Den's Tea
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I received this in my shipment yesterday!
I am now drinking my water with a tea bag in it…SO delicious. The pear is not overly strong/fake tasting, and it doesn’t just taste like pear-flavored water. The sencha clearly comes through and the two go together amazingly well.
I’m curious to try it hot, but this is a yummy way to have water. Glad I bought 2 packs (of 10 bags each)… I wonder if you can resteep?
Preparation
I got this one too, along w/ the unflavored green. Although cold brewing goes against everything I think of when I think of tea lol. It’s because of this I doubt you could resteep. I could very well be wrong.
Well, I’m going to try it today and I’ll post again if it works. Another option I will try soon for this tea (for first, or possibly 2nd steep) is the ice-brew method (putting the bag at the bottom of the pot, covering it with ice, and waiting until the ice is all melted)… If these do resteep, they will definitely be good value.
ice brew method? That’s a new one. Something I’d personally never try though.
Really? You should, at least with unflavored japanese green tea, it is delicious! (Shinobicha is actually the term for it; shinobi means “patient” because you have to wait a long time for the ice to melt. It works much better than simple cold brew, because the freezing temperature has a similar effect on the tea that the hot/boiling temperature does. However, the freezing temperature brings out all of the flavor without any of the bitterness! Seriouly, try it!
How many ice cubes/bag?
http://www.gongfugirl.com/2009/08/shinobi-cha-ice-brewing-japanese-green-tea/
I’ve never done it with a teabag, but usually I do 2 tsp loose tea, and fill a 12-16 oz container with ice. That link should explain more too.
This is a sweet, vegetal sencha I’m drinking to start the day. Alternating it with the Sencha Shin-ryoku, it might have a bit more umami, but really hard to be sure. They’re very similar, and I prefer both to the Fukamushi sencha maki I bought previously from Den’s.
I’m still pretty new to the Japanese greens, first tried them just six months ago, so have only had half a dozen different senchas, mostly small samples, to compare this to.
Now you’ve had a ‘lot’ more experience with Japanese greens, have you tried it again to see what you think?
Interestingly, the first time I had this, I enjoyed it enough to buy more, but it wasn’t until I had been drinking it for a while, and then tried a few other senchas, that I really appreciated it.
Any senchas (other than from Den’s Tea) that you recommend?
(I’m new to Japanese greens as of just one year ago now, all because of Den’s Tea $3 sampler!)
Haven’t tried it again yet. I have tried enough other senchas to be clear that I have a strong preference for teas with less umami, so the sweetness shines through more, but this year I ordered some teas straight from a couple of different suppliers, and haven’t drunk through them yet. I probably will be ordering from Dens again within a few months, but not sure what I’ll order.
So many lovely teas to explore, and so little time! For sencha particularly, I really love it as my morning tea, but I rarely have the time to give it the proper attention later in the day—and sencha is touchy enough that I definitely have to give it time. So I go through my senchas slowly.
From last year’s harvests, I particularly enjoyed Sayamakaori and Honyama senchas from Yuuki Cha, and another Honyama from Norbu (the ‘Zairai’ varietal).
….just checked Den’s pages again, and guess what? The Shin-ryoku is from Honyama. I think there is a pattern developing here!
That makes sense about the sweetness; I’m pretty sure the Zuiko is more umami than sweet. This last fall, Den’s came out with a ‘Kuradashi’ (aged) sencha; it was the same tea as the Shin-ryoku or Zuiko, but aged 6 months. That was somewhat sweeter and very citrusy, compared to the regular Zuiko — my favorite sencha this year so far.
Yes, I think the Zuiko and Shin-ryoku are from the same exact tea garden. I don’t know what the processing difference is to make the former more expensive than the latter though.
Interesting; I’ve noticed a few from Yuuki Cha and I may check them out someday. Once I’ve drunk through what I have in my cupboard (which is full right now), I want to try Hojo Tea and O-cha. Hojo has a Zairai sencha also from Honyama I believe. I read (I think on Hojo’s website) that Honyama is one of the oldest high-quality tea growing regions.
When I next order from Den’s, I’ll probably stick to the Shin-ryoku, because the Zuiko was more strongly vegetal, with higher umami, which is not what I prefer. The only clear productions differences in the listings is a note that the Zuiko comes from a single garden, and is ‘scissor picked’ rather than machine harvested or hand picked.
I’ve sampled the Shin-ryoku before, but I need to get try it again; the fact that you say it is sweeter or whatever makes me think I would like it. Perhaps the Kuradashi is actually their Shin-ryoku, and that explains why I liked it more than the Zuiko. I email and ask them what the difference is between the two, since I know it is the same family that produces both.
How do you know it is the same family that produces both?
Just curious, because I don’t see that level of detail in the descriptions.
BTW, what I am referring to as ‘sweeter’ here should be translated to, more apparent sweetness due to lighter flavor with less umami to obscure the honey-sweet flavors.
Den wrote this article on the 2009 shincha harvest, long before I had ever heard of their company. However, they re-printed it last April or May again, because a lot of the information was still relevant. I found it to be fascinating! And it explains a lot about their farm where Zuiko and Shin-ryoku come from: http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_page=shincha_report
Thanks for clarifying about sweeter; that makes sense!
With regards to the link, the article is long, so scroll down to ‘Nakamura Tea Farm’ for the relevant info.
Thanks for the excellent link. Now more eager for their kunpu shincha…
No problem! Yeah, I want to try it as well as the “108th night shincha”
I spent a couple of months alternating this and the Sencha Select from the Cultured cup as my daily first of the morning brew. It was very nice, but I prefer the brighter taste of the less-steamed tea to the stronger umami of this one. So with my next order, I went back to Dens regular senchas, and have been happier with them.
Preparation
Opened up a fresh package this morning, and had a lovely series of infusions. I kept the temp low—150-160 degrees for the first three or four infusions, then raised it and enjoyed another four or five more at about 180 degrees. The later infusions were quite light, but then I’m a tea wimp who likes things dilute.
It was nice to remember how sweet and mellow this tea is.
Preparation
Tasted this one again as part of a tasting session from another forum.
It is quite a lovely tea.
http://www.well.com/user/debunix/recipes/Asamushis11.10.html
Preparation
I was finishing off some Den’s Fukamushi-Sencha Maki at the time that I opened a sample of this one, and I was so impressed by the bright sweetness in contrast to the more umami taste of the fukamushi that I ordered more, along with the Sencha Zuiko. So far, I can’t tell much difference between the two, except perhaps a little more umami in the Zuiko. When I do think I can tell a difference, I actually prefer the Shin-ryoku. It’s a nice morning cup of tea.
And yes, it is temperature sensitive. I do my first infusions at 160 F 30" and may let a 2nd or 3rd get as hot as 170 for a shorter time, but no hotter. I’m a bitter-wimp.
Preparation
Today brewed this as a ‘tea in a hurry’: dumped a few teaspoons into the bottom of a quart thermos, added hot water from the water cooler tap, and went to my meeting. An hour and a half later, it is still delicious: no bitterness, astringency, still just sweet, toasty, delicious.
I love teas like this!
It is a wonderful thing to be able to trust a tea to tolerate this degree of ‘abuse’, because my work days do sometimes require that my tea tolerate this, or I have to go without for the afternoon. This and a handful of shu puerhs are the best I’ve found for those circumstances.
I agree! I often just toss the tea leaves in my travel mug and leave them there to steep. Puerh and houjicha have worked the best.
Finally opened this tea up, which I ordered as part of my first order from Den’s Tea. I was shy of bitterness in green teas, hadn’t yet figured out how to steep them, so ordered a little of this, a little of a gyokuro, and a green tea sampler. I figured out how to enjoy the senchas and the gyokuro, and now am drinking one of them nearly every morning, and then this tea got left in the back of the cupboard. But tonight I opened it up, am enjoying the toastiness, and am going to send a thank you to the tea-friend who suggested it as an entry to Japanese tea. It is a little more one-note than my favorite darker oolongs, with the toasted note over a mild herbaceousness, but still entirely pleasant, easy, mellow. I will doubtless pick up a little of this from time to time.
Preparation
Sip down! Well I just ordered more online, so I should have it back in my cupboard in a few days. I was savoring this tea. I love the light floral slightly cherry flavors mixed with green.
I think its because most are not flavored teas
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My order from Lupicia came in this past weekend and I was so pleased! It was my first tine ordering from them. They included 2 samples! So I decided to use my new Handy Cooler, which is super cute by the way, and cold-brewed Den’s Tea Sakura Sencha. I let it sit in the fridge overnight and took the filter out in the morning! Soo good and refreshing! Some of the slim and tiny leaves and small flowers fell through into the pitcher. The steep was a light green/yellow and was a bit hazy. The taste was delicious. It wasn’t bitter at all. I love the floral and grassy notes in this. Yum!
Preparation
Delicious! Each time I reach for this tea, it tastes different to me. It is probably because I’m not very accurate in my steeping parameters. I usually estimate. Smells excellent and tastes smooth. It has a nice, subtle cherry accent to it, especially when I let it roll around in my mouth. I know it might sound gross, but I like doing it. _
Yummy! On the plus side, I am finished with my surgical rotation!!! yay! I feel relaxed these days and I finally have some quality time to spend with tea.
Preparation
Another tea that has a bunch of positive reviews here on steepster and another tea from LiberTEAs…I’m very grateful! :)
This has a very delicate smell and had I not known that it was cherry blossom I would probably still be trying to find the words to explain what exactly it was that I am smelling. But it’s Green Tea and Cherry Blossom indeed!
I really love the pretty little pearls laying perfectly on top of the green tea leaves in this loose leaf mixture. They glitter and dance thanks to the intense fluorescent bulbs above my desk cubicle. The after-infusion liquid is the perfect green tea color. Perfection…what ever other green tea should strive to be color-wise. Okay…I might be over selling it a bit but not by much. I really think the color is perfect tho.
The taste is thirst-quenching and tasty…slightly floral and sweet. It’s a true delight!
For what it is and what you pay, this is great value. Excellent flavor and quality for being in a pyramid tea bag. If you want to drink Sencha often and keep things cheap, this is a good way to go.
Again, this isn’t an 85 if you compare it to other Sencha or other types of Japanese Green Tea. But if you compare it to other Senchas in tea bags, then it is very good.
Rating -
For Sencha: 74/100
For Green Tea: 64/100
Value: 100/100
Overall: 84
I’ve never logged this tea! It was one of the very first green teas that I ever had.
I recently bought some, because I had only had a sample of it very early on. I’ve had a cold recently, so that may have affected my opinion some . . .
However, this is a great, everyday tea. I kept thinking I wished it was slightly more roasted tasting, than umami or sweet tasting (it is none of those in a strong degree, but leans slightly more toward umami or sweet).
But anyway, it is well balanced and though not my favorite from Den’s Tea, I’d enjoy a cup of it anytime.
