Yunomi

Home for the evening but not down for the count yet as my FB says I still need to walk another 2,000 steps. ha ha.

Got this in my new Yunomi order. I got mostly samples and I have been really curious about this one for a while now. Baked apple and roasted houijcha sounds like a really good combination to me. I steeped this according to the package directions, 1 minute at around 195f. I found the tea to be a little thin in taste and very gingery. I like ginger but wasn’t getting apple until the cup cooled down a little. I did get the apple as an aftertaste, but it is kind of on the light side and a bit artificial at that. Hmm. Not too impressed with this at the moment but I will try steeping the rest of the sample for a longer time period and see if that improves my experience of it. For now, I am not too upset that this is just a sample size.

This is one of the best Hojichas I have ever had. It’s not pedestrian stuff, it took me two different times to get used to it. It’s slightly smoky, slightly sweet as it cools and roasted and toasty to it’s core. I highly recommend cooking with it! I made some bomb pork chops with it.
I had some the other night with my man, and he likened it to ‘you know, schwag weed.’ which may be completely accurate.

Full fancy review:
http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/04/20/yamane-en-sugabou-gyokuro-karigane-houjicha-green-tea-yunomi/

Oh goody! One of those stupid headaches that won’t go away has decided to crop up, I hate them because they make it so hard to think straight and see straight, plus I tend to get so dizzy. I have had them my whole life, they just crop up and stay for anywhere from a week to a few months, pretty sure they are just part of having Fibromyalgia, plus they run in the family, probably because we are so smart! Blah, tea helps though, I am not a ‘tea for health’ reasons kinda person, but tea works on these headaches better than any pain killer, so it is not just the caffeine (I lived off Excedrin as a teenager, my stomach still thanks me for that one) but possibly the play of caffeine and theanine? Or maybe it is the soothing taste, hot liquid acting as a vasodilator in my head, and the ritual of tea as a whole bringing me peace. Regardless of the reason, I am glad it brings my head a bit of a rest so I can do things, like write this blog!

Recently I recieved a surprise package from Yunomi with Nakamura-En’s #01 Gyokuro Mecha, The Discovery inside. I do not remember requesting any samples to review lately, so maybe this came from their awesome Tea4Two program, whatever the reason for its arrival, it was very welcome because I had just run out of Gyokuro the other day. This particular Gyokuro is actually Mecha (no, not that kind of Mecha, sadly it is not a giant piloted robot, I am sad too) a tea that is basically the broken off tips and buds of the tea, this gives it a more robust taste and makes it cheaper than normal Gyokuro and high end Sencha. This also means that it is a bit cheaper, meaning if you are wanting to experiment with brewing Gyokuro the crazy leaf heavy traditional way or just try Gyokuro in general, it is a good introductory tea. I have to say, this might be the sweetest Gyokuro I have had the pleasure of sniffing (also such tiny leaves! must be careful to not inhale them) it is a blend if honey, freshly broken green grass and hay, and a chestnut and sweet pea finish. As I snuffled around in the tea leaves a bit longer, warming them up even more by breathing on them, delicate floral notes and a touch of kelp waft up from the emerald leaves.

Really, I should brew this in my Kyusu or pseudo-Houhin, but I always end up brewing Gyokuro in my glass steeping apparatus, because it is so pretty! The aroma of the now thoroughly soggy leaves is very green, like super green! Notes of grass and spinach, kelp and peas, and a tiny hint of chestnuts. It smells verdant, I see flashes of vibrant green in my mind as I sniff it. The liquid is light and sweet, and of course green, though it is no where as intense as the wet leaves. There are notes of honey and chestnut along with a strong grassy presence.

Holy soupy thickness! Oh man, that mouthfeel is something else, it does not coat the mouth, it paints it, it smothers it, it feels sensual like chocolate melting in the mouth, but less milky…and chocolaty, but a similar texture. The taste is super green, with a blend of spinach and grass at the first, then it goes on a mouth journey to asparagus and sweet peas, and at the finish we have chestnut and kelp. It blends savory and sweetness pretty perfectly. Speaking of chocolate, if you ever get the chance to mix really dark chocolate with Gyokuro, do it, it is an awesome pairing!

In the traditional style I went for a second steeping, jacking up the temperature and shortening the steeping time. It is safe to say that is luminous Hulk green tea is now a powerhouse of flavor, it is super savory with notes of kelp and cooked spinach, with a strong kale midtaste, this bitter green note pretty quickly fades to kelp and a touch of chestnut at the finish. It is pretty intense, in a good way, but be warned, do not go to the second steep lightly, be prepared with a spirit of steel!

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/04/yunomi-nakamura-en-01-gyokuro-mecha.html

This Matcha is highly aromatic in its scent especially during the whisking process.
Its taste profile is one of the crisp and vegetal Matcha teas with an alga-maritime flavor, a full body and persistent, with an astringent and rich finish.

Read more: http://matchaenthusiast.blogspot.de/2015/04/matcha-review-ureshino-kamairi-matcha.html

Oh my gosh.. I just drank liquid Lucky Charms… without the marshmallows.

A yellowish green liquor with roasty nuances of toasted rice, neither too strong, nor too mild, perfectly matches the vegetal and slight sweet taste of the green tea base.

I like Hojicha best when it does not have a dominant charcoal-tobacco taste. Unfortunately this one is very heavenly roasted.
It has taken some trying for me to like this dark roasted Hojicha.

Another really lovely flavoured houjicha courtesy of Yunomi.

I had my first experience with noting the flavour of osmanthus just the other day, when sampling Tea Ave’s osmanthus oolong. It was really nice to have that experience to compare this to.

This has a lovely osmanthus flavour – that slightly floral, sweet, peachy flavour. It combines beautifully with the roasty notes of the houjicha. I didn’t notice much in the way of orange, but I also didn’t miss it either – this seemed just right, and well balanced just as is.

I’m really excited to try more flavoured houjicha in the future. They two I have from Yunomi are just delicious and a very unique tea experience.

I’m not much of a houjicha person – I’m just starting to appreciate roasted teas more – but when I saw these flavoured hoijicha on Yunomi and then reviews here, I was really intrigued.

This is really excellent. The dry leaf is rich and roasty smelling, with a note that keeps making me think really milky milk chocolate, but I don’t think it’s actually chocolate.

I’ve tried this twice, once steeped per the directions on the packet – 2tsp, 2min, 90C, and once as a latte, 2tsp, 94C, extended steep and then into the blender with sugar and warm milk. It is awesome both ways.

The flavour of it is just so soothing and relaxing. It’s sweet and delicately roasty, with that same note that I want to associate with chocolate, and then there’s a lovely flavour of roasted pumpkin seeds (shelled) and just a hint of zucchini.

I’m really into this as an evening drink. It feels like the perfect thing to sip while winding down.
Thank you to Yunomi for the sample!

I didn’t follow the typical brewing methods from Yunomi for this tea this morning. I just wanted it simple using a cup and infuser. I used 185F , 1 tsp and brewed for 50 min.

It’s quite delicious. Very good umami. Very grassy & sweet with only a hint of bitterness. There’s also a bit of nutty flavour that comes through too. This might have been even better if I brewed at 175 which I will try next time but was still good at the 185F. Their recommendation is 158F. My tea just cools down too quick at that temperature.

I would buy this sencha again from Yunomi.

Matcha Silver makes a good everyday Matcha with a mild body and a long vegetal finish.
There wasn’t any astringency and bitterness but some crispy notes were here and there.
The texture was silky and smooth.

Pics: http://matchaenthusiast.blogspot.de/2015/03/matcha-review-cha-ginza-matcha-silver.html

An organic blend of spring and summer harvest from Kagoshima and Kyoto.
This Sencha is high aromatic in its scent and fills the air with a complex aroma of umami and amami.
The liquor is a cloudy green with yellowish nuances in the cup.
Up to 5 infusions were possible, however, the flavor began already to fade with the 4th infusion.
The flavor was full-bodied and complex with a good balance of sweetness and umami.
The finish was vegetal with a refreshing astringency that gains more intensity in the following infusions. 

Pics: http://teapictres.blogspot.com/2015/03/organic-standard-sencha-by-yunomi.html

I got this with my last Yunomi order. I had ordered their surprise New Year package which includes 4 teas. It seemed like a good deal so I went for it.

The leaves are a very dark green but that’s not unusual for a good sencha. I brewed this at a really low temperature – 160F for one minute. It brews up a rich green colour and the taste was sweet, very grassy , & a bit bitter. I just didn’t like the bitterness but otherwise enjoyed the cup. I haven’t been feeling too well so didn’t go for a second infusion until later this afternoon. I expected the 2nd cup to be better than the first. I was wrong. It was really bitter even though I still only brewed 1 min and at the same low temperature.

Now that I look at some of their brewing notes online, they do say the 2nd steeping should be shorter. There’s a few different steeping techniques so I’ll give a few of those a try next time.

This is definitely one of the best Houjichas I have drank. It has a strong roasted flavor but it also has a nice sweet flavor behind the roast. I really don’t know exactly what the sweet flavor tastes like specifically, but it’s good.

I brewed this once in a 16oz Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Gravity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and 175 degree water for 2 min.

This was my sample given to me by Yunomi in my recent present.

I open the package to reveal small forest emerald shards. The dry leaves invoke my senses with spring time jungles. The sweet buttery smell of fresh flora waft in the air. I already know that this tea is going to be delicious. The scent was a beautiful arrangement of everything Gyokuro.

I brewed in my new Bizenware Kyusu (also courtesy of Yunomi) with the cups to match. When brewing shade grown green tea, I am always careful of steeping time and temperature. The water hit these gorgeous leaves and the aroma began. The jungle scent maximized into a fantastic aroma. I could smell a strong vegetal scent with undertones of nectar and kale. I wanted this to last, ahahah.

The first sip was heavenly. It had a strong Umami and increasingly flavorful. The initial taste was smooth and vegetal. It tasted as a buttery flower. The flavor was invigorating and oh so silky. I could taste the harvest and the fields of Fukuoka. The flavor continued consistent and bright. The liquor was a pale iridescent green. It looked as a polished tourmaline in the sunshine.

This is an astonishing Gyokuro, and I am very greatly to be able to sample it.

P.S. I ate the leaves afterwards, very nice tea salad ;)

Just came back from a visit to the ER for my asthma where they had to put me on a nebulizer. I have to ask my doctor for a prescription for one, my insurance would have to pay for it even if it may take a call from my Lawyer first. I needed a tea tonight and I wanted something low caffeine so this hojicha fits the bill. There are two main flavors I get, roasted and apple. The roasted is a little more potent than the apple. I would have liked it the other way around, but it is still quite good.

I brewed this one time in a Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Gravity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and 175 degree water for 4 min.

It has taken some trying for me to like Hojicha. The first time I tried one the roasted flavor was off putting. This one has a fairly pleasant roasted flavor. It is not too strong. I find myself drinking it at night because of the low caffeine content. This one states it is pesticide free and spring tea which I admit it tastes like, meaning the spring taste. I don’t think you can taste pesticides one way or the other. Yunomi definitely has some good teas, so far everything on my order has been good. Regardless, hojicha is an acquired taste.

I brewed this one time in a 16oz Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Gravity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and 175 degree water for 2 min.

This tea is quite tasty. I bought this with my Yunomi order received today. It’s too bad they only sell this in a 30g quantity. I would have like to have the option to pick up a larger size in the future. I would definitely buy this again. This tea blends the chocolate and the mint with the roasty flavor of the hojicha. No one flavor dominates and the chocolate flavor is not in your face powerful. The chocolate flavor nicely balances the roasted flavor so the roasted flavor is not too powerful as it is with some hojichas.

I brewed this one time in a Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Gravity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and 175 degree water for 2 min. It came out quite well at two minutes. I normally give black teas three minutes but I find greens are better at 2 minutes.

This is my first hojicha, so I can’t really compare it to any others. It’s a green tea, but I really like it. It’s nutty and toasty without tasting at all burnt. The aftertaste is sweet. But it’s kind of a light sweetness, more like a pinch of cane sugar than honey. It has none of the bitterness associated with green tea, and it’s not at all grassy or vegetal — a really really great green for someone who doesn’t love most greens. There is really nothing at all unpleasant about this flavor. I don’t want to add anything to it.

I know that hojicha usually has twigs, but the Yunomi site lists only tea leaves as the ingredient. This is the first green tea I’ve ever really really liked.

The only issue is that green tea usually makes me nauseous. I drank this tea with a meal, and I’m feeling slightly off… But I’m not sure whether this is a reverse placebo thing, or if I’m genuinely having negative side effects right now. I will reserve judgment on whether or not this tea will be okay as a regular in my rotation. But I hope that I can drink it because it’s really really good. I’m tempted to buy some more right now — it’s that good.

I have read that Serious Green Tea Drinkers don’t take hojicha seriously, but I don’t care. It’s inexpensive, low in caffeine and really delicious. Perfect with meals. I’ll monitor how I feel for the next few hours after I finish drinking it — hoping the nausea ends quickly.

I also have a sample of Den’s hojicha on hand. I opened them both, and this one smelled a little sweeter and a lot less smoky, so I decided to try it first. The dry leaves smell kind of like roasted almonds. The wet leaves smell a bit like basil, but i tend to notice that about a lot of wet leaves with a lot of different kinds of teas, so I’m not sure it’s really significant here.

I thought that I would mainly think this was preferable to other green teas — I thought I’d think it was just okay, but honestly it’s one of the best new teas I’ve tried recently. I love it — must get more if it doesn’t make me sick.

The powder is light green with white pieces amongst them, dry milk perhaps? It smells toasted and grassy though mild.

Following the instructions on the packet, I put two and a half spoons of Matcha blend into my bowl and added 100ml approx of warm water (around 85C).

Once steeped (and well mixed) the liquid is a light green that looks rather milky and has a toasted grass scent.

Flavour is surprisingly good! It’s sweet and toasted with cream and grass tones. Soft and delicate but I’m really understanding the latte description. Perfect for me as I am allergic to milk and drinking it gives me stomach ache, though small doses is fine. There are little bits in the drink that are chewy, petal like as they are soft. The bits are not great, I would prefer it smooth.

Pics on my blog.
http://www.kittylovestea.co.uk/2015/01/30/fukubukuro-gifts-from-yunomi/

The raw leaves are a beautiful blend of green tones with some yellow stems and brown sticks/twigs present. They smell fresh, sweet and grassy with toasted flowers.

Leaf – 5g
Water – 180ml
Temperature – 65c
Steeping time – 1 minutes

Once steeped the tea is cloudy green in colour and has a warm seaweed and grass scent.

In flavour It’s mild yet sweet with light grass and umami tones that come through in the after taste. Some dryness too.

A second steep reveals deeper grass and seaweed flavours with an increased dryness. The umami is present though remains minimal and slightly perfumed. As it cools I can also taste white cabbage.

A third steep brings out some astringency though it remains full of flavour. Though the dryness is increasing and feels powdery.

Overall: It was nice and the Organic factor made it extra special but I found this Sencha became dry too quickly for my liking.

Pics on my blog:
http://www.kittylovestea.co.uk/2015/01/30/fukubukuro-gifts-from-yunomi/

I bought a sample of this tea and therefore provide only a first impression.
I decided against the recommended steeping method from Yunomius.
I gave gongfu cha a try with this tea and it turned out to be a good idea.
My parameters: 2g/80ml/95°C/10-20se, up to 10 infusions
The smell of the dried leaves was a little bit difficult to describe: for me it was a slight scent of lactic acid which even the steeped leaves had.
The color of the liquor was a clear honey-yellow with the same smell. The smell did not appear stronger or weaker.
The flavor was characterized by a mild sweetness with a slight acid base note. The sweetness was more or less neutral, maybe a touch of honey? but I´m not really sure.
The acid notes were wonderfully refreshing and discreetly lemony.

I bought a jar of this for my birthday which is in a few weeks time but I also received another jar of this tea from my fukubukuro bag from Yunomi. So I figured I may as well try it now and have the other jar on my birthday as planned.

Colour is bright green and foams wonderfully.

Flavour is smooth and very creamy, lightly grassy and sweet. Very light in strength, incredibly easy to drink and wonderful sweet grass tones in the after taste. The last sip had light umami tones.

The powder blends well with the water and it makes each sip consistent in flavour and texture.

I think this is the smoothest Matcha I have tried, it’s taste and colour is stunning. No chemical flavours or astringency at all. Will have to do a detailed write up of this with pictures I think at some point.