Okay, so I tried again with somewhat better results. I have a feeling I still wouldn’t be overly fond of this tea even if it was brewed for me by an expert, though. It was still a bit bitter for my tastes and a bit too vegetal, especially on the second infusion. I would definitely like to try a high-quality sencha at some point, though.
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A couple ideas for you, to help reduce bitterness (or to find a tea that you enjoy more!):
How long was your 2nd infusion? If you find it too strong, don’t go more than 20 seconds! Also, try brewing it at an even lower temperature – 155 – 160F for 1 minute. Or, you can use less leaf – use 1 tsp leaf for 4 oz water (or up to 8oz more water, depending on your taste).
This tea is on the ‘daily’ end of quality, so other teas you might simply enjoy more:
-Guricha or Tamaryokucha (different name, same tea). Den’s carries a Guricha, and Mellow Monk’s Top Leaf is also one… they seem to be more fruity and have less chance of being bitter.
-Fukamushi – I recommend either Den’s Fukamushi Yame or O-cha’s Chiran Sencha. Fukamushi tends to be less bitter… just keep the brewing very short (45 seconds for the 1st infusion, 10 seconds for the 2nd).
Good luck!
Thanks for the ideas! My second infusion was 15 seconds. I suspect lower temperatures might be the key. Fortunately, Den’s Tea gives you such nice big samples, I still have enough for at least another try. :)
Cool… and if you still don’t like it, hey, sometimes teas are just like that. But yes, they do give very nice-sized samples, so it’s nice to have more than one shot at it.
A couple ideas for you, to help reduce bitterness (or to find a tea that you enjoy more!):
How long was your 2nd infusion? If you find it too strong, don’t go more than 20 seconds! Also, try brewing it at an even lower temperature – 155 – 160F for 1 minute. Or, you can use less leaf – use 1 tsp leaf for 4 oz water (or up to 8oz more water, depending on your taste).
This tea is on the ‘daily’ end of quality, so other teas you might simply enjoy more:
-Guricha or Tamaryokucha (different name, same tea). Den’s carries a Guricha, and Mellow Monk’s Top Leaf is also one… they seem to be more fruity and have less chance of being bitter.
-Fukamushi – I recommend either Den’s Fukamushi Yame or O-cha’s Chiran Sencha. Fukamushi tends to be less bitter… just keep the brewing very short (45 seconds for the 1st infusion, 10 seconds for the 2nd).
Good luck!
Thanks for the ideas! My second infusion was 15 seconds. I suspect lower temperatures might be the key. Fortunately, Den’s Tea gives you such nice big samples, I still have enough for at least another try. :)
Cool… and if you still don’t like it, hey, sometimes teas are just like that. But yes, they do give very nice-sized samples, so it’s nice to have more than one shot at it.