few different steeping techniques so I’ll give a few of those a try next time.

The raw leaves are a beautiful blend of green tones with some yellow stems and brown sticks/twigs present. They smell fresh, sweet and grassy with toasted flowers.

Leaf – 5g
Water – 180ml
Temperature – 65c
Steeping time – 1 minutes

Once steeped the tea is cloudy green in colour and has a warm seaweed and grass scent.

In flavour It’s mild yet sweet with light grass and umami tones that come through in the after taste. Some dryness too.

A second steep reveals deeper grass and seaweed flavours with an increased dryness. The umami is present though remains minimal and slightly perfumed. As it cools I can also taste white cabbage.

A third steep brings out some astringency though it remains full of flavour. Though the dryness is increasing and feels powdery.

Overall: It was nice and the Organic factor made it extra special but I found this Sencha became dry too quickly for my liking.

Pics on my blog:
http://www.kittylovestea.co.uk/2015/01/30/fukubukuro-gifts-from-yunomi/