Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: Ureshino Gyokucha Ochatama

Gyokucha

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Yunomi

Tea Description:

A very interesting green tea. It looks like Chinese gunpowder tea in that the leaves are rolled up into little balls. This particular one from our supplier Chakoan has a strong savory umami aroma that is similar to gyokuro.

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.

Taster’s Review:

I don’t recall ever trying a Gyokucha tea before tasting this Ureshino Gyokucha Ochatama from my monthly mystery Tea Sampler’s Club from Yunomi.

That’s one of the reasons that I love tea sampler clubs like this … I get the opportunity to try teas that I might not have tried otherwise.  In fact, when I first saw this package, I thought it was Gyokuro, and it wasn’t until I opened the pouch and saw the tiny pellets that resemble Chinese Gunpowder green tea that I realized that this is NOT a Gyokuro!

But even though this looks a lot like a Chinese Gunpowder (in shape, but the color of the leaves here are a much more vivid green) … it doesn’t taste like a Chinese Gunpowder.  It tastes more like a Gyokuro … although it is a bit lighter and crisper on the palate.

The first thing I noticed when I tasted it was a distinct nutty tone.  It starts out sweet, and then transcends to a strong savory note.  The finish is clean and there is a dry astringency.

There is relatively little aftertaste here, just faint notes of a grassy taste that rests upon the tongue.  The taste is very clean … and it’s a very “cleansing” sort of feeling that I get from this tea.

I’m really enjoying this Japanese green tea.  A very interesting tea, indeed!

Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: Light Roast Houjicha from Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantation

lightroasthoujicha

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Yunomi

Tea Description:

Roasted green tea, or Houjicha, is unlike any green tea you’ve tasted before. With a smooth, smoky flavor that is simultaneously light and sweet, houjicha has none of the bitterness of traditional green teas. 

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.

Taster’s Review:

This Light Roast Houjicha from the Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantation is the third and final tea that I received in this month’s Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club package.

As I’ve professed before, I am quite fond of Houjicha (or Hojicha) because I love that roasty-toasty flavor!  This particular tea is “Light Roast” and the difference is noticeable in the flavor.

It is a much lighter taste – a mild smokiness and a gentle toasted flavor is what I’m enjoying with this cup.  It is sweet and mellow and lacks any bitterness whatsoever.  The astringency is also quite light here – it’s barely noticeable.

The roasting process of Houjicha seems to mute out the strong vegetative or “grassy” notes that is often found in green teas, and replaces them with a sweet, toasty taste, and I think that’s what I like best about Houjicha.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy that grassy taste from a Japanese Sencha just fine, but, sometimes, it’s nice to change things up a bit.

I like how the lighter roasting of this allows some of the smoky tones to be explored.  It isn’t a strong smoky overture, but I can note the complexity in the smoky tones.  This seems much more complex to me than a typical, “medium” roast or stronger roast Houjicha.  Smooth with layers of flavor that are smoky, nutty, sweet, earthy, somewhat woody, and deliciously toasted.

A very tasty Houjicha … very relaxing to sip, and a very smooth, comforting cup!

Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club: 2013 Kurihara Heritage Gyokuro from the Kurihara Family

SONY DSC

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Yunomi

Tea Description:

Gyokuro tea is grown beneath shading, cutting out some 85% of the sunlight. This allows the leaves to mature without obtaining bitterness. The results is an ultra delicate green tea with an extremely sweet taste profile.

Our Heritage Gyokuro is grown beneath traditional, handmade bamboo and/or straw shading. The moisture that drips from this natural shading flavors the tea — a return to the past with this gourmet tea.

Learn more about this tea here.

Learn more about Yunomi’s Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club here.

Taster’s Review:

This is the second tea that I’m trying from this month’s Yunomi Monthly Mystery Tea Sampler’s Club package – 2013 Kurihara Heritage Gyokuro from the Kurihara family.

It is SO good.

I guess it goes without saying that I drink a lot of tea.  I taste a lot of different teas from a lot of different sources.  And, the plain and simple truth of the matter is, I enjoy much of what I taste.  But, while I do enjoy much of what I drink, there are different levels of enjoyment.  I enjoy a delicious, well-conceived flavored blend of tea – these teas are fun and sweet and tasty.  They’re kind of like candy in tea form.

And then, every once in a while, I get something like this:  a pure, unadulterated Gyokuro.  And with the very first sip, I think:  “now this is TEA!”  This is tea on a whole other level.  And while the flavored blends are like candy in tea form, an exceptional Gyokuro like this one is more like going out to a five star restaurant and being served at the Chef’s table in tea form.

This truly is an extraordinary Gyokuro.  It is sweet with a complex vegetative taste that is like lightly buttered, steamed fresh vegetables with hints of new, spring grass and just a hint of kelp in there.  But because Gyokuro tends to be a delicate brothy taste, these notes are soft.

It is such a wonderful, contemplative cup.  It is very smooth with very little astringency.  There is absolutely no bitterness … it’s just sweet and delicate and fresh tasting.  Such a lovely, lovely cuppa!

A remarkable Gyokuro, this Kurihara Heritage Gyokuro.