491 Tasting Notes
Just got my tea sampler set from Arbor Teas and this was the first tea I tried. The tea leaves have a wonderful potpourri like aroma of pineapple and tropical fruit and when brewed the flavor of the tea is true to its scent. Pineapplely and tropical with a hint of bubblegum flavor. Although it’s a tad fruitier than I prefer, it’s not overly so like Teavana teas tend to be. Second infusion was equally good. Next time I would brew it with regular green tea to tone down the fruitiness. A very nice tea overall.
Preparation
I loved the deep steamed Fukamushi I ordered last time from O-Cha but this similar offering from Yuuki-cha was a let down. The flavor is swampy with a lingering astringency even when brewed at low temperatures. However the taste and color of the tea improves with subsequent infusions. The first infusion is unremarkable with a pale green-yellow color. But the second infusion, 150-155 F for 30 seconds, turns bright green and with a smooth, grassy flavor and a hint of sweetness. A lot of the tea’s flavor notes begin to come out in the 2nd infusion. Third infusion, 155-160 F @ 90 seconds, was mild and pleasant.
Preparation
A nice, light green tea with a hint of jasmine essence. It won’t be replacing my Rishi jasmine pearls any time soon but it was cheap ($3 at Homegoods) and makes an excellent bagged tea for the office. I actually prefer the flavor of this jasmine tea to many of the inexpensive brands I’ve bought from grocery stores and Asian markets and then had to throw out.
Preparation
Admittedly, I’m still new to matcha but I have to say Teavana’s makes a really delicious cup of tea. Most of the time I use it for matcha lattes but I also like to add a pinch to sencha – especially on subsequent infusions – for a nice flavor (and color) boost.
The tea itself produces a lovely vibrant green liqueur and has a creamy mouth feel. I like how easily it froths up leaving behind no grit at the bottom of your cup. But be careful…it can become astringent if you use too much or if your water temperature is too hot.
Teavana recommends brewing at 175 F which I find made the tea bitter. Instead I stick to 160 F and use a ratio of about 3/4 tsp tea to 3-4 oz water. For lattes, I add 3 oz of steamed milk and sometimes a light drizzle of honey over the top.
Although it’s supposed to deliver a fair amount of caffeine, I don’t really feel it’s effect. Might just be me though because I’m so used to having coffee in the morning. This is only my second matcha so my palette will likely evolve as I continue exploring other brands and higher grade teas. That said, this is a solid everyday matcha that I will continue drinking in the future. Another plus is that it’s USDA certified organic, one of the few legit organic Teavana teas.
Preparation
Bleh. I knew this tea wasn’t going to be good as soon as I took the first whiff. It had a weird artificial coconut-y smell that reminded me of cheap air freshener. Went ahead and brewed it anyways and it tasted like dirty socks. Had to chuck it halfway through because I thought I was going to be sick. There is no detectable pineapple or even white tea flavor to the tea at all since the horrible fake coconut flavor overwhelms everything. Got this as a sample from Adagio with another order. Obviously, not recommended.
Preparation
I bought this tea online through Google Offers. They were running a special for 60g each of flavored and regular matcha for $25. Always being a sucker for deals, I jumped on it and ended up with 120g of matcha. I was familiar with Japanese green teas already but this was my first foray into matcha and I really had no idea how to select quality matcha. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
The first thing I noticed was that the tea was yellowish not bright green like fresh matcha powder. When brewed the flavor of the tea was astringent and slightly fishy. It didn’t have the grassy, sweet flavor of a good Japanese green tea. Adjusting water temperature didn’t do much to improve flavor although it was somewhat tolerable at 160 F. I managed to salvage the tea by using it for matcha lattes along with a little bit of honey.
A pretty lousy tea all around. Not recommended.
