Fukamushi Sencha (from Fukuoka?) by Yuicha/Tagashira Chaho - 150g bag
Recommended Brewing Parameters
(estimated) 80°C, 30 seconds, 5 grams
Leaf Appearance
(Dry) Small to medium sized dark green leaves, similar to blades of grass
Rating
C | 76/100
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
So, it turns out I can't really read most kanji (big surprise), which means I don't know the brewing information on the back. However, I ended up just brewing using my water heater's gyokuro temperature and guesstimating the brew time; it turned out pretty well for the majority, which was surprising (this tea gets points for ease of brewing). Keep in mind that I am eating dinner– marinated bangus– at the same time as this review, and I ate some Sakuma's Drops earlier (the roof of my mouth may be bleeding, heh), which means that my sense of taste may be affected. I also brewed in my new kyusu.
Regardless, this was a pretty different sencha than what I'm used to. Unlike most, this tea tasted a bit more roasty and umami rather than grassy. The flavor was a bit malty, with some fruits and vegetables, and it ended on a light grassy note. The liquid wasn't as bright green as a few other teas (it was more a really light green or yellow-green), and the aroma was a bit weak, but grassy and a little brothy. There was a bit of astringency, which left a slight burning sensation in my throat; over brews, it got worse, but that may have been due to the longer brew times. I noticed that I felt a lot more relaxed while drinking this, as I had a bit of pain in my shoulders when I started, but the pain had melted away by the time I finished. It did last for quite a bit of brews, but overall it wasn't that flavorful (maybe this was because of the water temperature?). I've had much better sencha, and this one was more run of the mill; it lacked any qualities that would have surprised me.
Other Notes
Woo, first review of the year! My plan is to start with the Japanese teas, writing maybe one every week until I run out. Then, I'll be moving on to the other teas I've been waiting on, like that Bi Lo Chun by Red Blossom Tea Co., Bali by Dammann Freres, some instant teas, and a few others. Hopefully I can stick to this plan.
As for other stuff, like school, the year has started off pretty damn well in my opinion. I think I got an A on my history essay since my grade is back up to an A, and my extracurriculars are going well. The majority of my essays are done for the internships (just need 1 more essay for Stanford), and I have almost all of the letters of recommendation I need, barring 1. I just need to edit them, turn them in, and I'll be done. Mock Trial competition starts next week, and finals are in 2-3 weeks, so I'll be studying a different class each day, working on extracurriculars Mondays, studying the SAT Wednesdays, self-teaching chem and physics probably Tuesdays, and studying for finals the rest of the days. Wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment