Den's Tea

This is so wonderful. It has a delicious, savory taste to it. It isn’t as sweet as some Sencha teas can be, in stead, it has a lovely hint of sweetness, along with a distinct sour note that leans toward the savory. It is incredibly comforting. Like chicken soup.

This is a good tea, even better iced actually.
Its easy to brew, turns out well at 170, 180, and boiling… probably other temperatures, too. It isn’t bitter (at least in my experience), but has a nice fresh, grassy, semi-sweet flavor, that’s a little astringent.

(This is definitely worth the price, though, if I was looking for a tea from Den’s at this price range, I’d probably go for Green Kukicha instead, as that is even better!).

A wonderful veggie-sweet! Hearty and true! Quite SAVORY and almost brothy. I really like this! VERY tasty!

Finally drank the last of this today. Used a lot of leaf (probably slightly more than 1g/oz). The flavor had clear notes of sweet orange/citrus, and left a delicious aftertaste that lasted (I kept noticing the flavor in my mouth, even 15 – 30 minutes later, which was really a surprise).

This is an excellent shincha. I hope they offer it next year!

I have been wanting to try this tea for quite a while (about a year).
When shincha season came up this year, and I saw that Den’s Tea was not offering it, I was disappointed… but then I discovered that one can order from their Parent Co. directly in Japan (though, it is a bit tricky to do so).
And with the help of Google translate, I saw they were selling this tea!

It has intrigued me for several reasons; first, it is a high elevation tea, and that often can mean good quality. Second, the method and care described by which the farmer, Sugiyama, goes about growing the tea was fascinating and the results just called out to be experienced. Finally, this tea is not the usual Japanese green tea cultivar, Yabukita. Instead it is ‘Zairai’ which I’ve wanted to try for some time, as well.

My first time having Zairai though, was not this tea, but Obubu (they offer a few, but their best of this cultivar is Sencha of the Earth, definitely recommend!).
Anyway, Zairai is quite interesting to me because it is actually the original tea cultivar that was brought from China (at least, if I’m remembering correctly) when tea was introduced to Japan.

This shincha has been excellent so far. The aroma of the dry leaf is especially strong and delicious. I typically enjoy the smell of dry leaf, but it is often not very pronounced until the leaves have been brewed for the first time. Not so with this tea!
It smells strongly of pine, somewhat sweet, somewhat (pleasantly) bitter—just irresistible.

I’ve managed to get three good infusions out of it each time. I might be able to get a decent fourth, but haven’t had the time to usually do so.
The tea reminds me of Sencha Zuiko (also by Den’s Tea), but it is less like fresh-baked bread, and more pine and lemon. There are probably other nuances to it that I can’t remember right now, but I’ve enjoyed every cup.

My intrigue in this tea has not been disappointed!

I was curious to try an organic sencha because I have heard just how different the taste is. I haven’t had enough of conventional versus organic to make this judgement myself, but this tea is definitely different in a good way.

One of the things I’ve heard about organic sencha, and a negative for some people, is that it’s a lot milder in flavor. In a way I would have to agree, but it’s not a negative for me. This sencha doesn’t have quite that bite I associate with other senchas, but nevertheless it’s enjoyable.

The smell is very sylvan and the taste is rather woodsy as well. Slightly grassy with an herbaceous, salty buttery undertone. There’s also a marine like quality to this- it’s as if a garden emerged under the sea and you’re imbibing this oceanic green nectar. I can’t say it’s my favorite sencha, but it’s a nice one to have on hand.

I used 3.5 gram of leaf per 4 oz. of water.

Sipdown! Bye bye bubby! You were a good friend. I’m lucky that you’re sold close by and for not-so-much-money!

I’m not so sure what I’m drinking is organic. It doesn’t say so on the label, but I’m sure it’s Genmaicha with Matcha Blend by Den’s Tea….

This is my first and only Genmaicha, and I adore it most of the time. Here’s the problem. I made a big batch of it iced and well, I’m not digging it… It’s okay though, i’ll rate it as if I was smart and brewed hot ;) Toasty and tasty!

I had a tough week, so last night I opened up my pouch of Den’s Gyokuro Kin, placed a good rounded teaspoon of leaves into my Sincha Kyusu and started to relax just smelling the aroma of this beautiful tea.

When Den’s says that “Gyokuro Kin is a cup of affordable luxury,” they are being modest as this is one really fantastic Gyokuro. There truly is a great harmony of natural sweetness and slight bitterness, supplemented by a mellow umami flavor and very light astringency.

1st cup: Water @ 160F; Steep 90 sec
2nd cup: Water @ 180F; Steep 30 sec
I couldn’t resist a 3rd steep, which was nice but gets a bit too astringent for me, and looses the mellowness. Truly a wonderful way to end the week!

This is good; the peach flavor is very subtle, I can barely tell it’s there. For that reason, I think I like the pear flavored iced green from Den’s better; however, the green tea base in this is still just as delicious. These would be good with no flavoring at all.

170 degrees, 15 sec, 2g to 2 oz water

Delicious. The balance of Sakura with the Sencha is delightful. Light and tasty.

New batch:

2oz water, 1.3g tea, 160F, 60sec

This is quite similar to my first batch and steep, except it’s a bit more buttery/sweet. I’m surprised such a little difference in temp made a difference!

Second steep: followed Den’s directions -boiling water for 15sec

It smells very floral and rich.

The bitterness is almost completely gone… just the faintest touch of it in the finish. The mouthfeel of this is quite buttery. It’s lightly floral with a lot of green flavor.

Second steep, 160F, 45sec

This steep has the buttery feel others have mentioned and is all green, no cherry blossom floral-ness. The joining bitterness is still there, but not as good tasting without the floral to balance with.

Gonna keep fiddling!

Tea courtesy of swapping with Kaybee!

2oz water, 1.3g tea, 60sec, 170F

This is my first try at sencha and am going off the Den’s instructions on how to brew it, with the exception of the temperature. With that I went down to 170F for starters, due to Kaybee including a note that 180F seemed its upper limit.

The scent is slightly sweet and floral. Very pleasant.

The flavor is very green in the middle back of the tongue. It is very floral around the middle front of the tongue. The finish is floral and a touch sweet around the nose. There’s a solid bit of bitter, too… not in an off-putting way, but rather in a way that ties the whole flavor of the tea together.

As said, this is my first sencha and if the taste of it is at all representative of how sencha will be, then I’m going to be a fan. I really like this tea and would definitely buy some; it’s going on my Shopping List.

I got a sample of this, and it is very nice.
I’d call it a pleasant, every-day kind of sencha. It’s grassy, a little sweet, and there’s very little about it that I think non-green tea drinkers would find unpleasant. The 2nd and 3rd infusions were also very dark, almost like a fukamushi, but it seems to be light-steamed.

I’m glad to have finally tried this, and I’d recommend it for anyone new to Japanese tea.

I received a free sample of this tea with a Den’s Tea order – it’s always great when a company does stuff like this because it allows me to try new teas without having to spend money on a larger quantity of a tea that I might potentially not even like.

This one has a flavour I’m more used to tasting in Chinese green teas rather than Japanese greens. It has a full-bodied, savory flavour rather than the grassy notes I’m used to tasting in sencha and gyokuros. The resteep also produces a nice, flavourful cup even though I followed the directions and only steeped it for 15 seconds.

One of the great things about trying a company’s sampler pack is that you find something you really enjoy, but might not have tried on your own. I love Japanese green teas, and have had many cups of sencha, matcha and genmaicha over the last two decades. But this was the first time I tried a genmaicha with matcha in the blend. It was a true revelation.

ist steep: 30 seconds, 180F Bright green, cloudy liquid. Roasted rice aroma with a hint of sweetness. Nice comforting umami flavor with a little nutty and grassy character.

2nd steep: 15 seconds, 210F Bright olive green liquid with still a bit of matcha cloudiness. Aroma is a bit more sweet and less roasty. The flavor is still beautiful with just a hint of kelp flavor.

I look forward to adding more of this tea to my next order from Den’s Tea! :)

Although I rarely have had Houjicha (hoji-cha) at home, it is one of the teas I have enjoyed in Japanese restaurants. It is high in umami flavors, with rich pleasant, roasty aroma. It is one of those teas that goes well with almost any meal.

I received this tea in my sampler from Den’s Tea, and have to echo my fellow Steepsterites that anyone who loves Japanese green teas is doing themselves a disservice if they don’t get this sampler (and more!) from Den’s.

Now on to my tasting…
Color of the infusion is a nice reddish brown. there is a wonderfully savory and aromatic nuttiness that blends with the roasted flavor. I find myself salivating and wanting another sip, time after time—and then it is gone! Wait, time to go for another steep.
Soothing, comforting, and really a pleasant feel on the tongue. Another tea to go on my shopping list. ;)

Mmm… this stuff is addictive! It’s very tempting for me to brew a lot of this at a time, but I’ve been holding back and just doing 3 oz. cups because they turn out so well and force to me to cherish each sip.

This tea reminds me so vividly of the sea and salty waters. It’s the first thing I noticed. Surprisingly enough, the saltiness of it is a rather interesting aspect to the tea and not weird at all like you would imagine (no yucky salt water here). Like other reviewers have noted, it definitely does have a bitter aftertaste to it, but a little bitterness isn’t something that bothers me. I can get two very good infusions and somewhat weak third infusion out of it.

I’ve been drinking Den’s Tencha-Kuki Houjicha before bed (or whenever I need to unwind) for the last couple weeks now, and I’ve grown incredibly fond of its subtle brew. Unlike Den’s traditional Kuki Houjicha — which has a darker, more robust roast — the Tencha Kuki Houjicha is lightly roasted and produces a more delicate, golden liquor.

Other reviewers on Steepster have mentioned the natural honey-like sweetness of these stems, and I have to agree. It still has that vegetal, “fresh green beans” taste that I remember from the green kukicha, but it’s much more “woodsy” thanks to the light roasting these stems undergo. Out of all the “green” teas I’ve tasted, this is probably the most “white.”

On the package for this tea, it comes with a single suggestion: “Brew casually.” After trying various states of boiling water and different leaf ratios, I have to agree. Throw a couple scoops of tea in your pot and add some boiling water — I’ve yet to mess this one up. It might not knock you off your feet at first, but there’s something immediately soothing about the Tencha-Kuki Houjicha

Excuse me Gyokuro, where have you been hiding all my tea-drinking life? My first Gyokuro and, needless to say, I am happily in love.

This is my second time drinking it and tinkering around with the steeping time and temperature. The first time I killed it on the second steep by following Den’s instructions (180* at 30 sec). I should have known better from reading about Gyokuro and its low temperature preference, but sometimes I like finding out these things myself (and wasting expensive tea in the meantime).

This cup I brewed is deliciously buttery and sweet. Even onto the third infusion it’s holding onto flavor. I didn’t think I enjoyed sweetness in tea, especially green, but this is a different kind of sweetness- a mellow, buttery and grassy one. The first infusion was vegetal and grassy. The second infusion was probably my favorite, highlighting the buttery taste I can’t get enough of. The third was like the second, but less potent.

Steeping notes: 3oz. with 2 g
1. 145* at 90 sec.
2. 160* at 60 sec.
3. 170* at 90 sec.