- O-Cha Uji Asamuchi Sincha L1000710.jpg (981.64 KiB) Viewed 11916 times
What Green Are You Drinking
Enjoying O-Cha's Uji Asamushi Aoi 2016 Shincha. Getting on in years but still very nice. Vegetal grassy notes have mellowed down, as has caffeine kick I associate with sinchas. Grassines has been replaced by a smooth sweet warming range of flavours. Light but flavorful and still pretty nice. Steeped in an early 20th c white clay Tokoname kyusu with mogake effect, resting on a stoneware slab by local artist that I use as a tray. The dry leaf aroma inspired wabi-sabi earth tones.
working towards the end of this fukujuen gyokuro
also working towards the end of this poor kyusu taking this foolish pic
also working towards the end of this poor kyusu taking this foolish pic
I purchased the Gyokuro sampler pack from Maiko tea. I started with the least expensive and working my way up from there. It is really good (when brewed properly). When I tried Gyokuro previously I must have used too much water to leaf, or water that was too hot...because it was nothing like what I’m getting now. Might be my new favourite tea!
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davidmarkglass
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2018 6:51 pm
I usually get a sencha called Miyakonojo from Thes du japon, but they are sold out. It was recommended by Tead Off on another site, and I love this tea. Can anyone recommend a substitute? Thanks.
Was this the one, Oku-midori cultivar? Looking for flavor profile to gauge. You might write vendor to see if they will have it again in the Spring.davidmarkglass wrote: ↑Sat Mar 10, 2018 8:17 pmI usually get a sencha called Miyakonojo from Thes du japon, but they are sold out. It was recommended by Tead Off on another site, and I love this tea. Can anyone recommend a substitute? Thanks.
http://www.thes-du-japon.com/index.php? ... cts_id=119
Finished my sample of a mystery roasted sencha that was a gift. Absolutely love it so am on a mission to find more. I'm lucky to live in an international city; the Japanese producer who provided it (Kagoshima Seicha Co.) just happens to be in town, so he's coming over for tea tomorrow. He said it's not their standard line, so I cannot buy it 
but he can give me another sample. Oh I need to find out his source; this is like a roasted gyokuro, with warm sweet chestnut and umami notes.
but he can give me another sample. Oh I need to find out his source; this is like a roasted gyokuro, with warm sweet chestnut and umami notes.- Mystery Roasted Sencha w-Hokujo L1000695_3sm.jpg (1.09 MiB) Viewed 11830 times
Like a Sencha-based Houjicha or less roasted then that?
Sounds delicious whatever it is. I can't wait until we have the time to go to Japan and really dig around for interesting teas.
Sounds delicious whatever it is. I can't wait until we have the time to go to Japan and really dig around for interesting teas.
Not Houjicha; more refined, no loose stems (like in kukicha), not smoky, with a smoother sweeter roasted umami profile. Dry leaf needles were more dark green, rather than brown red of houjicha. Very elegant. I'll post dry leaf when I can.
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davidmarkglass
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2018 6:51 pm
Yes. That's the one.Victoria wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:04 pmWas this the one, Oku-midori cultivar? Looking for flavor profile to gauge. You might write vendor to see if they will have it again in the Spring.davidmarkglass wrote: ↑Sat Mar 10, 2018 8:17 pmI usually get a sencha called Miyakonojo from Thes du japon, but they are sold out. It was recommended by Tead Off on another site, and I love this tea. Can anyone recommend a substitute? Thanks.
http://www.thes-du-japon.com/index.php? ... cts_id=119
Mod edit: quoted context
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davidmarkglass
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2018 6:51 pm
Oh yum!!!!!Victoria wrote: ↑Mon Mar 12, 2018 5:34 pmFinished my sample of a mystery roasted sencha that was a gift. Absolutely love it so am on a mission to find more. I'm lucky to live in an international city; the Japanese producer who provided it (Kagoshima Seicha Co.) just happens to be in town, so he's coming over for tea tomorrow. He said it's not their standard line, so I cannot buy it
Mystery Roasted Sencha w-Hokujo L1000695_3sm.jpg
I am sipping some Xu Fu Long Ya from Teaspring.
Very special, has that succulent mouthwatering taste. Notes of melon and the slight nuttiness of I presume the tea oil from pan firing. Slightly astringent. I wonder why this vendor does not get as much mention as it used to, they have quite the fine selection.
Very special, has that succulent mouthwatering taste. Notes of melon and the slight nuttiness of I presume the tea oil from pan firing. Slightly astringent. I wonder why this vendor does not get as much mention as it used to, they have quite the fine selection.
Back to back Japanese greens this morning; Birouen Tea House ‘Premium Organic Shade (semi) Grown Sencha’ (Kagoshima Seicha Co) and Ippodo’s Tenkaichi Gyokuro. The semi-shaded sencha is stellar, much better than Ippodo’s Tenkaichi Gyokuro (top Gyokuro available on online). Kagoshima Seicha’s producer came over this week for tea and gifted me a few of their offerings. The company was founded in 1884, has a tea house in Kagoshima, and I believe is now primarily a wholesaler with a small online presence. This particular sencha is not yet available online, when it is I will definitely buy it. It is a very smooth fresh umami rich sencha, with very very little bitterness. Ippodo’s Tenkaichi unfortunately is disappointing in comparison. This really surprised me given that their Tokusen Gyokuro (Premium Gyokuro only sold at Kyoto Main Store) is so fantastic.
Edit _Tasting Update: Tonight at a special LA Tea Club w/ Aikido Center of LA tasting I shared both the partially shaded Birouen Sencha and Ippodo’s Tenkaichi Gyokuro and to my surprise the gyokuro was much better. I think it just needed more than 24hr to air out, after opening the nitrogen flushed sealed bag. It was very good after all; umami rich sweetness for at least 4 steeps. Very nice.
As far as the mystery roasted sencha I loved from Kagoshima Seicha Co, turns out they only occasionally roast sencha because there is such a small market for it. Maybe my enthusiasm will change their mind. Anyway, Yuki is going to kindly send me another roasted sencha sample. Meanwhile, I went to a local Donabe ceramic store and finally bought myself a beautiful sesame roaster so I can experiment roasting my own sencha and oolong. Toiro Kitchen’s roaster is pricier than some available online, but it is also much more beautiful, stunning really; the texture, the proportions, the balance, the clay used.
Sesame Roaster, handmade in Iga.
Edit _Tasting Update: Tonight at a special LA Tea Club w/ Aikido Center of LA tasting I shared both the partially shaded Birouen Sencha and Ippodo’s Tenkaichi Gyokuro and to my surprise the gyokuro was much better. I think it just needed more than 24hr to air out, after opening the nitrogen flushed sealed bag. It was very good after all; umami rich sweetness for at least 4 steeps. Very nice.
As far as the mystery roasted sencha I loved from Kagoshima Seicha Co, turns out they only occasionally roast sencha because there is such a small market for it. Maybe my enthusiasm will change their mind. Anyway, Yuki is going to kindly send me another roasted sencha sample. Meanwhile, I went to a local Donabe ceramic store and finally bought myself a beautiful sesame roaster so I can experiment roasting my own sencha and oolong. Toiro Kitchen’s roaster is pricier than some available online, but it is also much more beautiful, stunning really; the texture, the proportions, the balance, the clay used.
Sesame Roaster, handmade in Iga.
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Drinking Cha Wang Huang Shan Mao Feng from TeaSpring. Really delicious, buttery, succulent, refined. Some asparagus/artichoke notes.
Not cheap at $0.60/gram, but justifiably so. A 2017 but none the worse for wear.
I would take this over longjing, in recent years anyway.
Not cheap at $0.60/gram, but justifiably so. A 2017 but none the worse for wear.
I would take this over longjing, in recent years anyway.