I’m not well seasoned in Japanese tea but I cannot resist the flavor of a good roasted tea. Kiroku Tea Garden’s Roasted Spring Tencha Amehojicha is a fascinating tea – a roasted okumidori cultivar Tencha. Tencha is typically grown and processed to be matcha, and it is uncommon to find in loose leaf form. It is downright experimental to roast Tencha. This tea is from Yunomi, the place for Japanese teas with plenty of unusual finds. In the past, I’ve gotten Japanese Oolong from them.
Leaf and Steeping Method
The chopped leaves are dark, with a sweet roasted chestnut scent. The roasted scent and it makes my mouth water.
I steeped this following the ratios and temperatures – 1 gram of leaf per 40ml, steeped for 1 minute in 80c water. I am certainly not using traditional teaware as I just feel like looking at rabbits today.
After a steep, Roasted Spring Tencha Amehojicha smells roasted and strangely sweet, like licorice.
Tasting of Kiroku Tea Garden’s Roasted Spring Tencha Amehojicha, The Sweet Roast
First Infusion: I haven’t had Hojicha like this – the flavor is bittersweet roasty, and very sweet fresh pumpkin. Roasted Tencha Amehojicha tastes like the exact scent of chopping a Halloween pumpkin, scooping out the guts, then a layer of roast, but cleaner than the smoke of a lit candle. The texture is creamy and buttery, but not dry or astringent.
Second and Third infusion: Roasted Spring Tencha Amehojicha is pretty similar with a roasted flavor, and less pumpkin, but it has a crisp mineral note that adds a salivation note. Some sips are herby fresh that I cannot place, adding a sharp refreshing breath along with the roasted sweet aftertaste.
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Infusion: I decided to jump to 95c and steep this tea out. Roasted Tencha Amehojicha is sharper and sweeter – going a mineral sappy wood and more fresh herbs. The texture is like licking streaky glass. For the final infusion, I used boiling water and it is more of the same flavor.
Comments
Kiroku Tea Garden’s Roasted Spring Tencha Amehojicha, The Sweet Roast, is a very different roasted Japanese tea. This tea has lots of good flavor, complexities, and texture. It is a perfect tea if you love roasted teas or simply want an experimental tea experience to nerd out on. Yunomi has other teas from Kiroku Tea Garden, including the same cultivar tencha in unroasted and matcha form.
(tea provided for review)
