Kurihara Tea #07: Imperial Sencha Hime Shizuku

Another tea from 2019 shincha sampler. This one is nicely balanced, but doesn’t break any new grounds I’d say. Smelling the leaves reminds me of freshly cut grass, chestnut, and chicken meat with a faint floral component. First infusion has a very good bitterness complementing the umami, chestnut sweetness and a sort of nutty earthiness (quite different from the crisp nutty taste you tend to get in Chinese greens). It is also a bit tart and has a citrus fragrance. The liquor has a medium to full body and the mouthfeel lies somewhere between milky and creamy. Later infusions are also pleasant, but ultimately less interesting. They are more grassy and tangy, with a distinctive throat warming sensation.

Got this as one of my “almost free” samples for Yunomi. I didn’t read the package clearly and realized it was TWO samples instead one. So I poured the whole packet in there and brewed it as instructed only to find it was WAAAAY too strong. So I diluted it with hot water and that seemed to do the trick.

Hot, this tea isn’t bad at all. But I decided to let it cool in the fridge to see how that went. And I have to say it’s a very pleasing tea chilled. It’s got a nice blend of vegetal, sweet, and umami. Maybe a little bit on the grassier side but not overwhelmingly so. I think it makes a really nice chilled tea. Even dilluted it is a bit strong, so maybe next time I might steep for 45 seconds instead of the full minute.