I loved the fast shipping for only $5.
I also received a small sample of a cold brew mugicha for iced tea. I love samples.
The Kyusu is beautiful. I like the color and design. The blue contrasts wonderfully with the emerald green teas.
It is small, which is what I wanted.It has an obi-ami type strainer, which I find a useful feature. I do not mind that it is metal, as I do not taste any effect on the tea.
Sasame filters cost too much anyways.
The shincha I ordered was one of the lesser quality shinchas that Den offers. I did not want to spoil myself with an expensive shincha, as I am not that well trained in the tasting of japanese teas. I figured that the shincha kunpu was a good choice.
It is from the Shizuoka prefecture, from the Honyama garden (as stated on the package).
Japanese teas are always good looking. This one is no exception!
The dry leaf smells fresh and sweet. Honeydew is the best way to describe the aroma. There is a distinct umami smell that comes from the leaves as well. For me, it is difficult to describe.
The first infusion smells rich, and lightly vegetal. I also see why some people say that the aroma of shincha is an embodiment of the word "fresh."The taste is stunning;
sweet grass is shown on the entrance. A light astringency is present once the tea is drunk. The liquor is fresh and has a mild salty nuance.
This is a good first impression.
In the second infusion, the aroma was much more pronounced.The liquor was darker in color, but lighter in body.
A light sweetness and the same lingering astringency is found.
The aftertaste is of melon.
I made one more brew, and it was equally as good as both of the others.
Next time I brew this tea, I am using more leaf. I felt that I was a little light on the amount.
One other thing that I enjoyed about this tea was the lack of bitterness. I had this feeling that all japanese teas were bitter, but that is just because I had never had one of good quality.
The leaves were eaten afterwords, a lesson learned from a fellow blogger, Michal Tallo.They were quite good. Next time, I will mix them with some cherry tomatoes and olive oil. I think that will be a nice treat.
~billy
Nice kyusu! I also prefer small teapots, gaiwans and literally any tea-brewing accessories. Kyusu I use the most, for instance, is just 100ml (about 3.4 oz, I think). And it's always enough, even when I use it to prepare tea for more people. ;)
ReplyDeleteDen's seems to have some really good Japanese tea and this Shincha is no exception. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed the noble uniqueness of genuine Japanese tea! ;)
Michal,
ReplyDeleteYes definitely I love smaller implements! They just add a sense of peace to the whole process, in my mind at least. The smaller amounts also makes you appreciative, and attentive to the tea. Good points =]
Yes Den's is pretty good with their selection! I hope to try more of their selection once the 2010 teas are available! I enjoyed this shincha very much! =] Next time, I will probably order a full set with fukamushi, asamushi, hojicha, gyokuro, and perhaps a genmaicha.