93

This is the first tea that I’m trying from the Den’s Tea sampler and the first time I’m having houjicha to boot! When I first opened the packet, I was greeted by a fishy smell, kinda like dried anchovies, which scared me a little. However, after steeping (only 30 seconds, how strange!), the fishy smell went away almost completely and it now smells more like genmaicha to me. The taste is a nice roasted, savory-type tea, which is just what I needed now that the weather is getting cold. I can also detect a bit of fishy taste. I was afraid from the dry leaf smell that that would be weird, but it somehow incorporates nicely with the rest of it all.

If the rest of this sampler turns out to be as delicious as this one, my bank account is gonna take a hit. A wonderfully delicious hit.

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I’m a California girl temporarily located in Boston for school (brrr). I only recently got into teas because I’ve never really liked coffee (too bitter), but I have been a daily barley tea drinker since I was little.

Through some timid tastings and exploring, I so far like:
-Japanese green teas (genmaicha, hojicha, sencha, etc)
-Oolongs! (Most kinds except formosa and dan cong so far)
-Straight black teas
-English Breakfast teas
-Fruity teas (peach, apple, strawberry, other berries)

NOT a huge fan of rooibos, matcha, heavily artificial tasting teas, or anything gingery or peppery, but I’m trying to keep an open mind and taste everything that I can!

I’m trying to sample more straight teas and have been having pretty awesome discoveries so far. Thank goodness for sample sizes!

My tentative rating system:
90-100: Woohoo! I’m loving it, and I’m definitely restocking when I get the chance and/or crying when I’m out.

80-90: Yum! I’ll try to restock if it fits in my budget when I run out.

70-80: Probably would not buy again, but it was nice enough to finish the cup.

50-70: Would not choose this tea for myself if given the situation, but would not reject it if someone offered it to me and would gulp down politely.

50 or less: Nope. Don’t care to taste that tea again, sorry!

I’m always down to swap, so send me a message if anything in my cupboard is calling your name!

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