Tag: green tea

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Ujitawara Special Blend Matcha from Naoki Matcha

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Naoki Matcha has a new Masters Collection tea that I’ll be drinking today. Ujitawara Special Blend Matcha is made up of Uji Hikari and Samidori cultivars, stone ground in Kyoto Japan. The matcha powder has a grassy and fruity sweet scent that reminds me of raspberries. Ujitawara has an excellent vibrant green hue. I used 2 grams of matcha powder, usucha style, bamboo whisked in 5oz/150ml low temperature (175F/79c) water. Ujitawara Special Blend Matcha whisks up with a good amount of foam build up. I’ve seen thicker, but this one is pretty good. Tasting of Naoki Matcha’s Ujitawara Special Blend… Continue reading, hoot!

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Hojicha and Genmai Matcha from Japanese Green Tea Co

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Back in my early tea obsessed beginnings before Oolong Owl, I would frequently purchase hojicha and genmaicha lace with matcha. Lately, the colder weather has me craving roasted teas, but also I need my caffeine kick. That said, today I have Hojicha and Genmai Matcha from Japanese Tea Co to drink! Use coupon code oolongowl for 10% off your Japanese Green Tea Co order! Hojicha from Japanese Green Tea Co This hojicha is grown in sugar cane soil, then charcoal roasted. The leaf smells like toasted to crisp peanuts. I used 3 grams in 250ml/1cup, 175F/80c water, steeped for 2… Continue reading, hoot!

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Hojicha Powder from 3 Leaf

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Finally, a vendor that has Hojicha Powder! I’ve tried Hojicha “matcha” a few times at tea industry conventions and enjoyed it. When I heard that 3 Leaf released two Hojicha Matchas – Hojicha and Banana Hojicha Powder, and I immediately purchased so I can my roast on. The instructions on making Hojicha powder is vague, even with a quick google. Overall, it seems a serving is 1 teaspoon and you add “hot” water to taste, around 8oz/ 235ml/1 cup. Hojicha Powder from 3 Leaf 1 tsp clocked in at 2.3 grams (call it 2 grams). I added a little bit… Continue reading, hoot!

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HER-CHA Tea Discovery Collection Review

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HER-CHA is a tea startup from California that specializes in premium teas that are packed in small serving tins to preserve their freshness. In the HER-CHA line up are six teas – Green Oolong, Dark Oolong, Black, Wild White, Green, and Ripe Puer. Each tin has 1 to 2 servings, comfortably to do a small teapot brewed western style, or a 100ml gongfu style. The Discovery Collection contains one of each tea in their selection. The packing of this tea collection is well put together and of high quality, ensuring the leaves are kept intact. It is packaged perfectly for… Continue reading, hoot!

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2020 Bi Luo Chun Green and Competition Grade Wenshan Baozhong from Eco-Cha

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Today is an interesting selection of Eco-Cha teas that were featured in previous months of their monthly tea club. I always enjoy getting teas from their club as they are of high quality or interesting teas to drink. Eco-Cha‘s Spring 2020 Bi Luo Chun Green Tea I haven’t drunk a Bi Luo Chun for a long time, actually, I cannot remember the last time I’ve had this green tea. Eco-Cha’s Bi Luo Chun is a spring 2020 tea grown in Taiwan. The dry leaf smells like simply like pine nuts. Instructions say 1 gram of leaf per 40ml of vessel… Continue reading, hoot!

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Chiran Matcha 2019 Limited Edition from Naoki Matcha

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Today’s matcha is from a new cultivar that hasn’t hit commercial production. Naoki Matcha’s Chiran Matcha 2019 Limited Edition is from Chiran region in Kagoshima Prefecture using the SeiMei Cultivar. Googling up the SeiMei cultivar doesn’t get too many hits, but I do find a paper dated in 2018. Matcha Powder and Preparation The matcha powder smells of mowed flowers and chestnut shells. I used 2 grams of matcha powder, usucha style, whisked in 5oz/150ml low temperature (175F/79c) water. Chiran Matcha whisks up amazingly well and high amounts of foam. I did a finger drag test across the surface and… Continue reading, hoot!

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2020 April White2Tea Club feat. Mao Jian and Emerald Buds Green Tea

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It is no secret, I dislike green tea that doesn’t come in powdered form. There is something about green tea’s grassy taste and chill energy that doesn’t settle well with me. White2Tea has a tea club month that is green tea and with covid scramble, I decided it was too much hassle to arranged this month to be skipped, so here I am drinking it before I ship it to a friend. Both green teas I used 1g to 20ml leaf to vessel ratio. I usually go 1g/30ml for greens but I’m feeling spicy today. The handout said to steep… Continue reading, hoot!

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Wild Northern Thailand Apple Pie Green and Moonlit Mint Black Tea from Love Some Tea

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I have the hankering for some flavored teas, so let’s drink some dessert teas today. Love Some Tea uses wild-grown tea from Northern Thailand, making the base tea something special. I previously reviewed Love Some Tea, including their teas without any added flavorings. Love Some Tea’s Moonlit Mint Black Tea Love Some Tea’s Moonlit Mint is simply their wild black Northern Thailand tea with peppermint oil. To infuse this tea, I used 4 grams of leaf, 9.5oz/ 280ml of 200F/ 93c water for 2 minutes. Moonlight mint sips in fairly pepperminty. As the sip goes on, it gets dark, woodsy,… Continue reading, hoot!

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Cha Ka and Sae Gyokuro Matcha from Samurai Tea Master via Sei Mee Tea

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Matcha is generally made from a specially grown and processed tea called Tencha. There are always exceptions to this, as sometimes tea sellers grind up other teas like Sencha or various Chinese Greens to cut cost or create a new profile. The matcha today is made with Gyokuro, which commands a luxuriously higher price for Japanese teas. The cultivation of Gyokuro and Tencha are similar, as they are both shaded, steamed, but Gyokuro is rolled whereas Tencha is destemmed flakes. There is also a long research rabbit hole as different cultivars could be used for both teas, also changing the… Continue reading, hoot!

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2019 May The Essence of Tea Club feat. 2019 Dragonwell and 1990s Liubao

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Admittedly, I was hoping to dodge fresh green teas as those are simply not a thing I enjoy drinking but I failed. The Essence of Tea’s club doesn’t have a preview online of what we are going to get. This month’s Essence of Tea club is “Something Old and Something New” with a fresh 2019 Dragonwell/ Long Jing green tea and old 1990s Liubao. Traditional Variety Qun Ti Zhong Dragonwell The dry leaf smells of zesty grass and toasted rice. I did grandpa style here, so 3 grams for a small Wall Mug (around 280ml/9.4oz) in 79c/175f water temperature. I… Continue reading, hoot!