O-Cha.com

Hello all! In case anyone has noticed, I’ve been a bit MIA for a couple of weeks-ish. I’ve been in Hawaii! I got back earlier today and am finally all unpacked, including the massive amounts of tea I purchased while there. After all, there is a Lupicia in the Ala Moana mall. And Shirokiya, the Japanese department store also in Ala Moana Center, had a long row of tea. Oh yeah, and Don Quijote (the Japanese discount store) had some tea – including Maeda-en stuff. So yeah, I got 10 different teas in Hawaii, most of them sencha. And when I got home I had a delightful package from Chicago Tea Garden waiting for me with 4 more teas and my new yunomi that I ordered before I left. (I got this one – http://www.chicagoteagarden.com/buy/yunomi/yunomi-cup-03 – it’s awesome!)

Anyway, lots of Steepstering (and real-life things) to catch up on and that always goes better with tea. I cracked this one open before my trip for a swap but didn’t get a chance to try it. So I’m passing on my hordes of new tea to try a new-to-me tea (though it’s been sealed in my pantry for a while).

Tossing the dry leaf into a pre-heated pot smells sooooo tasty. Not buttery like some of my favorite senchas, but still sweet, vegetal and surprisingly fresh.

The taste is also fresh and very crisp and clean, also a bit thin? As it cools though, the taste thickens and it begins to taste like honeydew melon and a little fresh grass with some sort of not-quite-salty-but-somehow-oceanic lower note that’s really attractive. It still has this remarkable crisp/lightness to it even though it feels a little fuzzy/comforting. It’s not as thick and heavy of mouthfeel as my normal senchas but it is very nice. Oddly, the final sip gave me some white grape flavor, which I’ve honestly never gotten from any sencha before so maybe it was just a short circuit in my tastebud/brain connection.

Second steep, instant pour: This makes me think of apples even though, yeah, it doesn’t actually taste like apples. Perhaps my taste buds are jetlagged? Or, upon more consideration, perhaps it is because this steep has a crisp sweetness coupled with a little bit of texture which gives me apple-like feelings? Or both. Or something. I don’t know, it’s good.
5g/10oz/pour started at 40s

Trying a new-to-me green tea from o-cha.com. This kabusecha has a very, very light liquor and mild flavor, slightly sweet. Grassy, not bitter. 175 is a bit hotter than I usually steep my Japanese green tea at, but I decided to follow the suggested preparation parameters marked on the packaging. I’m extremely happy with the results!

Good for three steeps according to the label, but the last was pretty weak and so I usually let it go the full 2 minutes rather than the 1.5 suggested. I appreciated O-Cha putting the suggested steeping times right on the label which were 1.0, .5 and 1.5 minutes. Buttery aftertaste was especially enjoyable.

this is a great and cheap everyday Matcha. not the finest but definitly recommended.

This tea is really nice. I was a little weary of organic teas, as I heard they could be less flavorful, but this one definitely isn’t! First infusion is a nice yellow-green, with a sharp but sweet taste. Second infusion is cloudy, soupy and umami-packed, as it should be. The price is also cheaper than some other teas, while still having all the flavor.

The tea was packaged in the usual type of bag, however it seemed to be vacuum packed, as it was air tight and you could feel the tea packed together inside. On the packaging is a drawing of what I assume is the owner of the tea farm, along with her son. It’s nice to see the faces of the people who dedicated their time to making your tea.

Tried the 2010 Shincha version of this tea.

Vibrant colour. Fresh, lifted grass aromas and flavour. Great depth and texturally interesting. Beautiful tea, one of my favourite 2010 Shinchas.

Price paid: $25 USD for 100g
Buy again: Yes

An inspection of the dry leaf appeared to contain a higher proportion of relatively large “needles”. A later inspection of the steeped leaves proves these to be a large number of stems and veins, something which I would predict to lessen the quality of a tea’s flavor. Continuing to compare this tea to my last experience, I found the first steep of the Yutaka Midori (YM) still sweet, but not as viscous or deep as the Sae Midori (SM). The flavor profile was different, with an array of tropical fruits, pineapple, lychee, and rambutan, all of which were quite enjoyable! Brininess really picks up in the back of the throat with some clam liquor, seawater, and dried kelp. Some green melon rind peeks in. Overall, this flavor profile didn’t seem particularly deep or thorough.

The second and third steeps were markedly different, with noticeable coarse bitterness that accompanied a sulfurous or tidal flat mud character, clashing with the tea’s sweetness. It made me suspect harsh chemical use in the growth of this tea. The second steep was not my favorite. The third showed more resilience, but was not enough to warrant a fourth. I know that this is a very lauded tea, but I must admit that I found it less enamoring than other examples from this year’s harvest.

Full blog post: http://tea.theskua.com/?p=86

In the warmed houhin, the leaves glowed in briny ocean and warmed green grasses. The first steep produced an achingly sweet cup, with intense theanine-infused juiciness. What a wonderful texture, supple, sweet, and silky, with a strong bouquet of honeydew melon rind, oyster shell, and grape leaf. Savory and sweet all at once. I was so impressed with the first steep that I decided to hold off on a second session this morning and save my remaining 4g for a re-visit after I’ve tasted the other samples in my lot.

The second and third steeps were appreciably different, with the second exuding a not-bitter astringency that left a parching sensation in the mouth, a quality that played well with continuing sweetness, amplified green melon flavors, and persisting ocean brine. The third, however, was fairly plain and empty, but I was okay with that considering the shining impression that the first two steeps left. In many ways, this tea set a new bar for my limited experience with shincha.

Full blog post: http://tea.theskua.com/?p=74

Very nice quality Organic Asamushi. Nice mellow flavor. Low astringency. very enjoyable.

This tea was very good. Part of the fun of drinking this tea is knowing that it’s from the oldest continually running teashop in the world! It’s flavor is very similar to Kukicha, but with a touch of Sencha flavor too. You can kind of alter the flavor depending on how you brew it. A little hotter and you get more “twig” flavor (nutty and tart), a little cooler, and you get more sencha flavor.

This is a great tea! It’s from the yutaka midori breed, and has a very similar flavor to Yutaka Midori, only not as “bold”. But since this tea is also $8 cheaper than YM, it’s quite the bargain for a very good tea.

Yutaka Midori isn’t just the name of this tea, it’s also the breed, and this breed is known for it’s good flavor. O-Cha’s Yutaka Midori is great. Very green, vegetal, grassy and delicious. Multiple infusions with great flavor/color. Probably the best Sencha you can find.

Grassy but not bitter. Beautiful green color and a pleasant aroma.